Diary of a Madman Summary

The narrator of the story is also the diary writer. His name is Aksenty Ivanovich. Ivanovich is of noble birth and works for an important director, a government official, who has a beautiful daughter with whom Ivanovich is quite smitten. The diary he keeps is filled with thoughts of the director's daughter. He writes that he waits outside her gate just for the chance to get a glance of her. One of Ivanovich's main office duties is sharpening pens for the director. He also happily sharpens pens for the daughter as well.

Ivanovich is not as well-heeled as some of his contemporaries, does not have much savings and is forty-two years old. However, because of his nobility, he feels he has a lot to offer. One of his co-workers chides him about mooning after the director's daughter...