Gooseberries

“A man needs not six feet of land, not a farm, but the whole globe, all of Nature, where unhindered he can display all the capacities and peculiarities of his free spirit.”

The story begins with two friends, Ivan Ivanovich and Burkin, taking shelter from the rain at the estate of their acquaintance, Alekhin. As they rest, Ivan Ivanovich shares a poignant tale about his brother, Nikolai Ivanovich.

Nikolai Ivanovich had spent his entire life dreaming of owning a country estate with gooseberry bushes. This obsession consumed him – he saved money obsessively, married a wealthy widow for her money (indirectly causing her death through neglect), and finally acquired a small property.

When Ivan visits his brother at the long-dreamed-of estate, he finds Nikolai transformed into a self-satisfied landowner, proud of his mediocre gooseberries despite their sour taste. This moment becomes an epiphany for Ivan, who realizes how petty dreams can make people complacent and blind to others’ suffering.

Ivan reflects bitterly on how people build “little worlds” of comfort while ignoring injustice around them. His passionate monologue condemns this self-satisfaction, arguing that happiness should not exist while others suffer. The story ends with Ivan’s plea for meaningful action rather than passive contentment.

Key ideas

• The corrupting nature of materialistic dreams
• The illusion of happiness through possessions
• Social responsibility versus personal comfort
• The danger of complacency
• How small ambitions shrink the human spirit