Short Fiction · Character

Anna Friedrichovna

A society woman whose return to a room cuts short a stolen kiss, and whose easy gossip about gambling and revolvers reveals the casual cruelty of her circle.

supporting

Also known as Anna, Anna Nikolayevna Friesse, Anna Nikolayevna

First appearance: I

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

The landlady of the 'Serbia,' a strong, quick-tempered, and good-looking widow of mixed German and Polish descent, who manages the hotel with a mix of hospitality and ruthlessness.

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Anna Friedrichovna moves through drawing rooms and race-day chatter with the fluency of someone who has never had to work for her place. She tells stories of Gorojhevsky nailing a card-sharp's pack to the table with a revolver as if it were charming, and her presence polices the flirtations of younger women like Alychka. Her gossip and her timing — always returning at the wrong moment — make her a quiet agent of the story's social tensions.

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See Anna Friedrichovna in I

Character Web

25 connections

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Relationship types

Romantic
Other

Character groups

Biblical and Romantic Figures
Officers and Children
Protagonist
Doctors and Revolutionaries
Spies, Priests, and Performers

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because Vera Nikolayevna, who has previously dismissed Zheltkov’s love as…

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Relationships

Lieutenant Lapshine
romantic · ambivalent
Anna Friedrichovna is secretly in love with Lieutenant Lapshine, though their… How this plays out →
Lieutenant Lapshine
romantic · ambivalent
Anna Friedrichovna is secretly in love with Lieutenant Lapshine, though their… How this plays out →
Lieutenant Lapshine
romantic · ambivalent
Anna Friedrichovna is secretly in love with Lieutenant Lapshine, though their… How this plays out →

Relationship notes

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See Anna Friedrichovna in I

In the story

Anna Friedrichovna appears across 13 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

I
II
III
IV
II
III
IV
V
+5 more

I
The landlady of the 'Serbia,' a strong, quick-tempered, and good-looking widow of mixed German and Polish descent, who manages the hotel with a mix of hospitality and ruthlessness.
II
The landlady, harsh and domineering, manages her household with corporal punishment and sharp words, while begrudgingly reconciling with the lieutenant.
III
The landlady, sighs contentedly about full rooms, steps out briefly to give a towel.
IV
The landlady of the hotel; she reacts with alarm to the gunshot and later angrily curses the student for causing trouble.
II
Vera's younger sister, who arrives by car to help with birthday preparations. She is of Tartar descent, flirtatious, extravagant, yet generous and pious.
III
Anna walks with her sister, marvels at the sea, shares a memory of a guide tired of the view, and presents Vera with an antique notebook.
IV
Vera's sister; also greets General Anosov and teases him.
V
Present at the dinner; her husband Gustav Ivanovich is the subject of another of Prince Vasily's stories.
VI
Anna flirts with the hussar Bakhtinsky and discusses her work with a charity asylum for depraved children, expressing frustration at the lack of inmates.
VII
Sits with Vera and Anosov, asks about his love life and fear in battle, and joins the walk.
Chapter VIII
Walks ahead with Bakhtinsky, mentioned as part of the group.
Anathema
Father Olympy's wife, a thin, sallow-faced woman who treats him sternly and is hysterical, fearing the consequences of his actions.
I
The elegant wife of Kostretzov, a demi vierge from St. Petersburg with a pale face and malevolent lips, who reads French novels and exudes a modish perfume.

Chapter companion notes

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See Anna Friedrichovna in I