Fathers and Sons: Chapter 8 Summary & Analysis

Nikolai’s estate has only recently transitioned to “the new system,” “whose mechanism still creaked like an ungreased wheel.” Nikolai feels discouraged because he doesn’t have the money to improve conditions. Pavel likewise finds the problems of the estate depressing. He goes to visit Fenichka, asking her to send to town for some green tea. He makes small talk, admiring the décor in Fenichka’s new room and asking to see her son. A few minutes later Fenichka comes in with seven-month-old Mitya, both looking radiant. Pavel admires the baby, looking rather sadly at them both.

Nikolai comes in and greets them all happily, then Pavel leaves. Nikolai had met Fenichka as follows. While staying at a provincial inn three years ago, Nikolai had been impressed by its cleanliness and invited the widowed innkeeper, a woman of 50, to become his housekeeper. She brought her only daughter, Fenichka, who was then 17. Over the next year, Fenichka began making an impression on Nikolai, although she was very shy. After her mother died of cholera, Fenichka, who shared her mother’s common sense and dependability, remained there, and “there is no need to describe what followed.” Pavel, meanwhile, returns to his bedroom, staring at the ceiling with “an expression verging on despair.”