My Dream by Leo Tolstoy. Short summary

5 seconds

Liza, the daughter of Prince Mikhail Ivanovich, became pregnant by a Swedish student, gave birth in secret, and lived in the provincial town, away from her parents. The father came to this town angry with his daughter. But he went in to see her and forgave her.

1 minute

Mikhail Ivanovich arrived in the town where his brother was governor. Here lived his missing daughter Liza, with her fattened child. The Prince is angry at his daughter for disgracing him before the people.

In the evening, the daughter-in-law comes to the prince, asks him to forgive his daughter, and gives him her address. The Prince recalls how little Liza was, how she loved him. As a young girl, she rejected all her suitors and got stuck in maidenhood.

She had an affair with a 14-year-old gymnasium student in the village and was sent to her aunt’s in Finland. There she fell in love with a Swedish student, got pregnant and ran away.

The same events are given from Lisa’s point of view. Her only love was her passion for the gymnasium student Koko. In Finland she became infatuated with the Swede, but he turned out to be married and left her. She wanted to poison herself, then realized she was pregnant.

Mikhaila goes out for a walk and enters the house where Lisa lives. He sees how thin she has become. His old love awakens in him, and he feels guilty about what happened.

Mikhaila forgives his daughter and overcomes his fear of the rumors, but he cannot see her child.