A summary of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s "The Adolescent"

This book is the coming-of-age story of an illegitimate young man obsessed with achieving absolute power through the accumulation of immense wealth. The novel was written in 1875. Twenty-year-old Arkady Dolgoruky is torn between his thirst for power and his need for spiritual purity, struggling to mend his relationship with his father, the nobleman Andrei Petrovich Versilov. The young man finds himself caught in the maelstrom of St. Petersburg passions, insidious intrigues, and long-held family secrets. Arkady keeps a diary, describing his experiences and actions without reserve. The young author honestly admits his mistakes and hopes to find the true path.

The work was successfully adapted into a film by director Yevgeny Tashkov in 1983. The multi-part television series won acclaim from viewers for its faithful capture of the original’s spirit. The actors masterfully portrayed the complex characters of the classic novel.

The idea of becoming a Rothschild

Arkady Dolgoruky arrives in St. Petersburg at the request of his biological father. Documents list him as the son of Makar Ivanovich Dolgoruky, a former house servant. The young man’s real father is the nobleman Versilov. Arkady has long harbored a secret dream. He desires to become incredibly rich, like the famous Rothschilds. The essence of his method is simple: persistence and consistency. Arkady plans to accumulate millions by saving pennies daily, denying himself everything. In Moscow, he trained his will by subsisting on only black bread and water for a month. He doesn’t seek wealth for its own sake. He longs for a solitary sense of power and freedom. He desires to look down on people while remaining outwardly modest. Arkady tests his system in practice. He buys a cheap old album at auction and resells it at a profit to a passing gentleman.

Service with the old prince

Versilov arranges for the young man to enter the service of the elderly Prince Nikolai Ivanovich Sokolsky. The old man recently suffered a nervous breakdown and is terrified of being branded insane. Arkady quickly becomes attached to the good-natured prince, entertaining him with long conversations. His relationship with his father is difficult and contradictory. Versilov is always cold, mocking, and enigmatic, although he sometimes displays unexpected tenderness. The young man lives with his mother, Sofya Andreyevna, and his sister, Liza, but often speaks rudely to them out of inner frustration. The family huddles in a poor wooden apartment on the outskirts of town. Everyone awaits the court’s verdict in a complex case involving a large inheritance. Versilov wins a high-profile lawsuit against the impoverished Sokolsky princes, but then unexpectedly refuses a huge sum of money to them. This noble gesture deeply affects Arkady.

Letter and Secrets of the Past

Through a student named Kraft, Arkady receives an extremely valuable document. It’s a letter from Katerina Nikolaevna Akhmakova, the old prince’s biological daughter. In it, the young widow consults with the lawyer Andronikov about how to legally declare her father incompetent. If the old man discovers this incriminating evidence, he will certainly disinherit his daughter. The girl desperately searches for this dangerous manuscript. Arkady securely sews the letter into the side pocket of his frock coat. The young man simultaneously hates and passionately loves the proud general’s wife. He attends Dergachev’s secret circle of technicians, where he heatedly debates with young nihilists. Arkady eloquently defends his right to absolute personal freedom: "I want to live alone, depend on no one, and do nothing!" Kraft, the student, soon commits suicide, shooting himself with a revolver in his room. The young man has become completely disillusioned with the historical destiny of the Russian people, mathematically recognizing them as a second-class race.

Intrigue and blackmail

Prince Sergei Petrovich Sokolsky, a brilliant young officer, is secretly engaged to Liza, Arkady’s sister. She is expecting his child. The officer is deeply in gambling debt and is being cruelly blackmailed by the moneylender Stebelkov. The businessman knows of the weak-willed officer’s involvement in counterfeiting railway shares. Arkady’s former school friend, Lambert, comes to St. Petersburg looking for easy money. Lambert is an outright scoundrel and a brazen extortionist. The blackmailer learns from Arkady of the existence of a valuable document. The young man accidentally lets it slip while very drunk in a restaurant. Lambert immediately decides to steal the treasured letter. The Frenchman plans to extract a huge ransom from the terrified Akhmakova or sell the document profitably to Anna Andreyevna, who dreams of marrying the old prince.

