# The Candles explained — Short Fiction

> Chapter companion for Short Fiction by Fyodor Sologub.

## What happens

A series of vignettes depict candles burning in various settings—a reading, a woman sewing by a sick child, and a funeral—each ending with the candles being extinguished and life returning to its previous state.

## Themes in this chapter

### Death and Mortality

The funeral scene with a man in a coffin, weeping, and candles dying from fear and sorrow directly evokes mortality.

### Illusion vs. Reality

The repeated phrase 'And it was just as before' suggests a cyclical, perhaps illusory, return to normalcy after each candle-lit event.

## Key lines

> The candles wept white, heavy tears. The tears trickled away and froze.

The candles dripped thick white wax that ran down and hardened.

_Personification of candles weeping emphasizes the sorrowful atmosphere._

> The candles were dying from fear and sorrow.

The candles flickered out as if overcome by dread and grief.

_Anthropomorphism of candles heightens the emotional weight of the funeral._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_20_se/chapters/the-candles
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_20_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_20_se/chapters