Class 10 English - Unit 4
Chapter 1: Beloved Boles (Maxim Gorky)
Summary of the Story
"Beloved Boles" by Maxim Gorky is a touching story about Teresa, a lonely Polish woman living in Moscow. She appears rough and strange to her neighbor, a university student. To escape her extreme loneliness, she creates an imaginary lover named Boles.
She asks the student to write letters to Boles and then to write replies from Boles to herself. When the student discovers Boles doesn't exist, he realizes the depth of human isolation and begins to treat Teresa with compassion and empathy.
Character Sketches
- Teresa: Physically strong but emotionally fragile. She uses her imagination to survive a world that offers her no love.
- The Student: Initially cold and judgmental, but eventually undergoes a transformation into a sympathetic human being after understanding Teresa's pain.
Key Themes
- Loneliness: How isolation can drive humans to create fantasies.
- Empathy: The importance of understanding others beyond their outward appearance.
- Human Longing: The universal need for connection and tenderness.
