Short Fiction · Character

The Girl

A high-school girl who gave birth in a lying-in hospital six days ago, she walks through an icy, deserted night toward the only person left before whom she is not ashamed.

supporting

First appearance: short fiction

As a supporting figure in Short Fiction, The Girl is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

A little girl who dances with delight near the tree, later wearily hangs on the hostess's hand.

In the storyIIOpen this moment free

Natalya Vladimirovna has fallen from respectability into the ranks of "fallen women," and the imagined finger-pointing of acquaintances, students, and officers drives her away from any crowd. Clutching her newborn in a formless bundle, she repeats the address of her foster-sister Katya like a prayer, while the frozen river's single black eye gazes up at her. Her numbed, self-erasing march matters because it turns the story's early pages into a study of shame, exposure, and the thin thread of one remembered kindness.

See The Girl in II Book page

Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.

Character Web

42 connections

A slice of how The Girl sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Family
Professional
Other

Character groups

Military and Religious Authority
Family and Patriarchal Dynamics
Social Standing and Dark Human Nature
Protagonist

+37 more in the full Character Web

Open in reader

Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because the narrator reaches a psychological peak of false euphoria, claim…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

Follow the arc while reading

Relationships

The Oldest Child
family · positive
The Girl and The Oldest Child are siblings, with the older child acting as a caretaker or… How this plays out →
Mitrofan Krilov
professional · ambivalent
Mitrofan Krilov
professional · ambivalent
The Oldest Child
family · positive
The Girl and The Oldest Child are siblings, with the older child acting as a caretaker or… How this plays out →
The Oldest Child
family · positive
The Girl and The Oldest Child are siblings, with the older child acting as a caretaker or… How this plays out →

The Oldest Child
The Girl and The Oldest Child are siblings, with the older child acting as a caretaker or protector.
Mitrofan Krilov
Mitrofan Krilov and The Girl have a professional relationship, likely as employer and employee or teacher and student.
Mitrofan Krilov
Mitrofan Krilov and The Girl have a professional relationship, likely as employer and employee or teacher and student.
The Oldest Child
The Girl and The Oldest Child are siblings, with the older child acting as a caretaker or protector.
The Oldest Child
The Girl and The Oldest Child are siblings, with the older child acting as a caretaker or protector.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See The Girl in short fiction

In the story

The Girl appears across 18 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

II
A little girl who dances with delight near the tree, later wearily hangs on the hostess's hand.
The Friend
A pretty woman Vladimir is in love with; he spends time with her while his dog is dying.
Silence
The Girl is depicted in a state of silent suffering, her voice suppressed by the expectations and cruelties of those around her.
I
The woman who lies to the narrator, kisses him, and dances with a tall, handsome partner.
I
The leper's companion who suggests climbing the wall and later proposes pulling it down.
I
Not directly present; the dog's perspective dominates the chapter.
IV
The girl who reluctantly leaves Snapper behind, dressed for the journey in a cinnamon skirt and black jacket.
I
The beloved who is expected but does not arrive, causing the narrator's emotional turmoil.
III
The woman who laughs at the narrator's mask, dressed as the Goddess of Night, and rejects his love.
I
Implied among the womenkind who rush to the narrator for protection.
Fragment V
Not present in this excerpt.
Fragment XVI
The mad officer's young sister. She shows the narrator great attention, asks to kiss his hand, and reveals she is leaving for the war to help others.
The Spy
A young student girl on the train who becomes terrified by Mitrofan's act, clutching papers under her waist and trembling with fear.
The Marseillaise
The narrator describes the weeping exile as a nonentity with the spirit of a rabbit and beast of burden, contrasting his tears with those of other men.
VIII
A little schoolgirl weeps after the assassination.
II
A prostitute dressed in black, described as pale, thoughtful, and proper. She observes the sleeping man with curiosity and unease, and is referred to as 'Liuba' in the room.
Chant the First
Not explicitly mentioned in excerpts; no match found.
V
Appears in the chapter, contributing to the theme of innocence and vulnerability.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for The Girl unlock in the free preview.

See The Girl in short fiction

See The Girl in II