A summary of Leo Tolstoy’s "Boyhood"

Boyhood is the second novella in Leo Tolstoy’s autobiographical trilogy, first published in 1854. This book offers a detailed analysis of the inner travails of a young teenager, leaving behind his carefree childhood and embracing a meaningful youth. This work is part of a popular literary series. The first book in this cycle was the novella " Childhood ." The third work in the series was the novella " Youth ." "Boyhood" occupies a distinct second place in this trilogy.

The road to the capital

The action begins with the Irtenyev family’s departure for Moscow. The journey is long. The characters travel on long horses. Mimi and the girls Katya and Lyubochka board a carriage. Nikolai and his older brother Volodya ride in a carriage. Nikolai leaves behind his village life. The village is forever linked in his memory with his mother’s death. The impressions of the journey gradually displace his heavy thoughts. The hero begins to feel a surge of new strength.

The trip brings the boy intense emotions. A severe thunderstorm catches the travelers on their way. Dark clouds quickly cover the sky. A cold wind rises, filling the air with thick road dust. Nikolai experiences a terrible fear of flashing lightning. He hides in the carriage at every deafening rumble of thunder. The powerful downpour gives way to bright sunshine. Nature becomes completely refreshed. The air is permeated with the scent of wet earth. This natural phenomenon evokes a feeling of profound delight in Nikolai.

During one of their long stops, the children are picking mushrooms. Nikolai carefully observes the world around him. He gains a new perspective on familiar things. For the first time, he realizes a simple truth about life. The world doesn’t revolve solely around his family. Peasants, servants, and random passersby all have their own concerns. This sudden discovery deeply affects the young master. It becomes the first and most significant step toward his true maturation.

Life in a Moscow house

The family settles into their grandmother’s vast, spacious house. Big-city life demands strict discipline. Grandmother meticulously monitors the behavior of all her grandchildren. The children are required to strictly adhere to strict rules of social etiquette. The boys are assigned a new tutor: the strict and highly pedantic Frenchman Saint-Jérôme.

The relationship with the new tutor is not going well. The Frenchman harshly demands blind and absolute obedience. Nikolai actively rebels against the unfair rules. The old tutor, Karl Ivanovich, no longer works with the children. He feels abandoned and unnecessary. The old man is forced to move to another small room. The hero sincerely sympathizes with the kind old teacher.

Karl Ivanovich tells the boy the story of his difficult life. The old man sadly recalls his joyless childhood in Europe. He was born an illegitimate child. Then came grueling military service. Karl was forced to secretly desert from the army. He worked for a long time in a dirty rope factory. After many long wanderings, fate brought the old man to Russia. The old teacher became genuinely attached to the close-knit Irtenyev family.

Another quiet family drama is unfolding in the large house. The maid, Masha, is being forced into marriage with a house servant, Vasily. Masha dislikes this rude man. She cries constantly and bitterly complains about her lot in life. Her relatives cruelly punish the young girl for the slightest disobedience. Nikolai watches this unfair situation closely. He sincerely pities Masha as she weeps. The boy feels utterly powerless in the face of the adults’ cold cruelty.

Bad mark and broken lock

School is a struggle for the frustrated Nikolai. The boy is extremely absent-minded. He absolutely refuses to memorize boring homework. The history teacher sternly asks questions about the assigned material about the ancient Crusades. Nikolai stands at the board and answers poorly. The enraged teacher gives him the lowest possible grade — a "F." Panic-stricken, he fears the imminent wrath of his strict father. The boy resolves to hide his bad grade at any cost.

In search of his class report card, the boy sneaks into his father’s empty office. On the large desk, he notices a bulging briefcase containing important documents. Nikolai picks up a small metal key. He clumsily attempts to open the briefcase’s tight lock. The fragile key snaps neatly in half. Nikolai experiences a sudden attack of fear.

Soon, the child’s misdeed inevitably comes to light. Saint-Jérôme decides to severely and publicly punish the rebellious pupil. The Frenchman loudly threatens the boy with painful rods. Nikolai instantly falls into an uncontrollable rage. He desperately resists his adult mentor. Saint-Jérôme readily resorts to brute force. He forcibly locks the screaming teenager in a dark, dusty closet. This humiliating event inflicts a severe wound on Nikolai’s childhood pride.

Dreams in a dark closet

In the dense darkness of a cramped closet, the boy weeps long and bitterly. Then he slowly surrenders to strange fantasies. Nikolai imagines himself a great and fearless commander. He vividly imagines his heroic death on a bloody battlefield. In vivid dreams, everyone around him weeps bitterly around his magnificent coffin. All his relatives loudly ask his forgiveness for the grievances they have caused him in the past.

