Reading Nastenka's letter

The Dreamer reads Nastenka's letter of apology and farewell, an act that crystallizes the end of his brief, intense happiness and returns him to his solitary existence. The letter, delivered by the postman and brought to him by Matrona as he lies in bed with a headache and fever on a rainy morning, is the final communication from Nastenka, and it forces him to confront the reality that his love was never truly reciprocated. The reading of this letter is the decisive moment of loss and resignation that closes the narrative, transforming the Dreamer's fleeting joy into a permanent, bittersweet memory.

The Letter's Content and Apology

The letter is a direct appeal for forgiveness. Nastenka writes, "Oh, forgive me, forgive me! I beg you on my knees to forgive me! I deceived you and myself. It was a dream, a mirage." She acknowledges that she has wounded him, but insists that her feelings have not changed: "I told you that I would love you, I love you now, I more than love you." She expresses a wish that she could love both men at once, echoing the Dreamer's own earlier thought, "Oh, if only he were you." The letter reveals that her heart has returned "so quickly yesterday to him to whom it has always belonged," referring to the Lodger, who has come back in love and never forgotten her. She announces that she is to be married to him the following week.

The Dreamer's Reaction and Grief

The Dreamer reads the letter over and over again for a long time, and tears gush to his eyes. The letter falls from his hands, and he hides his face. His physical state—a headache, dizziness, and fever—mirrors the emotional devastation. The room itself seems to decay before his eyes: the walls and floors look discolored, the spiders' webs thicker than ever, and the house opposite appears old and dingy, with peeling stucco and cracked cornices. He imagines his future fifteen years hence: older, in the same room, just as solitary, with the same Matrona grown no cleverer. This vision of stagnation underscores the depth of his loss.

The Dreamer's Final Blessing

Despite his pain, the Dreamer refuses to bear a grudge. He writes in his thoughts to Nastenka: "But to imagine that I should bear you a grudge, Nastenka! That I should cast a dark cloud over your serene, untroubled happiness." He wishes her well, saying, "May your sky be clear, may your sweet smile be bright and untroubled, and may you be blessed for that moment of blissful happiness which you gave to another, lonely and grateful heart!" The entry concludes with his reflection: "My God, a whole moment of happiness! Is that too little for the whole of a man's life?" This final line transforms the entire experience into a meditation on the value of a single, perfect moment, even in the face of enduring loneliness.

Thematic Significance

The reading of the letter is the climax of the Dreamer's emotional arc. It confirms the impossibility of his love and the return of Nastenka to the Lodger, fulfilling the pattern of the Dreamer's life as one of solitary fantasy interrupted by a brief, real connection that ultimately leaves him more alone. The letter itself is a performative act: it asks for forgiveness, declares love, and announces a marriage, all of which serve to sever the bond between the Dreamer and Nastenka while preserving a memory of gratitude. The Dreamer's response—blessing her rather than cursing her—elevates his character from a mere dreamer to a figure capable of selfless love, even as it condemns him to continued isolation.