Short Fiction · Character

Katya

A former serf's daughter who returns to her village as a smoking, stage-struck actress, weeping over ravines her father sees only as useless ground.

supporting

First appearance: a living chattel

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

The wife of the man of learning, mentioned briefly when he knocks on her door to vent his frustration about Ivan Matveyitch's lateness.

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Katya, once called Mashutka, left her father Andrey Andreyitch's village for Moscow and came back a graceful young woman with a young lady's manners, clever talk, and a frank announcement that she is an actress. Her father, a former flunkey turned shopkeeper, can barely look at her; they spend a fortnight in silence until she begs him to walk with her by the river. There she cries over the marshes and ravines he dismisses as taking up room, breathing greedily as if she knows her time is short. Her visit forces the story to weigh love, shame, and the cost of leaving home.

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Character Web

22 connections

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

Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Youth and journey companions
Disillusioned professionals and family figures
Women and men in personal dramas
Diverse characters in dramatic and everyday life
Captivating and noble figures

+17 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the dramatic climax because it marks the psychological peak where Ivan Dmitritch’s paranoid resistance…

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In the story

Katya appears across 16 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Ivan Matveyitch
The wife of the man of learning, mentioned briefly when he knocks on her door to vent his frustration about Ivan Matveyitch's lateness.
Talent
The widow's daughter, deeply infatuated with Yegor Savvitch, dreams of his future fame and is heartbroken by his rejection.
Typhus
Klimov's sister, who catches typhus from him and dies while he is unconscious.
Boys
Katya, one of Volodya's elder sisters, eavesdrops on the boys' plan to run away to America and feels frightened by their determination.
A Dreary Story
The professor's ward, whose presence highlights his emotional detachment and loneliness.
Chapter II
The narrator's ward, who pursued acting and suffered tragedy; now lives nearby, appears apathetic and disillusioned.
Chapter III
Hosts the evening gathering; laughs at Mihail Fyodorovitch's gossip and shows concern for the narrator's health.
IV
Sends French books to the narrator; his wife warns him about visiting her too often.
V
A woman who appears at the window, offering her money to the narrator for his health.
VI
Visits the professor in his hotel room, distraught and seeking guidance, but leaves coldly after he cannot help her.
The Two Volodyas
Olga, Sofya's friend who has entered a nunnery, serving as a symbol of spiritual resolution and a contrast to Sofya's turmoil.
IX
Kostya is referred to as Kotchevoy, a lawyer's assistant and friend of the Laptevs, who lives in the lodge and writes novels.
IV
Not present in this chapter.
XVIII
The narrator's sister, who has left her family home and is now living with him, expecting a child.
II
The bishop's niece, an eight-year-old child with red hair and a turned-up nose; she breaks a glass at dinner and later comments on Father Sisoy's green beard.
Chapter IV
The bishop's niece, who visits him in his illness and asks for money for the family.

Chapter companion notes

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