Short Fiction · Chapter
Children explained
While their parents are away at a christening, five children—Grisha, Anya, Sonya, Alyosha, and the cook's son Andrey—play a game of loto for small stakes.
What happens
While their parents are away at a christening, five children—Grisha, Anya, Sonya, Alyosha, and the cook's son Andrey—play a game of loto for small stakes. The game is marked by excitement, jealousy, cheating accusations, and a brief fight, but ends peacefully as the children fall asleep together on their mother's bed.
Themes in this chapter
Social Class and Inequality
The cook's son Andrey, who has no money to continue playing, is contrasted with the wealthier children who can stake kopecks.
Innocence and Childhood
The children's play, fights, and eventual peaceful sleep capture the fleeting innocence of childhood.
Characters to notice
- Grisha
A nine-year-old boy in the preparatory class, plays loto for money, shows greed and jealousy.
- Sonya
A six-year-old girl with curly hair, plays for the joy of the game, falls asleep at the table.
- Alyosha
A chubby, phlegmatic boy who enjoys the squabbles during the game.
- Anya
An eight-year-old girl with a sharp chin, plays for vanity and success.
- Andrey
The cook's son, a dark-skinned, sickly boy who is engrossed by the arithmetic of the game.
Key passages
“The greatest excitement is expressed on the face of Grisha. He is a small boy of nine, with a head cropped so that the bare skin shows through, chubby cheeks, and thick lips like a negro’s. He is already in the preparatory class, and so is regarded as grown up, and the cleverest.”
Grisha, a nine-year-old with a shaved head and chubby cheeks, is the most excited player. As a preparatory class student, he is considered the oldest and smartest among the children.
Describes Grisha's appearance and status among the children.
“Sonya, a child of six with a curly head, and a complexion such as is seen only in very healthy children, expensive dolls, and the faces on bonbon boxes, is playing loto for the process of the game itself.”
Six-year-old Sonya, with curly hair and a flawless complexion, plays loto purely for the enjoyment of the activity.
Highlights Sonya's innocent motivation for playing.
“Alyosha, a chubby, spherical little figure, gasps, breathes hard through his nose, and stares open-eyed at the cards. He is moved neither by covetousness nor vanity. So long as he is not driven out of the room, or sent to bed, he is thankful.”
Alyosha, a round, chubby boy, breathes heavily and stares at the cards. He is not motivated by greed or pride, but simply grateful not to be sent to bed.
Describes Alyosha's simple contentment.