Mr. Prohartchin

“Mr. Prohartchin” tells the story of a poor and eccentric old clerk named Prohartchin, who lives in a cheap boarding house in St. Petersburg. He is miserly, suspicious, and obsessed with saving money, even though he appears to live in extreme poverty. His fellow tenants mock him and pity him for his strange behavior and stinginess.

After his sudden death, the residents of the boarding house discover a shocking secret — Mr. Prohartchin had been hiding a considerable amount of money all along. This revelation exposes the tragic irony of his life: though he lived in fear and deprivation, he could have lived comfortably.

Through this short story, Dostoyevsky explores themes of greed, isolation, human dignity, and the absurdity of material obsession. It reflects his early critique of the social alienation and moral decay found in urban Russian society.