Short Fiction · Chapter
Small Fry explained
On Easter Eve, the petty clerk Nevyrazimov is stuck on duty in a gloomy office, writing a groveling congratulatory letter to a superior he despises.
What happens
On Easter Eve, the petty clerk Nevyrazimov is stuck on duty in a gloomy office, writing a groveling congratulatory letter to a superior he despises. As he listens to the festive church bells and carriages outside, he yearns for a better life—warmth, family, promotion—but feels trapped by poverty, lack of education, and his own insignificance. His bitterness culminates in a petty act of cruelty toward a cockroach, which briefly relieves his despair.
Themes in this chapter
Social Class and Inequality
Nevyrazimov's envy of the lady in the carriage and the head clerk's overcoat highlights the vast gulf between the poor clerk and the wealthy.
Isolation and Loneliness
Alone in the office on a festive night, Nevyrazimov feels cut off from the joy and community outside, deepening his despair.
Hypocrisy and Moral Failure
Nevyrazimov writes a fawning letter to a man he hates, and contemplates stealing or writing a secret report, revealing moral compromise driven by desperation.
Characters to notice
- Nevyrazimov
The protagonist, a petty clerk on Easter duty, consumed by envy and hopelessness.
- Paramon
The porter, cleaning boots and listening to the Easter chimes, who briefly converses with Nevyrazimov.
Key passages
“The yearning for a new, better life gnawed at his heart with an intolerable ache.”
He felt a painful, intense desire for a completely different and improved existence.
Captures Nevyrazimov's core emotional conflict.
“He thought of all those things because he had none of them.”
His envy was fueled by his own deprivation.
Summarizes his materialistic longing.
“The cockroach fell on its back and wriggled its legs in despair. Nevyrazimov took it by one leg and threw it into the lamp. The lamp flared up and spluttered. And Nevyrazimov felt better.”
He vented his frustration by killing a cockroach, which gave him a fleeting sense of relief.
Illustrates his petty cruelty and momentary escape from despair.