What Is to Be Done? · Chapter
XIX: Viéra Pavlovna’s Third Dream explained
Viéra Pavlovna experiences a troubling dream in which a mysterious visitor (appearing as Bosio and de Merrick) forces her to read from a diary she does not remember writing.
What happens
Viéra Pavlovna experiences a troubling dream in which a mysterious visitor (appearing as Bosio and de Merrick) forces her to read from a diary she does not remember writing. The diary reveals her growing doubts about her love for her husband, Dmitri Lopukhóf, suggesting that her feelings are based on gratitude for rescuing her rather than genuine passion. She wakes in distress, seeking reassurance from Lopukhóf, who comforts her. The dream exposes her subconscious questioning of her marriage and her emerging emotional needs.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Marriage
Viéra's dream interrogates the nature of her love for Lopukhóf, distinguishing between gratitude and genuine romantic passion.
Women's Emancipation
Viéra's internal conflict reflects her struggle for emotional autonomy and the right to define her own desires beyond societal expectations.
Characters to notice
- Viéra Pavlovna
Protagonist who experiences a disturbing dream questioning her love for her husband.
- Dmitri Sergéitch Lopukhóf
Viéra's husband, who comforts her after her nightmare.
- Aleksandr Matvéitch Kirsánof
Mentioned as the one who failed to get opera tickets, hinting at his growing presence in Viéra's thoughts.
- Rakhmétof
Briefly mentioned in the diary as a student who spoke with Lopukhóf during a picnic.
- Bosio
Appears in Viéra's dream as a visitor who forces her to read her diary.
Key passages
“I dreamed that I did not love thee.”
Viéra confesses her nightmare about losing love for her husband.
This line encapsulates the central conflict of the chapter.
“He is a noble man, a generous man; he is my saviour! But generosity gives rise to respect, confidence, and readiness to act in unanimity, friendship. A saviour is requited by gratefulness, by devotion; that is all.”
Viéra's diary suggests her feelings for Lopukhóf are based on gratitude rather than romantic love.
Key insight into Viéra's emotional state.