Summary
Boris finds himself caught between financial necessity and genuine feeling as he pursues wealthy heiresses in Moscow. He's drawn to Princess Mary but intimidated by her authenticity, while Julie offers an easier target despite his instinctive repulsion. Julie, now 27 and plain but wealthy, has crafted an elaborate persona of melancholy sophistication to attract suitors. She hosts fashionable salons where she performs sadness she's never actually experienced, quoting romantic literature and playing doleful music. Boris plays along with this charade, writing mournful poetry and sharing in her artificial despair, all while his mother Anna Mikhaylovna carefully researches Julie's estates and income. The performance becomes increasingly hollow for Boris, who feels genuine disgust at Julie's desperation to marry and her theatrical emotions. When Anatole Kuragin arrives and shows interest in Julie, Boris panics at losing his financial prize. Despite his revulsion, he forces himself to propose, and Julie triumphantly accepts, knowing she's bought his declaration with her dowry. Their engagement immediately drops all pretense of romantic melancholy as they plan their practical, wealthy future. This chapter exposes how economic pressure can turn love into a marketplace transaction, where both parties know they're buying and selling but maintain the fiction of romance. It shows how desperation makes people perform versions of themselves they don't recognize, and how society's expectations can trap people in relationships that satisfy everyone except their authentic selves.
Coming Up in Chapter 151
As Boris secures his financial future through strategic marriage, other characters face their own crossroads between duty and desire. The war continues to reshape lives and force impossible choices on those caught between love and survival.
Share it with friends
An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
Borís had not succeeded in making a wealthy match in Petersburg, so with the same object in view he came to Moscow. There he wavered between the two richest heiresses, Julie and Princess Mary. Though Princess Mary despite her plainness seemed to him more attractive than Julie, he, without knowing why, felt awkward about paying court to her. When they had last met on the old prince’s name day, she had answered at random all his attempts to talk sentimentally, evidently not listening to what he was saying. Julie on the contrary accepted his attentions readily, though in a manner peculiar to herself. She was twenty-seven. After the death of her brothers she had become very wealthy. She was by now decidedly plain, but thought herself not merely as good-looking as before but even far more attractive. She was confirmed in this delusion by the fact that she had become a very wealthy heiress and also by the fact that the older she grew the less dangerous she became to men, and the more freely they could associate with her and avail themselves of her suppers, soirees, and the animated company that assembled at her house, without incurring any obligation. A man who would have been afraid ten years before of going every day to the house when there was a girl of seventeen there, for fear of compromising her and committing himself, would now go boldly every day and treat her not as a marriageable girl but as a sexless acquaintance. That winter the Karágins’ house was the most agreeable and hospitable in Moscow. In addition to the formal evening and dinner parties, a large company, chiefly of men, gathered there every day, supping at midnight and staying till three in the morning. Julie never missed a ball, a promenade, or a play. Her dresses were always of the latest fashion. But in spite of that she seemed to be disillusioned about everything and told everyone that she did not believe either in friendship or in love, or any of the joys of life, and expected peace only “yonder.” She adopted the tone of one who has suffered a great disappointment, like a girl who has either lost the man she loved or been cruelly deceived by him. Though nothing of the kind had happened to her she was regarded in that light, and had even herself come to believe that she had suffered much in life. This melancholy, which did not prevent her amusing herself, did not hinder the young people who came to her house from passing the time pleasantly. Every visitor who came to the house paid his tribute to the melancholy mood of the hostess, and then amused himself with society gossip, dancing, intellectual games, and bouts rimés, which were in vogue at the Karágins’. Only a few of these young men, among them Borís, entered more deeply into Julie’s melancholy, and with these she had prolonged conversations in private on the vanity of all...
