# Theodot — Short Fiction character guide

> Theodot in Short Fiction by Ivan Bunin.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** III Theodot, IV Theodot

**First appearance:** 0001-short-fiction

## Snapshot

A long-suffering peasant who turns his absurd chase after a stolen she-goat into a fireside tale that keeps his companions laughing under the autumn stars.

## Who they are

Theodot is a muzhik among laborers and a student on a country night, recounting how he tracked his she-goat to a village and found a woman wrestling a black sow in a sty. His story is ridiculous and sad at once, and he laughs at his own predicament while the others grin and shake their heads. His rambling, self-deprecating narration anchors the story's early-middle arc, drawing the listener into the strange comedy of rural life.

## Relationships

### [Pashka](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_30_se/characters/pashka)

_friendship_

Pashka and Theodot are friends or companions, sharing adventures or labor together.

### [Pakhomka](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_30_se/characters/pakhomka)

_professional_

Pakhomka and Theodot work together, possibly as laborers or servants in a shared household.

### [Lushka](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_30_se/characters/lushka)

_romantic_

Lushka and Theodot have a romantic or flirtatious relationship, adding to Lushka's complex love life.

### [Lushka](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_30_se/characters/lushka)

_romantic_

Lushka and Theodot have a romantic or flirtatious relationship, adding to Lushka's complex love life.

### [Pakhomka](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_30_se/characters/pakhomka)

_professional_

Pakhomka and Theodot work together, possibly as laborers or servants in a shared household.

## In the story

### [Short Fiction](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_30_se/chapters/short-fiction)

Character involved in a murder confession.

### [Figures](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_30_se/chapters/figures)

The boy who is slapped by his uncle during the quarrel over figures.

### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_30_se/chapters/i)

The narrator, addressing his nephew as 'my dear boy' and recalling the quarrel.

### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_30_se/chapters/ii)

The boy who eagerly begs his uncle for books, pencils, and lessons in figures, and becomes increasingly restless and defiant when his requests are delayed.

### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_30_se/chapters/iii)

The narrator who describes his own violent outburst against the child Eugene.

### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_30_se/chapters/iv)

The narrator who delivers the blow and reflects on the incident with shame.

### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_30_se/chapters/v)

The narrator who recounts the quarrel and maintains a firm, distant stance toward the boy.

### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_30_se/chapters/vi)

The narrator, who observes the child's struggle and reflects on his own lifelong battle with dreams and happiness.

### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_30_se/chapters/vii)

The narrator, who recalls teaching the child and observing his eager, obedient efforts.

### [Death](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_30_se/chapters/death)

The prophet who confronts his own mortality and wrestles with the meaning of death.

### [A Night Conversation](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_30_se/chapters/a-night-conversation)

Confesses to murdering his uncle during a night conversation.

### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_30_se/chapters/i)

An elderly muzhik from near Liebedyana, nicknamed Postnii, present among the farm hands.

### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_30_se/chapters/ii)

Listens silently to Pashka's story, coughing and spitting, maintaining a detached demeanor.

### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_30_se/chapters/iii)

Narrates his story about the she-goat, the murder, and his penance.

### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_30_se/chapters/iv)

Narrates the story of his she-goat, confessing to killing her in a manner that seems more like a tale of husbandry than murder.

### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_30_se/chapters/v)

Theodot recounts killing a man with a whetstone and is depicted with a monstrous foot, embodying a murderer's brutality.

### [An Evening in Spring](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_30_se/chapters/an-evening-in-spring)

The old beggar, described as having a bald but black-haired head and carrying a walnut staff, who wanders the village seeking alms.

### [Brethren](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_30_se/chapters/brethren)

The old Senegalese rickshaw-man, thin and unsightly, who runs for his family despite abuse.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_30_se/characters/theodot
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_30_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_30_se/characters