A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN

The chapter presents a deeply moving narrative centered on Vassilyev, a law student in Moscow, who is introduced to the harrowing world of prostitution by his friends, the medical student Mayer and the artist Rybnikov. Initially ignorant and naive about the realities of “fallen women,” Vassilyev’s experience in S. Street’s brothels profoundly affects him, leading him into a severe emotional and psychological crisis. Despite his friends’ more detached or frivolous attitudes towards the encounters, Vassilyev is overwhelmed by empathy and despair for the women they meet, struggling with their acceptance of society’s moral downfall and his inability to affect change.

As he grapples with the complexities of rescuing these women from their plight, considering various known methods such as marrying them or providing them with alternative means of employment, he realizes the futility of his solitary efforts against a broader societal issue. His crisis deepens into a night of torment, where he faces a profound existential and moral dilemma, culminating in a physical and mental breakdown. The chapter ends with his friends taking him to a doctor, Mihail Sergeyitch, where attempts to diagnose Vassilyev’s condition seem trivial and simplistic in light of his profound emotional upheaval caused by his confrontation with the brutal realities of exploitation and his own impotence to enact change.

This segment of the story not only explores the dark and often ignored sides of society but delves deeply into the human psyche, presenting a poignant critique of social norms, the desensitization to human suffering, and the struggle of an individual’s conscience against widespread moral decay.