A brief retelling of the sentimental novel by Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky “White Nights” will help refresh the main events of the work, recall the main characters and how the relationship between them developed.
First night
It was a wonderful night, the starry sky shone. The young man recalled today: in the morning he was tormented by a feeling of longing that everyone ignored him and that no one needed him. The dreamer has been living in St. Petersburg for eight years, but never made close friends or acquaintances. Today, the city is empty, everyone went to their summer cottages. The dreamer wandered around Petersburg, along Nevsky Prospect, along Sadovaya, along the embankment - not a single familiar face. He did not have a summer house to go there, and no one invited him with him. He returned to the city of Dreamer late, at 10 pm. He walked along the canal embankment, no one was walking there at that time, but on the bridge he spotted a girl and approached her. The girl did not notice him, she cried.
He tried to calm the stranger, but she left. The Dreamer followed her, and so it would have ended if the drunkard had not started to pester the girl, and the Dreamer would not have saved her.
The young man could not speak with the girl, he was shy and did not understand how to choose words. She noticed this and allowed her to go home. The girl said that she likes such timid men.
The dreamer said that he was 26 years old and he had never met a girl, always dreamed of meeting his only one. After his story, the young man promised to appear the next night in the same place. The girl agreed, but said that she could offer the Dreamer only friendship.
Second night
The next day, the Dreamer arrived at the appointed place two hours before the meeting. The girl was also in place. She said that she knows nothing about the young man and wants to get to know him better in order to understand who she is dealing with.
The dreamer said that nothing was happening to him, that he was the most ordinary person. And then the young man realized that he still did not recognize the name of the girl. Her name was Nastya, but what was his name, she did not ask.
The young man said that he means when they call themselves “Dreamer”, he told where he lives, what he does and what he thinks. Nastya was not very interested in listening to his story, but then she began to listen more carefully.
Young people talked for a long time. The dreamer finished his story, and Nastya burst into tears and said that he had so passionately told her story that she was sure that they would now always be together. This is because now she knows the dreamer, and they became close.
History of Nastya
Nastya asked not to interrupt her and began to tell her story.
My grandmother raised me, she was engaged in my education, she hired me teachers. We live in a small house, we have one room that we rent out. Once a new tenant settled there - a young man. My grandmother is blind, so she once asked me to tell you how he looks, he was young and beautiful. Then my grandmother warned me: "Look do not fall in love."
The tenant began to give me books, various novels. Once he invited me to the theater, but without my grandmother I could not go. Then we went three together, all evening he looked at me. I thought that she was love, but after that he began to come to us very rarely. And then he said that he needed to return to Moscow, and I felt very bad. Then I packed my things, went to his room and confessed my feelings. But our guest said that he was very poor, and therefore could not marry me. I didn’t care, I wanted to go to Moscow with him and did not think about any welfare. To this, he promised that if he ever marries, then only to me. He said that he would be back in a year, and if I continue to love him, we will be together.
The tenant left, a year passed, we agreed to meet at this very place where I met you yesterday. I know that he has been in St. Petersburg for three days and we have never heard from him.
That was the story of Nastya. The dreamer felt sorry for the girl and offered to write a letter to her lover, even volunteered to take it on his own. Nastya said she was embarrassed, but the young man persuaded the girl. She handed the letter to the Dreamer.
Third night
On the third day it was raining, so the young man and the girl did not meet. Nastya warned the Dreamer that if it rains, she will not come. But the young man still came to the meeting place. He carried the letter to the acquaintances of the groom Nastenka and realized that he was in love with the girl.
They met the next day. Nastya enthusiastically told the Dreamer how glad that he did not fall in love with her and that they are such good friends.
The clock struck eleven, but Nastya’s groom was still gone. The girl was sad and thought that he would not come. The dreamer began to support the girl, tried to calm her down.
Fourth night
The next day, the Dreamer came to find out if there was a response letter for Nastya, but he was not there. At nine in the evening the girl was already sitting at the bridge, she asked about the letter, but the dreamer said that he was not there.
The dreamer could no longer keep his feelings inside, he admitted to Nastya that he loved her. To this, the girl replied that she already knew everything, and said that perhaps in time she would also love him. Young people cried.
Nastya invited the dreamer to move to an empty room in her house. But then the girl saw her fiance, he still came. She ran into his arms, then the girl ran to the Dreamer, kissed him on the cheek and left with her fiancé. The dreamer remained standing on the bridge.
Morning
The next day, the Dreamer was suppressed by what had happened; a letter from Nastya was brought to his home. She asked for forgiveness and said that she thanked him for his good attitude and help. The girl promised to remember him all her life and offered friendship. Nastya also said that she was getting married, and she and her husband would come to meet the Dreamer.
The young man read the letter and realized that no matter what, he would still be grateful to the girl for everything that happened.
