Short Fiction · Chapter
Not Wanted explained
Pavel Matveyitch Zaikin, a weary circuit court member, commutes from town to his family's summer villa, only to find his wife Nadyezhda Stepanovna preoccupied with amateur theatrical rehearsals and socializing.
What happens
Pavel Matveyitch Zaikin, a weary circuit court member, commutes from town to his family's summer villa, only to find his wife Nadyezhda Stepanovna preoccupied with amateur theatrical rehearsals and socializing. Left alone with his son Petya, Zaikin is displaced from his own bed to accommodate guests, leading to a restless night and a sense of being unwanted in his own home.
Themes in this chapter
Isolation and Loneliness
Zaikin feels isolated and unwanted in his own home, displaced by his wife's social circle and left to wander the streets at night.
Hypocrisy and Moral Failure
Nadyezhda Stepanovna's pursuit of entertainment and social status neglects her husband's basic needs, exposing a failure of domestic duty.
Suffering and Compassion
Zaikin's quiet suffering and the lack of compassion from his family highlight the emotional toll of his domestic situation.
Characters to notice
- Pavel Ivanitch
Pavel Matveyitch Zaikin, a circuit court member, is the protagonist who feels exhausted and displaced by his wife's social activities.
- Petya
Zaikin's six-year-old son, left alone at the villa, asks innocent questions about gnats and freckles.
- Nadyezhda Stepanovna
Zaikin's wife, who brings home amateur actors for rehearsals and prioritizes social engagements over family comfort.
- Olga Kirillovna
A fair-haired woman with freckles who accompanies Nadyezhda Stepanovna and stays overnight.
- Koromyslov
A lanky amateur actor with curly red hair who sings and recites at the rehearsal.
- Smerkalov
A short, stubby amateur actor with a shaven face who performs dramatically and stays overnight.
Key passages
“Father, why is it gnats don't go to sleep at night?”
Petya asks his father why gnats are active at night.
Petya's innocent question contrasts with Zaikin's exhaustion and frustration.
“you and I are not wanted. We have nowhere to sleep even.”
Zaikin tells Petya that they are unwanted and have no place to sleep.
This line encapsulates the chapter's central theme of being unwanted and displaced.
“I maintain, sir, that summer holidays are the invention of the devil and of woman.”
Zaikin argues that summer vacations are a diabolical and frivolous creation.
Zaikin's bitter complaint reflects his resentment toward the summer villa lifestyle.