The Dreamer's Love for the City's Houses

The Dreamer's intimate relationship with the buildings of Petersburg, as if they were friends and acquaintances.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

Friendship with the Pink House

Friendship with the Pink House A Charming Little House The Dreamer had a favorite house painted light pink. It seemed to look at him hospitably, and he felt joy when passing it. The Shocking Transformation One day, he discovered the house was being painted yellow. He felt betrayed and disgusted, as if a friend had been disfigured. He could not bear to visit it again. The City as a Living Being This incident shows how the Dreamer anthropomorphizes the city, treating houses as companions. His loneliness is so profound that he seeks connection with inanimate objects.

The Old Man on Fontanka

The Old Man on Fontanka A Daily Acquaintance Every day at the same hour, the Dreamer sees an old man walking on the Fontanka embankment, whispering and brandishing his stick. They have developed a silent bond, almost bowing to each other. A Shared Recognition When they miss each other for two days, they both seem disappointed. This ritual is one of the Dreamer's few human connections. The Importance of Small Habits These tiny routines give structure to the Dreamer's otherwise empty life. He knows the old man's habits as well as his own.

before the story begins, recent past

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