Gambling and the Fall

Arkady begins visiting secret roulette tables. The young man gambles passionately, wanting to get rich quick and prove his strength of character. He wins and loses large sums, borrowing money from the young Prince Sokolsky. Arkady behaves brazenly and arrogantly. One evening, the young man is unjustly accused of stealing money at the card table. An angry crowd of gamblers searches him and shamefully throws him out into the freezing street. Prince Sokolsky publicly denies knowing Arkady. The young man runs through the city at night, freezes, and falls into the snow. He is accidentally saved by Lambert, who is passing by. The Frenchman warms the frozen young man in his hotel room. In a feverish delirium, Arkady confides his deepest secrets to Lambert.

Meeting with Katerina Nikolaevna

Arkady receives an invitation from Akhmakova. The general’s wife warmly receives the young man. Arkady passionately declares his love for her and admires her simplicity. Akhmakova frankly admits that she initially sought intimacy for the sake of the ill-fated letter. The young man is captivated by her sincere honesty. He is ready to hand over the document completely free of charge. But the young man doesn’t yet know that Lambert has already slit his pocket. Lambert’s friend, Alfonsina, has sewn a blank postcard in place of the letter. The real document is in the filthy hands of the extortionists. Arkady considers himself a winner and rejoices in his supposed nobility.

The fate of Makar Ivanovich and the madness of Versilov

Sofia Andreyevna’s legal husband unexpectedly appears in the apartment. Makar Ivanovich, who had been wandering among holy Russian monasteries for many years, is gravely ill, but his face constantly glows with a quiet joy. The wanderer teaches Arkady true propriety and Christian humility. Soon, the pious elder dies peacefully on his bed. Versilov experiences a strange mental anguish. He comes to Makar Ivanovich’s coffin with a luxurious bouquet of fresh flowers. Andrei Petrovich says strange, frightening things. Suddenly, he seizes the ancient miraculous icon bequeathed by the deceased and smashes it with furious force against the stone stove. The family watches in horror as this wild fit of madness unfolds.

Bloody denouement

Young Prince Sokolsky is overcome by the torment of his conscience. The officer surrenders himself to justice, honestly confessing to his complicity with the counterfeiters. Liza is deeply distressed by the sudden arrest of her fiancé. The scoundrel Lambert teams up with the insane Versilov. Versilov suffers from a fatal passion for General Akhmakova’s wife. Lambert wants to extort thirty thousand rubles from Katerina Nikolaevna for dangerous incriminating evidence. The criminals cunningly lure the woman to Tatyana Pavlovna’s apartment. Lambert brazenly demands a promissory note and pulls out a loaded revolver. Arkady, along with his friend Trishatov, rushes to the aid of the defenseless victim. Versilov, hiding in a dark adjoining room, rushes into the blackmailer’s room. Andrei Petrovich snatches the weapon and strikes Lambert squarely on the head with the heavy butt. The Frenchman falls to the carpet, drenched in scarlet blood. Akhmakova loses consciousness and falls into a deep swoon. Blinded by wild passion, Versilov passionately kisses the unconscious woman on her pale lips. He quickly points his revolver at Akhmakova, intending to kill her and then shoot himself. Arkady miraculously manages to push away the madman’s trembling hand. The hot bullet hits Versilov in the left shoulder. Lambert, who has regained consciousness, quickly flees the scene.

Results

Six months later, the lives of the main characters change significantly. Versilov gradually recovers and remains forever with his faithful Sofya Andreyevna. His fatal passion for the general’s wife has finally subsided. Andrei Petrovich finds peace and the gift of sweet tears. The young prince dies in a prison hospital before his trial. Liza accidentally falls down the stairs, loses her child, and remains gravely ill all winter. The girl becomes withdrawn and silent. The old prince suddenly dies of a nervous breakdown, leaving Anna Andreyevna a large inheritance. The proud girl categorically refuses the offer of sixty thousand rubles. Katerina Nikolaevna goes abroad and lives in Paris. Arkady firmly decides to enroll in the capital’s university. The young man sends his detailed notes to his former Moscow tutor. Nikolai Semyonovich praises the sincere text, philosophically noting: "Generations are made from teenagers." Arkady begins a new life, modifying his original idea.