Ivan Fyodorovich Shponka and His Aunt Summary

Ivan Fyodorovich is a young man in high school. He is the perfect student, always paying attention and always prepared. At 17, Ivan joins the infantry regimen. Ivan is very timid and not very social, spending a lot of time alone while his fellow soldiers are carousing and drinking. After 11 years, he is promoted to sub-lieutenant. During this time, he hears of his mother's death. His Aunt, who is tending to his estate, writes to Ivan telling him he should resign from the Army. She is frail and ill and can no longer take care of his matters.

Ivan resigns from the infantry and begins the long trek by rented carriage to his farmstead in Vytrebenki. Staying at an inn one night, he meets Grigory Grigorievich who turns out to be a neighbor with...