The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories · Chapter
The Foundling explained
A poor woman's daughter, Másha, finds a tiny, crying baby wrapped in rags at their door.
What happens
A poor woman's daughter, Másha, finds a tiny, crying baby wrapped in rags at their door. Despite their poverty, Másha convinces her mother to let her keep the child, feeding and caring for it.
Themes in this chapter
Fate, Injustice, and Suffering
The baby's abandonment and the family's poverty highlight themes of suffering and the precarious fate of the poor.
Characters to notice
- The Master
Implied authority figure; the mother considers reporting the foundling to him.
- Márya
The poor woman's daughter, Másha, who discovers, pities, and cares for the foundling.
Key passages
“We are poor as it is; we have nothing to feed the baby with; I will go to the chief and tell him to take the baby.”
The mother argues that their poverty prevents them from caring for another mouth and suggests turning the child over to authorities.
Highlights the economic pressure and difficult choices faced by the poor.
“Mother, the child will not eat much; leave it here! See what red, wrinkled little hands and fingers it has!”
Másha pleads to keep the baby, minimizing the burden and appealing to her mother's compassion by pointing out its vulnerable, infantile features.
Shows Másha's immediate compassion and maternal instinct overriding practical concerns.