Love

The main theme in "First Love" is the theme of love. The frame story that opens the novel begins with the host suggesting that he and his two remaining guests tell stories about their first love. Sergey Nicolayevich claims that he did not have a first love; he began courting a woman for the first time as though it were nothing new. The host states that he was never in love until he met his current wife. Vladimir Petrovich states that his first love was a very unusual circumstance and then begs to return at a later date after being given time to write down the details of his first love.

In the narrative that Vladimir tells, Vladimir is very young and knows nothing about love. When he meets Zinaida, he is struck with her beauty and grace. The only name he can give the new emotions swelling...