Then the child’s thoughts take a different direction. The hero invents an incredible, fantastical story about his secret origins. Nikolai begins to sincerely believe he is an orphan. He imagines himself a foundling, accidentally discovered. He convinces himself of the nobility of his real missing parents. These dark illusions bring the frightened boy a strange comfort.

Gradually, his youthful anger subsides. Nikolai quietly accepts his well-deserved punishment. He emerges from the dark closet into the bright light. The boy obediently asks his father and the Frenchman for forgiveness. This difficult and humiliating life lesson leaves a deep mark on his vulnerable soul. Nikolai becomes even more secretive and unsociable.

Philosophical quests

Time marches on inexorably. Volodya, his older brother, successfully enrolls in a Moscow university. Volodya begins to pay close attention to his appearance, regularly ordering expensive, fashionable suits. His older brother quickly makes his own independent friends. Nikolai deeply envies his brother. He feels acutely uncomfortable socially.

Nikolai firmly believes his own appearance is utterly ugly. He spends long hours scrutinizing his face in the large wall mirror. He is absolutely convinced that happiness is impossible for someone with a wide nose and thick lips. This obsessive and evil thought poisons his existence. The boy studiously avoids noisy and cheerful company.

The teenager becomes deeply immersed in abstract philosophical reflections. He spends hours pondering the terrifying infinity of outer space. Nikolai attempts to independently apply the complex theory of solipsism. He tries to quickly turn around. The boy wants to see with his own eyes the absolute emptiness behind him. The teenager also discovers a rigorous concept of natural symmetry. He tries to apply this principle in everyday life. These strange thought experiments greatly exhaust his fragile nervous system. The hero falls into a state of complete mental apathy for a long time.

Loss of a grandmother

The elderly grandmother begins to fall seriously ill. The doctors confidently predict her imminent death. Nikolai observes dramatic changes in the behavior of his relatives. People are far more concerned with the rich inheritance than with the old woman’s failing health. The grandmother slowly dies in severe physical pain. This tragic event once again forces the young hero to reflect on the frightening frailty of human life.

Nikolai quietly observes his father’s behavior. His father grieves deeply and sincerely for his mother’s death. He often locks himself in the empty office for long periods. Genuine grief softens the stern father considerably. Nikolai feels a warm sympathy for him. The death of a loved one brings the remaining family members closer together. They begin to treat each other more carefully.

First feelings and quarrels

The relationship between the grown-up children changes dramatically. The younger sister, Lyubochka, is gradually becoming a real grown-up woman. Katya always acts distant and cold. Nikolai begins to feel a strong liking for Katya. He becomes deeply embarrassed in her constant presence. The boy is completely unaware of the proper ways to express affection.

Volodya behaves condescendingly toward his younger brother. Nikolai tries unsuccessfully to imitate Volodya in everything. This absurd imitation often comes off as silly and ridiculous. The brothers begin to quarrel frequently over the most trivial matters. After each such petty squabble, Nikolai experiences a painful and acute sense of shame. He sincerely wants to make peace with his brother. However, stubborn pride constantly prevents him from taking the first step.

Friendship and growing up

Nikolai’s life changes completely after a chance encounter with student Dmitry Nekhlyudov. Dmitry is a good friend of Volodya’s. Nekhlyudov is slightly older than Nikolai. Despite the age difference, a strong attraction quickly develops between them. This important meeting forever determines the protagonist’s future.

The young people often retreat to a quiet, empty room. They engage in lengthy conversations about everything under the sun. Dmitry and Nikolai passionately discuss literature, art, and lofty moral ideals. Nekhlyudov, always distinguished by his striking directness and honesty, suggests that Nikolai establish an unusual rule.

The friends firmly agree to be completely frank about everything. Dmitry calls this philosophy a reliable rule of mutual trust. They solemnly promise to tell each other about all their mistakes and secret thoughts without reserve. This complete sincerity helps the hero completely overcome his youthful fears. Nikolai no longer feels isolated from society.

The arrival of a boundlessly devoted friend confidently marks the end of an incredibly difficult period of adolescence. Nikolai quickly gains firm confidence in his own abilities. He leaves his dark emotional turmoil behind forever. The boy begins actively preparing for his imminent entrance to university. His young soul is filled to the brim with bright hopes for his future adult life.