Poor Folk

In Short

Written in the form of letters, this classic Russian novel depicts the fragile bond between Makar Dievushkin, an aging copyist, and Barbara Dobroselova, a destitute young orphan. Living in neighbouring tenement flats, they share their daily trials, past tragedies, and modest comforts through written notes. Their affectionate connection faces constant strain from grinding poverty, societal contempt, and deteriorating health. Celebrated as a landmark of nineteenth-century psychological realism, the work remains a timeless, empathetic study of human vulnerability, the desperate struggle to maintain self-respect against crushing circumstances, and the tragic trade-offs demanded by sheer survival.

The Story

The narrative opens in spring as Makar Dievushkin, an underpaid clerk who copies documents for a living, initiates a secret correspondence with his young kinswoman, Barbara Dobroselova. Though residing across the same courtyard, they rarely meet in person to avoid surrounding gossip and scandal. Makar invents a system using a window curtain to signal his well-being and daily routine. To bring joy to Barbara, who is recovering from a severe illness, Makar routinely spends his meager earnings on sweetmeats, gifts, and books, hiding the true extent of his own poverty and mounting debt to his landlady.

As their letters accumulate, Barbara shares a written manuscript detailing her past. She recounts her happy childhood, her mother's illness, and her brief, tragic bond with Pokrovski, a tubercular student who gave her a love for books before dying. Her history reveals how she was left defenseless to the predatory designs of wealthy men, particularly a callous landowner named Bwikov. Despite her current isolation, she tries to restrain Makar’s reckless generosity, warning him against ruining himself on her account and urging him to purchase a decent uniform.

As summer progresses, both characters slip deeper into crisis. Barbara's health wavers continuously, preventing her from earning a living through needlework. Makar’s financial embarrassments reach a breaking point; he suffers public humiliation when a personal letter falls into the hands of his mocking lodgings-mates, who brand him a laughingstock. Desperate and overwhelmed, Makar briefly succumbs to despondency, gambling, and heavy drinking. His workplace standing also collapses when a grave copying error forces him to appear before his superior, "his Excellency." Expecting immediate dismissal, Makar is instead granted a gesture of mercy and a small sum of money, temporarily restoring his spirit and honor.

Yet their respite is fleeting. As autumn arrives, the wealthy Bwikov resurfaces, seeking Barbara's hand in marriage—not out of affection, but to secure an heir and satisfy his own domestic ends. Realizing that accepting Bwikov offers her only escape from starvation, cold, and total ruin, Barbara agrees to the match, despite knowing her life on his remote estate will likely be loveless and harsh. In her final letters, she asks Makar to help her run frantic errands for her upcoming wedding wardrobe. Makar, heartbroken and shattered by the impending loss of his sole purpose in life, writes desperately to stop her, lamenting the cruel fate that tears them apart as Barbara prepares to depart St. Petersburg forever.

How It Unfolds

The hidden arrangement Makar establishes a private signal system using Barbara's window curtain so they can communicate their daily health without starting gossip among their neighbors.

Memories of past sorrow Barbara sends Makar her written manuscript, recalling her youth, her mother's death, and her profound grief over the untimely passing of her quiet tutor, Pokrovski.

Rising debts and warnings Barbara repeatedly begs Makar to stop spending his tiny salary on gifts for her, urging him instead to buy a decent official uniform and settle his landlady's mounting bills.

Public disgrace and despair A lost letter exposes Makar's devotion to ridicule among his fellow lodgers, driving him into a bout of heavy drinking, severe depression, and financial embarrassment.

An unexpected mercy After making a catastrophic error in an official document, Makar is summoned before his Excellency, who takes pity on his ragged appearance and gifts him a crucial sum of money.

The final sacrifice The wealthy Bwikov proposes marriage to Barbara, who reluctantly accepts to avoid utter ruin, leaving a devastated Makar to write his final, frantic pleas as she prepares to leave.

The People

• Makar Dievushkin is a low-ranking civil servant who wants nothing more than to preserve his honor and comfort his young relative. Hindered by crippling poverty, a timid disposition, and societal ridicule, he ends up utterly heartbroken as his selfless devotion fails to alter their cruel reality.
• Barbara (Varvara) Dobroselova is a gentle, chronically ill orphan who wants stability, independence, and an escape from predatory figures. Hindered by her failing health and lack of financial resources, she ultimately surrenders her personal happiness to accept a loveless marriage for basic survival.
• Pokrovski is a poor, sensitive university student who wants to acquire books and pursue his studies. Hindered by severe poverty, fragile health, and an eccentric, alcoholic father, he dies young, leaving a lasting impression on Barbara's heart.
• Bwikov is a wealthy, domineering landowner who wants a wife to bear him an heir. Unchecked by financial constraints or moral compunction, he succeeds in claiming Barbara as his bride, indifference to her emotional well-being notwithstanding.

In Its Own Voice

"Old age is not always a blessing, my beloved one! At this very moment everything is standing awry to my eyes, for a man needs only to work late overnight in his writing of something or other for, in the morning, his eyes to be red, and the tears to be gushing from them in a way that makes him ashamed to be seen before strangers."

Makar reflects on the physical toll exacted by his endless night work copying documents.

"Kind comrade and helper, you will be doing me an injustice if for a single moment you ever suspect that I am lacking in feeling or in gratitude towards you."

Barbara reassures Makar of her deep appreciation for his protection against past persecution.

"What is it that will most surely break me? It is not the want of money, but the LITTLE worries of life--these whisperings and nods and jeers."

Makar confesses that social humiliation harms his spirit far more than physical poverty.

What It's Really About

At its heart, the book investigates the preservation of human dignity within an indifferent economic structure. It asks whether genuine altruism can survive intact when stripped of social influence and basic material security. Through Makar's desperate efforts to maintain appearances—such as his obsession with his ragged boots and patched uniform—the text demonstrates how society equates poverty with moral defect. The correspondence exposes the deep tension between emotional intimacy and practical survival, arguing that impoverished individuals are routinely forced into agonizing sacrifices that destroy their personal relationships. Ultimately, the story questions whether sympathy alone can offer true protection against systemic cruelty, depicting a world where financial power routinely dictates human destiny.

Why Read It Today

This novel offers a deeply moving immersion into nineteenth-century urban hardship, rendered with extraordinary psychological nuance and compassion. Readers drawn to character-driven narratives will appreciate the intimacy of its epistolary structure, which invites us directly into the quiet private thoughts, small joys, and crushing anxieties of two forgotten souls. It presents a stark, unvarnished portrait of St. Petersburg life, where harsh winters, predatory landlords, and rigid bureaucratic hierarchies shape every choice.

The reading experience demands patience with its archaic phrasing, period social customs, and the repetitive, melancholy nature of its protagonists' plight. Yet, these difficulties serve to accentuate the overwhelming weight under which the characters live. What abides long after finishing the book is its profound empathy for the marginalized. It forces a clear-eyed recognition of how easily human warmth can be thwarted by material need, leaving an indelible impression of beauty, heartbreak, and quiet resilience.