Futility · Chapter
VI explained
The narrator learns from Fanny Ivanovna that the Bursanov family's wealth is an illusion: the goldmines have never paid and the house is mortgaged.
What happens
The narrator learns from Fanny Ivanovna that the Bursanov family's wealth is an illusion: the goldmines have never paid and the house is mortgaged. He discovers that Kniaz, a silent dependent, has heard Fanny's confession many times, making the narrator feel less special as a confidant.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Illusion
The Bursanovs' belief in Nikolai's goldmines and the house in the Mohovaya is a collective illusion that sustains their relationships and dependencies.
Futility and Meaninglessness
Fanny's repeated confessions to anyone, including Kniaz, highlight the futility of her attempts to share the truth, and the narrator's disillusionment underscores a sense of meaninglessness.
Characters to notice
- Fanny Ivanovna
Reveals the financial truth about Nikolai Vasilievich's goldmines and house, and admits she periodically confesses to anyone, including Kniaz.
- Kniaz
A silent, dependent old prince who lives on Nikolai Vasilievich, believes in worthless shares, and has heard Fanny's confession many times.
- Andrei Andreiech
The narrator, who feels misused upon learning he is not the only confidant of Fanny's secret.
- Nikolai Vasilievich
The central figure whose supposed wealth from goldmines and a house is revealed to be a fiction; he pours money into the mines and supports many dependents.
Key passages
“I thought that you had told nobody, Fanny Ivanovna. Andrei Andreiech! she cried in her tone of appeal to my sense of justice, I haven't spoken of it to anyone for more than two weeks.”
The narrator feels betrayed that Fanny has confessed to others, but she insists she has kept the secret for over two weeks.
Highlights the narrator's wounded pride and Fanny's habitual need to confess.
“Kniaz, said Fanny Ivanovna, is also one of those who live on Nikolai Vasilievich. He always comes here. Never misses a day. Sits, reads, eats, and then goes. And all without uttering a word.”
Fanny describes Kniaz as a silent, daily dependent who borrows money from Nikolai Vasilievich.
Illustrates the parasitic relationships surrounding Nikolai Vasilievich.