Short Fiction · Chapter
Kasimir Stanislavovitch explained
Kasimir Stanislavovitch, a down-and-out man, travels from Kiev to Moscow on Good Friday after receiving a cryptic telegram.
What happens
Kasimir Stanislavovitch, a down-and-out man, travels from Kiev to Moscow on Good Friday after receiving a cryptic telegram. He stays at the cheap Hotel Versailles, drinks heavily, and attends the wedding of a woman he secretly loves, watching from a corner before wandering the city alone.
Themes in this chapter
Solitude and Longing
Kasimir's isolation is palpable as he wanders Moscow, attends the wedding unseen, and returns to his empty hotel room, haunted by unrequited love.
Obsessive Love and Idealization
Kasimir's silent, devoted attendance at the wedding of a woman who does not know he exists illustrates his obsessive and idealized love.
Characters to notice
- Kasimir Stanislavovitch
The protagonist, a poor and drunken man who travels to Moscow for a wedding, haunted by his past and unrequited love.
Key passages
“Near the bed stood a dish of fruit, and the girl who had been hired to entertain Kasimir Stanislavovitch, silently, greedily, with relish ate a pear, cutting off slices with a knife, and her friend, with fat bare arms, dressed only in a chemise which made her look like a little girl, was rapidly writing on the toilet-table, taking no notice of them. She wrote and wept—of what? There are lots of people in the world; one can’t know everything.”
In the brothel, the hired girl ate a pear greedily while her friend wrote and cried for unknown reasons, highlighting the anonymity and mystery of others' lives.
This moment underscores the theme of solitude and the unknowability of others.
“And close by him there passed—her veil touching him, and a breath of lily-of-the-valley—she who did not know even of his existence in the world; she passed, bending her charming head, all flowers and transparent gauze, all snow-white and innocent, happy and timid, like a princess going to her first communion.”
The bride passed so close that her veil brushed him, carrying the scent of lilies, completely unaware of his existence, appearing innocent and happy.
This illustrates Kasimir's obsessive love and the painful distance between him and the object of his affection.