The Bachelor by Ivan Turgenev. Short summary

5 seconds

Masha, a 19-year-old orphan, lives in the house of the 50-year-old Professor Moshkin. Masha’s fiancé refuses to get married at the instigation of a friend. Moshkin arranges a fictitious marriage with Masha. Then they happily live together.

1 minute

Professor Mikhail Mokshin turns 50. He is a bachelor, an official and a college professor. In his house lives a girl, 19-year-old orphan Masha. She has a fiancé, college secretary Vilitsky.

On the occasion of her anniversary, Mikhail throws a dinner party. Masha, her fiancé Vilitsky, his friend Rodion, and Masha’s aunt gather at the professor’s house for dinner. Rodion is a man of the world. He notices that Masha is simple-minded, without education and upbringing. He says all this to his friend, and the latter begins to doubt his choice.

After dinner at the Professor’s, Vilitsky does not show his face. Then he writes a letter to his bride, saying he has changed his mind to marry. Moshkin is outraged and goes to clarify his relations with Vilitsky. Masha thinks about what people will say about her now. She decides to leave Moshkin so that rumors don’t get out about them.

Moshkin realizes that Masha has no money. He first wants to challenge Vilitsky to a duel, then suggests that Masha formalize a fictitious marriage so that she can continue to live with him.

The fictitious marriage turns into a real marriage, and Masha and Moshkin live happily ever after.