Ivan Fyodorovich Shponka and His Aunt

This Gogol story from the cycle «Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka» tells of Ivan Fyodorovich Shponka, a kind-hearted but somewhat simple-minded squire, who, after leaving service in an infantry regiment, retires and returns to his village. There he finds himself under the firm protection of his energetic aunt.

She takes charge of managing the estate and, at all costs, sets out to marry off her long-overdue nephew to a girl from the neighboring place. The idea of marriage and the aunt’s persistent assertiveness throw modest Shponka into complete confusion, giving rise to anxious, strange dreams—of wives appearing everywhere and of the unexpected danger that marriage seems to promise. Unlike the other tales in the cycle, this one contains almost no folkloric mysticism; instead, it offers plenty of absurd humor and gentle satire.