# I explained — Futility

> Chapter companion for Futility by William Gerhardie.

## What happens

The narrator, reflecting on his return to Vladivostok, decides to write a book about his experiences. He recalls the departure of the three sisters to Shanghai and his subsequent stay in a dingy hotel room, where he begins writing. He then wanders through the autumn landscape, thinking of Nina, Sonia, Vera, and Nikolai Vasilievich and his family, feeling the weight of Russian life closing in.

## Themes in this chapter

### Futility and Meaninglessness

The narrator's ineffectual return and the sense of marking time reflect a feeling of futility and the search for meaning through writing.

### Identity and Belonging

The narrator's retrospective mood and the closing in of Russian life highlight a struggle with identity and a sense of displacement.

## Character check-ins

### Nikolai Vasilievich

The narrator thinks of Nikolai Vasilievich and his unconventional family.

### Nina Bursànova

The narrator thinks of Nina, one of the three sisters who departed for Shanghai.

### Sonia

The narrator thinks of Sonia, one of the three sisters who departed for Shanghai.

### Vera

The narrator thinks of Vera, one of the three sisters who departed for Shanghai.

## Key lines

> And then it struck me that the only thing to do was to fit all this into a book. It is the classic way of treating life.

The narrator realizes that writing a book is the traditional method to make sense of life's experiences.

_This sets up the narrator's motivation for the entire narrative._

> I came back to my room at the hotel. It was a bare and dingy room in a small and shabby hostel.

The narrator returns to a sparse, dirty hotel room, highlighting the grim conditions.

_Establishes the bleak setting after the sisters' departure._

> I sat on an old bench that had names and initials cut out with a penknife, under the trees turning gold and auburn, and shivered in the sharp autumn wind that sent the fallen yellow leaves whirling down the alley.

The narrator sits on a carved bench amidst autumn colors, feeling the cold wind and watching leaves scatter.

_Evokes a melancholic, reflective mood and the passage of time._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/futility_se/chapters/i
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/futility_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/futility_se/chapters