# August 13th: My Beloved Makar Alexievitch explained — Poor Folk

> Chapter companion for Poor Folk by Fyodor Dostoevsky.

## What happens

Barbara writes to Makar, describing a series of misfortunes: she burned her left hand with an iron, can no longer work, and Thedora has been ill for three days. She sends him thirty kopecks, nearly her last coins, and asks him to visit her for comfort.

## Themes in this chapter

### Poverty and Deprivation

Barbara's inability to work due to a burn and her meager offering of thirty kopecks highlight the constant financial desperation.

### Isolation and Loneliness

Barbara's plea for Makar to visit underscores her emotional isolation and need for companionship in the face of accumulating misfortunes.

## Character check-ins

### Barbara Alexievna Dobroselova

Writes to Makar in distress, having burned her hand and unable to work.

### Makar Alexievitch Dievushkin

Recipient of Barbara's letter; she urges him to visit.

### Thedora

Has been ailing for three days, adding to Barbara's anxiety.

## Key lines

> It is true that misfortune is following upon misfortune. I myself scarcely know what to do.

Barbara feels overwhelmed by a cascade of bad luck and is at a loss for how to cope.

_Expresses the theme of helplessness in the face of relentless adversity._

> Nevertheless, I send you thirty kopecks⁠—almost the last coins that I have left to me

Despite her own dire straits, Barbara sends Makar nearly all her remaining money.

_Illustrates Barbara's self-sacrificial generosity and the depth of their bond._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poor_folk_se/chapters/august-13th-my-beloved-makar-alexievitch
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poor_folk_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poor_folk_se/chapters