Master this chapter. Complete your experience
Purchase the complete book to access all chapters and support classic literature
As an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats
Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Purchased Performance - When Money Replaces Authenticity
When financial or social pressure forces people to perform elaborate versions of themselves they don't recognize, turning authentic connection into marketplace transactions.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to recognize when relationships become marketplace transactions disguised as genuine connection.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when someone's attention to you increases right after they learn about your resources, job, or connections - and pay attention to when you do the same thing.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Heiress
A woman who inherits significant wealth, usually from family. In 19th century Russia, unmarried heiresses were prime marriage targets for men needing money. Their wealth made them powerful but also vulnerable to fortune hunters.
Modern Usage:
Today we see this with wealthy widows or daughters of rich families who attract partners more interested in their bank accounts than their personalities.
Marriage market
The social system where marriage was treated like a business transaction, with families calculating wealth, status, and connections rather than love. Parents and society pressured people to marry for financial security.
Modern Usage:
We still see this in dating apps where people filter by income, or when families push their kids toward 'good providers' instead of true love.
Salon culture
Fashionable social gatherings where wealthy people would meet to discuss literature, politics, and philosophy. Hosting a successful salon showed you were cultured and sophisticated, especially for women seeking to attract educated suitors.
Modern Usage:
Like hosting the perfect dinner party or curating your social media to look intellectual and interesting to attract the right kind of attention.
Romantic melancholy
A fashionable pose in the 1800s where people performed deep sadness and sensitivity about life and love. It was considered attractive and sophisticated to seem tragically romantic, even if you'd never experienced real tragedy.
Modern Usage:
Similar to how people perform depression or trauma online for sympathy and attention, or how 'tortured artist' types use their supposed pain to seem more interesting.
Compromising
In 19th century society, spending too much time alone with an unmarried woman could 'compromise' her reputation, making her unmarriageable to others. Men had to be careful not to seem too interested unless they intended to propose.
Modern Usage:
Like being careful not to lead someone on or send mixed signals when you're not serious about a relationship.
Dowry
Money or property a woman's family gave to her husband when she married. The bigger the dowry, the more attractive she was as a bride. Women literally bought their husbands with their family's wealth.
Modern Usage:
Today we see this when people use their wealth, connections, or resources to make themselves more attractive to potential partners.
Characters in This Chapter
Boris
Opportunistic suitor
A young officer who needs to marry money to secure his future. He's torn between Princess Mary (who he finds genuinely attractive but intimidating) and Julie (who's easier to manipulate but repulses him). His internal struggle shows how financial pressure corrupts authentic feeling.
Modern Equivalent:
The guy who dates women he doesn't really like because they can help his career or lifestyle
Julie
Desperate wealthy woman
A 27-year-old plain heiress who performs elaborate romantic melancholy to attract suitors. She hosts salons and quotes poetry to seem sophisticated, knowing men tolerate her personality for her money. She's both victim and manipulator in the marriage market.
Modern Equivalent:
The wealthy woman who tries too hard to be interesting and deep, knowing guys are mainly there for her money
Princess Mary
Authentic alternative
The other wealthy option for Boris, but she's genuine and doesn't play games. Her authenticity makes Boris uncomfortable because he can't easily manipulate her like he can Julie. She represents the road not taken.
Modern Equivalent:
The real, honest person who intimidates players because she won't put up with fake behavior
Anna Mikhaylovna
Calculating mother
Boris's mother who researches Julie's financial worth and pushes her son toward the most profitable marriage. She represents the older generation's purely transactional view of marriage as a business arrangement.
Modern Equivalent:
The parent who cares more about their child's partner's career prospects than whether they're actually happy
Key Quotes & Analysis
"A man who would have been afraid ten years before of going every day to the house when there was a girl of seventeen there, for fear of compromising her and committing himself, would now go boldly every day and treat her not as a marriageable girl but as a sexless acquaintance."
Context: Describing how men now feel safe around Julie because she's older and plainer
This reveals the cruel reality of how society values women primarily for youth and beauty. Once Julie aged past her prime, men could use her hospitality without fear of having to marry her. It shows how women become invisible when they're no longer considered desirable.
