Alexei Fyodorovich Laptev

Alexei Fyodorovich Laptev is the protagonist of the novella, which centers around the first three years of his marriage. When we first meet Laptev, he is a lost, lovesick man. By the end, Laptev loses most of his illusions about love, making him almost unrecognizable.

Laptev’s main weakness is his cowardice. Not only does his fear prevent him from living his best life, but it also makes him hate himself. During a fight with his brother he says, “What has this distinguished family given us? What nerves and blood have we inherited?” (419). Laptev clearly resents his privileged upbringing because he feels it prevented him from taking risks or striving for what he really wants. He fantasizes about escaping his loathsome life but takes no action towards cultivating meaningful change.

The main love of Laptev’s life is Yulia. He spends most of the novella preoccupied...