Short Fiction · Chapter
Black Fog explained
The narrator recalls the arrival of his friend Boris from the southern provinces to wintry Petersburg.
What happens
The narrator recalls the arrival of his friend Boris from the southern provinces to wintry Petersburg. Boris, full of vitality and provincial charm, quickly adapts and succeeds in the capital through his shrewdness and hard work. However, he suddenly falls ill and dies, leaving the narrator to ponder the mysterious 'black fog' of death that consumes all life.
Themes in this chapter
Fate and Absurdity
Boris's sudden death from a brief illness contrasts sharply with his earlier vitality and success, underscoring the absurd and unpredictable nature of fate.
Cruelty and Suffering
The narrator witnesses Boris's agonizing death and the 'black fog' that swallows all, highlighting the inherent cruelty of mortality.
Nature and the Sublime
The contrast between the sterile, cold Petersburg winter and the vibrant, sun-drenched south, and the final image of lilac and blackbirds, evoke nature's beauty and indifference.
Characters to notice
- Boris Goudounov
The narrator's friend from the south, full of health and vigor, who arrives in Petersburg and later dies suddenly.
- Irish
Mentioned as the narrator's housekeeper who grows accustomed to Boris.
Key passages
“What had he seen in that last minute? Perhaps to the eyes of his soul there had outlined itself that bottomless, perpetual black fog which, inevitably and pitilessly, absorbs people, and animals, and the grass, and the stars and whole worlds?”
In his final moment, Boris might have glimpsed an endless, dark void that consumes all living things and even the cosmos.
The narrator reflects on the universal and inescapable nature of death.
“He was nearer the truth than I was, I, the old Petersburg sceptic. The luck was with him; probably because a bold, self-confident man can control destiny though destiny whirls and scatters in different directions perplexed and weak people.”
Boris's boldness and confidence allowed him to master fate, unlike the narrator's skeptical passivity.
The narrator contrasts his own cynicism with Boris's successful approach to life.