# Petrùsya — Short Fiction character guide > Petrùsya in Short Fiction by Vladimir Korolenko. **Role:** supporting **First appearance:** 0001-short-fiction ## Snapshot A blind boy who guards his hilltop solitude, he is startled into connection by a girl's voice that sounds unlike any he has known. ## Who they are Petrùsya sits alone above the river, annoyed by footsteps he does not recognize and quick to drive the stranger away. But the girl's tranquil voice lingers in his memory, and within days he finds himself hoping she will return, sorry for his own rudeness. His blindness sharpens his ear for tone and his hunger for company, making his halting friendship with the girl a study in how loneliness can be broken by the simplest sound. ## In the story ### [The Blind Musician](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se/chapters/the-blind-musician) The blind musician, central to the chapter's exploration of perception and isolation. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se/chapters/ii) The newborn boy whose blindness is discovered in this chapter. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se/chapters/iv) The blind child, whose extraordinary sensitivity to sound and touch begins to manifest, and who becomes the central figure of the household. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se/chapters/v) The blind boy, alarmed and perplexed by the unfamiliar sounds of spring, seeks his mother's embrace. ### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se/chapters/vi) The blind boy, overwhelmed by the sensory chaos of spring, faints. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se/chapters/viii) The boy who is delirious after his first excursion and then slowly reintroduced to sounds by his mother. ### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se/chapters/ix) The blind boy who struggles to understand visual descriptions and prefers his mother's stories despite the pain they cause. ### [II: The Sources of Musical Feeling—The Blind Boy and the Melody](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se/chapters/ii-the-sources-of-musical-feeling-the-blind-boy-and-the-melody) The blind boy, now five years old, explores the world through sound and is deeply moved by Joachim's music. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se/chapters/i) The blind boy whose sensory experiences and inner struggles are the focus of the chapter. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se/chapters/ii) The blind boy, now five years old, moves confidently indoors but relies on a cane or crawling in the yard. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se/chapters/iii) The blind boy who lies between sleeping and waking, enchanted by the sounds of the evening and Joachim's pipe. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se/chapters/v) The blind boy who wanders to the stable, touches Joachim and the pipe, and listens intently to the music. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se/chapters/viii) The blind boy who is initially drawn to Joachim's pipe and later begins to appreciate his mother's improved playing. ### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se/chapters/ix) The blind boy who timidly approaches and explores the piano, showing intense interest and delight in the sounds. ### [X](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se/chapters/x) The blind boy listens to Joachim's song and interprets it through his own sensory experiences, creating vivid mental images despite his blindness. ### [III: The First Friendship](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se/chapters/iii-the-first-friendship) The blind boy, now six years old, is independent and musically gifted but socially isolated. He experiences a painful awakening to his blindness when Evelina reacts with fear to his touch. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se/chapters/i) The blind boy who is the focus of the chapter, described as tall, well-built, with a pale face and motionless eyes, showing signs of nervous excitement. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se/chapters/ii) The blind boy whose mental life is dominated by sound and music, learning history and literature through songs. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se/chapters/iv) The blind boy who sits alone on the hillock, plays the pipe, and struggles with the revelation of his blindness to the girl. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se/chapters/v) Blind boy who converses with the girl at sunset and later greets her at the mansion. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se/chapters/vii) A blind boy who benefits from the companionship of his new friend, finding joy in shared study and nature outings. ### [IV: Blindness—Vague Questions](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se/chapters/iv-blindness-vague-questions) The blind boy, now ten years old, experiences vague yearnings and melancholy, finding comfort in nature and his friendship with Evelyn. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se/chapters/iii) The blind boy, now ten years old, explores the stork's plumage by touch and senses a difference between white and black feathers, prompting his mother's experiment. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se/chapters/v) The blind boy whose inner yearnings and melancholy deepen; he seeks solitude in the steppe, listens to nature, and improvises melodies on his pipe. ### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se/chapters/vi) The blind boy who trembles and correctly identifies a falling star, showing increasing sensitivity as he approaches the critical period between childhood and youth. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se/chapters/ii) The blind youth whose temper has become variable and agitated, and who experiences disturbing dreams. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se/characters/petrusya - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_54_se/characters