In Today's Words:
Guys who wouldn't hang around a hot 20-year-old because they might catch feelings now feel totally safe using a 27-year-old for her parties and connections.
"She was confirmed in this delusion by the fact that she had become a very wealthy heiress and also by the fact that the older she grew the less dangerous she became to men."
Context: Explaining why Julie thinks she's become more attractive with age
This shows Julie's tragic self-deception. She mistakes men's comfort around her for attraction, not realizing they're only comfortable because they don't see her as a real romantic option anymore. Her wealth gives her false confidence.
In Today's Words:
She thought guys liked her more now, not realizing they were just comfortable using her because they didn't see her as girlfriend material anymore.
"Boris felt that he had been caught by the wealthy Julie and that to escape from her would now be almost impossible."
Context: When Boris realizes he's trapped himself into proposing
This captures the moment Boris realizes his scheme has backfired. He thought he was hunting Julie for her money, but she was hunting him for a husband. Both were using each other, but she was better at the game.
In Today's Words:
Boris realized he'd been played - he thought he was using her, but she'd been reeling him in the whole time.
Thematic Threads
Economic Pressure
In This Chapter
Boris must marry wealth despite his revulsion, while Julie uses her money to buy love she can't naturally attract
Development
Escalating from earlier hints about financial necessity to explicit marketplace marriage
In Your Life:
You might recognize this when you stay in jobs or relationships primarily for financial security rather than fulfillment.
Performance vs Authenticity
In This Chapter
Both Boris and Julie create elaborate personas - melancholy poetry, tragic salons - that bear no relation to their actual feelings
Development
Building on themes of social masks, now showing how performance can completely replace genuine emotion
In Your Life:
You might see this in how you present yourself on social media or in professional settings, crafting an image that serves your goals but isn't really you.
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
Society demands romantic fiction even in obviously transactional marriages, forcing both parties to maintain elaborate charades
Development
Deepening the exploration of how social conventions trap people in inauthentic behaviors
In Your Life:
You might experience this pressure to pretend family gatherings are joyful or work relationships are friendships when they're purely functional.
Self-Disgust
In This Chapter
Boris feels genuine revulsion at both Julie's desperation and his own willingness to exploit it for money
Development
New theme showing the psychological cost of betraying one's authentic self for practical gain
In Your Life:
You might recognize this feeling when you've compromised your values for advancement or acceptance, leaving you disgusted with your own choices.
Desperation
In This Chapter
Julie's frantic need to marry and Boris's panic when Anatole shows interest reveal how desperation makes people perform versions of themselves they don't recognize
Development
Introduced here as driving force behind elaborate self-deception and performance
In Your Life:
You might see this when financial stress or loneliness drives you to accept situations or relationships that feel fundamentally wrong.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What specific performances do Boris and Julie put on to attract each other, and how do these performances mask their real motivations?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Boris feel disgusted with himself even after getting what he thought he wanted - Julie's wealth through marriage?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see people today performing versions of themselves they don't recognize to get something they need or want?
application • medium - 4
How can someone tell the difference between necessary strategic adaptation and selling their authentic self?
application • deep - 5
What does this chapter reveal about what happens to our capacity for genuine feeling when we turn relationships into transactions?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Performance Audit
List three different situations in your life where you perform a version of yourself that isn't quite authentic. For each one, identify what you're trying to get, what you're afraid of losing, and how much of your real self you're trading away. Then rate each performance: survival necessity, strategic choice, or soul-selling.
Consider:
- •Some performance is normal and necessary for functioning in society
- •The danger comes when you lose track of who you really are underneath the performance
- •Economic pressure can make people compromise their authenticity in ways they later regret
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you performed a version of yourself to get something you wanted. Did you get it? How did it feel afterward? What would you do differently now?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 151: The Wise Woman's Guidance
As the story unfolds, you'll explore strong mentors balance tough love with genuine care, while uncovering family dynamics require strategic navigation, not just good intentions. These lessons connect the classic to contemporary challenges we all face.