"White Nights" (russian: Белые ночи, ''Belye nochi'') is a
short story
A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...
by
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (, ; rus, Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский, Fyódor Mikháylovich Dostoyévskiy, p=ˈfʲɵdər mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪdʑ dəstɐˈjefskʲɪj, a=ru-Dostoevsky.ogg, links=yes; 11 November 18219 ...
, originally published in 1848, early in the writer's career.
Like many of Dostoevsky's stories, "White Nights" is told in the
first person by a nameless
narrator
Narration is the use of a written or spoken commentary to convey a story to an audience. Narration is conveyed by a narrator: a specific person, or unspecified literary voice, developed by the creator of the story to deliver information to the a ...
. The narrator is a young man living in
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
who suffers from loneliness. He gets to know and falls in love with a young woman, but the love remains unrequited as the woman misses her lover, with whom she is finally reunited.
Plot summary
The short story is divided into six sections:
;First Night:
The narrator describes his experience walking in the streets of St. Petersburg. He loves the city at night, and feels comfortable in it. Because all the people he is used to seeing are not there, he no longer feels comfortable during the day. He drew his emotions from them: if they were happy, he was happy; if they were despondent, he was despondent. New faces made him feel alone. As he walked, the houses would talk to him and tell him how they were being renovated or painted a new color or torn down.
He lives alone in a small apartment in Saint Petersburg with only his old and unsociable maid Matryona to keep him company. He tells the story of his relationship with a young woman, Nastenka (a diminutive of the name
Anastasia
Anastasia (from el, Ἀναστασία, translit=Anastasía) is a feminine given name of Greek origin, derived from the Greek word (), meaning "resurrection". It is a popular name in Eastern Europe, particularly in Russia, where it was the most ...
). He first sees her standing against a railing and crying. He becomes concerned and considers asking her what is wrong, but eventually, he continues walking. There is something special about her, and he is very curious. When he hears her scream, he intervenes and saves her from a man who is harassing her.
The young woman holds his arm, and he explains that he is alone, that he has never known a woman, and that he feels timid with her. Nastenka reassures him that ladies like timidity and that she likes it, too. He tells her that he spends every minute of every day dreaming about a girl who would say two words to him, who will not repulse him or ridicule him as he approached. He says that he thinks of talking to a random girl timidly, respectfully, passionately--telling her that he is dying in solitude and that he has no chance of success with her. He tells her that it is a girl's duty not to rudely reject or mock a man as timid and luckless as he. As they reach Nastenka's door, he asks if he will ever see her again. Before she can answer, he adds that he will be at the spot they met tomorrow anyway just so he can relive this one happy moment in his lonely life. She agrees, stating she can't forbid him not to come, and she has to be there anyway. The girl would tell him her story and be with him, provided that talking does not lead to romance. She is as lonely as the narrator.
;Second Night:
On their second meeting, Nastenka seeks to find out more about him. He tells her that he has no history because he has spent his life utterly alone. When she presses him to continue, he suggests that he is of the type of the "dreamer". "'The dreamer'", he explains, "is not a human being, but a creature of an intermediate sort." He gives a long speech (in a style that anticipates that of the Underground Man in ''
Notes from Underground
''Notes from Underground'' ( pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform Russian: ; also translated as ''Notes from the Underground'' or ''Letters from the Underworld'') is a novella by Fyodor Dostoevsky, first published in the journal ''Epoch'' in 1864. ...
''), about his longing for companionship, leading Nastenka to comment "...you talk as if you were reading from a book". He begins to tell his story in the third person, calling himself "the hero". This "hero" is happy at the hour when all work ends and people walk about. He references
Vasily Zhukovsky
Vasily Andreyevich Zhukovsky (russian: Василий Андреевич Жуковский, Vasiliy Andreyevich Zhukovskiy; – ) was the foremost Russian poet of the 1810s and a leading figure in Russian literature in the first half of the 19 ...
and mentions "The Goddess of Fancy". He dreams of everything, from befriending poets to having a place in the winter with a girl by his side. He says that the dreariness of everyday life kills people, while in his dreams he can make his life as he wishes it to be. At the end of his moving speech, Nastenka sympathetically assures him that she will be his friend.
