The Village · Chapter
III explained
Tikhon Ilitch grapples with the loss of hope for an heir, his wife's secret prayers and superstitious rituals, and the government's liquor monopoly, which he sees as a personal blow.
What happens
Tikhon Ilitch grapples with the loss of hope for an heir, his wife's secret prayers and superstitious rituals, and the government's liquor monopoly, which he sees as a personal blow. His bitterness and sense of futility grow as the summer drought ruins the rye crop.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
Kuzma’s emotional peak is his sudden, desperate need for his brother Tikhon Ilitch—he rushes to the window wit…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Family and Heredity
Tikhon's obsession with having a child and his despair over childlessness highlight the theme of family legacy and the fear of dying without an heir.
- Search for Meaning and Faith
Nastasya's secret prayers and the couple's recourse to an oracle and a holy man reflect a desperate search for spiritual comfort and answers.
Characters to notice
- Tikhon Ilitch
Ages visibly upon losing hope of children; becomes bitter and sarcastic about the government's liquor monopoly and the ruined rye crop.
- Nastasya Petrovna
Secretly prays and weeps, consults an oracle, and asks to be taken to a holy man; her desperation is palpable.
Key passages
“Without children a man is not a man. He’s only so-so—a sort of spot missed in the sowing.”
A man without children is incomplete, like a missed spot in a field.
Tikhon's early jesting about his childlessness.
“He loves you as a dog loves a stick.”
He loves you the way a dog loves being beaten with a stick.
The oracle's insulting answer to Nastasya's question about her husband's love.
“What’s the object of all this convict hard labour, anyway? devil take it!”
What is the point of all this backbreaking work? To hell with it!
Tikhon's growing despair and loss of motivation.
