Poor Folk
(1846) by
Fyodor Dostoyevsky
is an epistolary novel told through letters between two poor acquaintances in St. Petersburg:
Makar Devushkin
, a humble government clerk, and
Varvara Dobroselova
, a young woman living in poverty.
Their correspondence reveals their struggles with hardship, loneliness, and social humiliation, but also their deep emotional bond. Makar tries to help Varvara despite his own meager means, often sacrificing for her, while she shares her worries and sorrows. The letters highlight the crushing effects of poverty, the yearning for dignity, and the small moments of kindness that sustain them.
The novel is both a tender portrayal of compassion between two marginalized people and a sharp critique of social inequality in 19th-century Russia.