;Nastenka's Story:
Nastenka tells the narrator her story. She grew up with a strict grandmother, who gave Nastenka a largely sheltered upbringing. Her grandmother's pension being too small, they rent a room in their house. When their first lodger dies, the grandmother rents to a younger man. The young man begins a silent courtship with Nastenka, giving her books so that she may develop a reading habit. She takes a liking to the novels of
Sir Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy' ...
and
Aleksandr Pushkin
Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin (; rus, links=no, Александр Сергеевич ПушкинIn pre-Revolutionary script, his name was written ., r=Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin, p=ɐlʲɪkˈsandr sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ ˈpuʂkʲɪn, ...
. The young man invites Nastenka and her grandmother to a performance of ''
The Barber of Seville
''The Barber of Seville, or The Useless Precaution'' ( it, Il barbiere di Siviglia, ossia L'inutile precauzione ) is an ''opera buffa'' in two acts composed by Gioachino Rossini with an Italian libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was base ...
''. On the night that the young lodger is about to leave Petersburg for Moscow, Nastenka urges him to marry her. He refuses immediate marriage and claims that he does not have money to support them but assures her that he will return for her a year later. Nastenka finishes her story and notes that a year has gone, and he has not sent her a single letter.
;Third Night:
The narrator gradually realizes that despite his assurance that their friendship will remain platonic, he has inevitably fallen in love with her. He nevertheless helps her by writing and posting a letter to her lover, and he conceals his feelings for her. They await his reply to the letter or his appearance, but Nastenka grows restless at the other man's absence and takes comfort in the narrator's friendship. Unaware of the depth of the narrator's feelings for her, she tells him that she loves him because he hasn't fallen in love with her. The narrator, despairing of his unrequited love, notes that he has now begun to feel alienation from her as well.
;Fourth Night:
Nastenka despairs because she knows that her lover is in Petersburg but hasn't contacted her. The narrator continues to comfort her, for which she is extremely grateful, leading him to break his resolve and confess his love for her. Nastenka is disoriented at first, and the narrator, realizing that they can no longer continue to be friends in the same manner, insists on never seeing her again. She urges him to stay, and suggests that their relationship might become romantic some day, but that she wants his friendship in her life. The narrator becomes hopeful at this prospect. As they are walking, they pass by a young man who stops and calls after them. He turns out to be Nastenka's lover, and she jumps into his arms. She returns briefly to kiss the narrator but journeys into the night, leaving him alone and broken-hearted.
;Morning:
The final section is a brief afterword about a letter he receives from Nastenka, in which she apologizes for hurting him and insists that she will always be thankful for his companionship. She says that she will be married within a week and hopes that he will come. While reading the letter, the narrator breaks into tears. Matryona, his maid, interrupts his thoughts by telling him she has finished cleaning the cobwebs. The narrator notes that though he had never considered Matryona to be old, she looked far older than she ever had, and wonders if his own future is to be without companionship and love. He refuses to despair:
"But that I should feel any resentment against you, Nastenka! That I should cast a dark shadow over your bright, serene happiness! ...That I should crush a single one of those delicate blooms which you will wear in your dark hair when you walk up the aisle to the altar with him! Oh no — never, never! May your sky be always clear, may your dear smile be always bright and happy, and may you be for ever blessed for that moment of bliss and happiness which you gave to another lonely and grateful heart ... Good Lord, only a moment of bliss? Isn't such a moment sufficient for the whole of a man's life?"
Film adaptations
* ''
Le notti bianche
''White Nights'' ( it, Le notti bianche, french: Nuits blanches) is a 1957 romantic drama film directed by Luchino Visconti, based on Fyodor Dostoevsky’s 1848 short story of the same name. It was written for the screen by Visconti and Suso Cec ...
'', a 1957 Italian film by
Luchino Visconti
Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo (; 2 November 1906 – 17 March 1976) was an Italian filmmaker, stage director, and screenwriter. A major figure of Italian art and culture in the mid-20th century, Visconti was one of the fat ...
* ''
White Nights
White night, White Night, or White Nights may refer to:
* White night (astronomy), a night in which it never gets completely dark, at high latitudes outside the Arctic and Antarctic Circles
* White Night festivals, all-night arts festivals held in ...
