In the stark and unforgiving expanse of Siberia, by a riverbank and the flickering light of a campfire, Old Semyon, known as Canny, converses with a young Tatar, revealing the profound isolation and despair of exile. The narrative unfolds through their dialogue, contrasting experiences, and contemplations of life in a remote, desolate environment. Semyon, hardened by twenty-two years as a ferryman, claims contentment with his simple existence, devoid of desire or ambition, preaching a philosophy of renunciation to cope with the harshness of their situation. In contrast, the Tatar, exiled unjustly because of a familial dispute, yearns for his distant wife and the life he was torn from, embodying the human craving for connection and meaning beyond mere survival.

The essence of Siberian life is further illuminated through flashbacks of another exile, Vassily Sergeyitch, illustrating the cruelty of hope and the pursuit of happiness in such a relentless land. Sergeyitch’s initial determination to forge a new life dissipates with the departure of his wife, leading him into a futile quest for restoration through various means—petitions, doctors, and finally, clinging to the fragile life of his daughter. His story underscores the tragic cycle of longing and loss endemic to exile, revealing how the harsh Siberian landscape mirrors the internal desolation of its inhabitants.

Canny’s interactions with Sergeyitch, the ferrymen, and the Tatar underscore the varied responses to the rigors of exile: acceptance, despair, defiance, and delusion. The Tatar’s passionate outcry against Canny’s stoicism highlights the essential human need for hope, love, and purpose, challenging Canny’s notion of happiness as the absence of desire.

The chapter encapsulates the profound loneliness and the struggle for meaning amidst the vast, indifferent wilderness of Siberia. Through the intertwined narratives of Canny, the Tatar, and Sergeyitch, it portrays the emotional and existential turbulence experienced by those cast away from society, forced to confront the elemental questions of life in the shadow of relentless hardship and isolation.