'', a 1959
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
film by
Ivan Pyryev
Ivan Aleksandrovich Pyryev (russian: Ива́н Алекса́ндрович Пы́рьев; – 7 February 1968) was a Soviet-Russian film director and screenwriter remembered as the high priest of Stalinist cinema. He was awarded six Stali ...
* ''
Four Nights of a Dreamer
''Four Nights of a Dreamer'' (french: Quatre nuits d'un rêveur) is a 1971 French drama film directed by Robert Bresson and starring Isabelle Weingarten. The film was entered into the 21st Berlin International Film Festival. The film is loosely ...
'', a 1971 French film by
Robert Bresson
Robert Bresson (; 25 September 1901 – 18 December 1999) was a French film director.
Known for his ascetic approach, Bresson contributed notably to the art of cinema; his non-professional actors, Ellipsis (narrative device), ellipses, and s ...
* ''
White Nights
White night, White Night, or White Nights may refer to:
* White night (astronomy), a night in which it never gets completely dark, at high latitudes outside the Arctic and Antarctic Circles
* White Night festivals, all-night arts festivals held in ...
'', a 2003
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
ian film, Directed by
Farzad Motamen
Farzad Motamen ( fa, فرزاد مؤتمن; born 9 August 1957), is an Iranian film director.
Early life and background
Farzad Mo'temman spent his childhood and teenage in south of Iran and, after graduating from high school, went to the Unite ...
* ''
Iyarkai
''Iyarkai'' (, ) is a 2003 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film that was written and directed by S. P. Jananathan in his directorial debut. The film stars Shaam and Radhika. Arun Vijay—who at the time was known as Arun Kumar—and Bollywo ...
'', a 2003 Indian film by
S. P. Jananathan
S. P. Jananathan (7 May 1959 – 14 March 2021) was an Indian film director and screenwriter who worked in Tamil cinema.
Early life
Jananathan worked as an assistant to directors like B. Lenin, Bharathan, Vincent Selva and Keyaar. He was a t ...
* ''White Nights'', a 2005 American film by
Alain Silver
Alain Silver is a US film producer, director, and screenwriter; music producer; film critic, film historian, DVD commentator, author and editor of books and essays on film topics, especially film noir, the samurai film, and horror films. Filmmak ...
* ''
Saawariya
''Saawariya'' () is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language romance film produced and directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, based on Fyodor Dostoevsky's 1848 short story ''White Nights''. The film marked the debut of Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor. Rani Muk ...
'', a 2007 Indian film by
Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Sanjay Leela Bhansali (; born 24 February 1963) is an Indian filmmaker, director, screenwriter, and music composer who is known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is the recipient of several awards, including four National Film Awards, ten Filmfar ...
*
''Ahista Ahista'', a 2006 Indian film by
Shivam Nair
Shivam Nair is an Indian film and television director and editor who is best known for his television serial '' Sea Hawks'' and his 2006 film, '' Ahista Ahista''.
Nair has been working in the television industry since 1982, and has been involve ...
* ''
Nuits blanches sur la jetée
Nuits (; also known, though unofficially, as ''Nuits-sur-Armançon'') is a commune in the Yonne department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France.
See also
* Armançon river
*Communes of the Yonne department
The following is a l ...
'', a 2014 French film by
Paul Vecchiali
Paul Vecchiali (28 April 1930 – 18 January 2023) was a French filmmaker and author.
Biography
Vecchiali was born in Ajaccio, Corsica, France. He spent his childhood in Toulon. His family, suspected of collaboration, preferred to leave this cit ...
* ''
Velutha Rathrikal'', a 2015 Malayalam film by
Razi Muhammed
Razi Muhammed born May 21, 1969 is an Indian film maker based in Kerala, India. Razi Muhammed did his BFA in Applied Arts at College of Fine Arts Trivandrum and his MFA in Illustration and Photography at Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda ...
The 2008 American film ''
Two Lovers'', though not an adaptation, was inspired by "White Nights".
Notes
References
*
*''The Best Short Stories of Fyodor Dostoevsky'' translated by David Magarshack, The Modern Library Classics Edition.
External links
Audio recording of "Belye Nochi" (In Russian)Text in English*
{{Authority control
1848 short stories
Short stories by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Short stories adapted into films
Short stories set in Saint Petersburg