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Travels in Germany: (27) Mrs. Anna's Warriors after Returning Home! She even fights off debt collectors! Dostoevsky had full confidence in her!
Previous Article(26) Mr. and Mrs. Dostoevsky return to Japan for the first time in four years! How well rounded Dostoevsky and his wife Anna have become after their trip."In the following section, I have finally told you about the return of Dostoevsky and his wife to Russia.
After four years, they have returned home as completely different people from the ones they were before they left. What kind of life did they lead after returning home?
Mrs. Anna shortly after her return
When she returned home, she was immediately visited by her husband's relatives, all of whom she met very pleasantly. During the past four years, Emiliya Fyodorovna's situation had improved. The eldest son, Fyodor Mikhailovich, had become a musician and was earning a good income teaching piano. The second son, Mikhail Mikhailovich, worked in a bank. Their daughter, Ekaterina Mikhailovna, also worked as a stenographer, so the family was quite well off. Moreover, the brother and sister-in-law had developed the idea that they would not ask Fyodor Mikhailovich, who had a family to take care of, to help them out while they were away, unless it was extremely urgent.
Except for his son-in-law Pavel Alexandrovich, whom Fyodor Mikhailovich, who he still calls "father," sees not only him but also his family.ought toI could not get rid of the idea that I had to go to the hospital to see him. But I was happy to meet with him as well, mainly because I was very fond of Nadezhda Mihailovna, whom I had just married this past April. I was very happy to meet him as well, mainly because I was very fond of Nadezhda Mikhailovna, whom I had just married this past April. She was a modest woman, not very tall, and had a good temperament without being silly. I couldn't understand how such a woman could have married someone as irascible as Pavel Alexandrovich, and I was sure that the future would not be smooth. And I felt sorry for her, knowing that her future must not be smooth.
Misuzu Shobo, Anna Dostoevskaya, translated by Hiroshi MatsushitaDostoevsky in Recollection 2."p2
Before her trip to Western Europe, Mrs. Anna was most tormented by her relatives' bullying of her daughter-in-law.
However, Emiliya's brother and sister-in-law, who had suffered before, had changed a lot over the past four years, and there was an atmosphere of good relations.
Mrs. Anna had grown up in four years, but Mrs. Emiliya had also changed at the same time, now that she no longer had Dostoevsky as a common-law partner. This must have been a great relief to Mrs. Anna.
Unfortunately, however, his natural enemy, Pavel, had not changed at all. He remained the same incorrigible maniac, and he was determined to continue harassing Mrs. Anna as well.
But Mrs. Anna was not the Mrs. Anna she used to be. She was no longer the kind of wife that could be fondled by Pavel. Let's see what happened.
Mr. and Mrs. Dostoevsky were house hunting in Petersburg.
As soon as the furniture was agreed upon, I immediately started looking for a place to rent. When Pavel Alexandrovich heard about this, he said he would help me. And that very evening he told me that he had found a good place for eight rooms at a very low price - one hundred rubles a month.
Why do you need such a big house?
It's not at all big," he said. You will have a guest room, a study, a bedroom, and a nursery; we will have a guest room, a study, and a bedroom; and we will share the dining room.
So you're going to live with them?" I said, surprised at how brazen he was.
I told my wife that when my father comes back, we're going to move in together. I told my wife that when my father comes back, we will move in together.
I told him earnestly that the situation had changed so much that I could not accept the idea of living with him again, no matter how hard he tried. Pavel Alexandrovich, as usual, had a rude tone and threatened to tell my husband, but I would not listen to him anymore. I had lived apart from him for four years, and it had not been in vain. He carried out his threat and appealed to Fyodor Mikhailovich.
My wife is in charge of my family. So it will be as she decides."
He was forever angry with me because he had lost his plot.
Misuzu Shobo, Anna Dostoevskaya, translated by Hiroshi MatsushitaDostoevsky in Recollection 2."p4
First, she developed a strong will not to be so easily outwitted by Pavel. Then there was the tact and patience to deal with the situation rationally, as well as the strong support of her husband, Dostoevsky.
My wife is in charge of my family. So it will be as she decides."
What a scintillating blow!
In the past, Dostoevsky would have said, "Well, well, tolerate Parvel..." and would have forced Mrs. Anna to compromise. But not now! Dostoevsky no longer places his full trust in his wife. This trust is clearly expressed in these words.
I think it was really good for both of us to leave Russia for the past four years. If they had stayed in Russia, would they have been able to build such a trusting relationship? I have a very strong feeling that it would have been very difficult.
Let us now turn to the episode in which Mrs. Anna fights off a debt collector. This is another episode in which Mrs. Anna's growth is clearly visible. It is a bit long, but it is very interesting and I would like to take a closer look at it.
Mrs. Anna fighting off debt collectors
In September 1871, a newspaper reported the return of the writer Dostoevsky, which was like a kindness from a bear to us. The creditors, who had been quiet until then, immediately rushed to collect their debts. The first one to come and accuse us was a man named Gintelshteyn. Moreover, the debt was neither Fyodor Mikhailovich's nor the magazine's, but was related to his late brother's tobacco factory.
Mikhail Mikhailovich was a full-fledged entrepreneur who owned a tobacco factory in addition to a magazine. In an attempt to increase cigarette sales, he came up with the idea of attaching scissors, razors, and penknives to cigar boxes as premiums. This unexpected prize increased the number of buyers. He bought these hardware from a wholesaler named Gintelshteyn. This man sold them on credit and took high interest from his brother. My brother paid Gintelshteyn a little at a time when the number of subscribers to "Time" magazine grew steadily, and he said that this merchant was the most noisy of all his creditors. Just a few days before his death, he happily told his brother and sister-in-law and Fyodor Mikhailovich that he had finally managed to escape Gintelshteyn's leeches.
After his brother's death, when Fyodor Mikhailovich was in debt, Gintelshteyn's wife came to him and said that he owed her about 2,000 rubles. Remembering his brother's words that he had already paid all his debts, he told her so, but she insisted that it was a separate loan and that she had lent him the money without any proof. She pleaded with him to pay the money or at least write a note, or else her husband might kill her, and she fell to her knees and began to cry. Fyodor Mikhailovich, who always believed in the good intentions of others, did as she asked and wrote two bills for 1,000 rubles each. The first bill was paid by 1867, but the interest on the second bill had increased to 1,200 rubles over the past five years. That was why Gintelshteyn came to him as soon as he returned. He sent a threatening letter, and my husband went out of his way to ask him to wait until the New Year so that he could get money for his novel, but he came back disappointed. Gintelshtein could not wait any longer and seized all the furniture and other things, and if he did not reach the amount, he would be ordered to pay the debtors.prisonI told him that I was going to ask him to go to the
*The prison in the house of Tarasov of the first company of the Izmailovsky regiment was so called because it housed those who could not pay their debts.
But how can I do literary work if I am separated from my family and thrown in with all kinds of people? How can I pay my bills if they make me unable to work?
No," Gintelshteyn replied, "you are a well-known literary figure, and I am sure that the Literary Foundation will take you on soon.
Fyodor Mikhailovich did not like the work of the Literary Fund at that time. He told Gintelshteyn that he did not know if they would help him, and that even if they did, he would rather go to prison.
My husband and I talked for a long time about the best course of action and decided to consult with Gintelshteyn, who said he would first give us 100 rubles, then pay us 50 rubles a month until New Year's, and the rest would be paid back next year. My husband went to talk to him again, but he came back very angry. After a long negotiation, Gintelshteyn told him, "I'm sorry, but I can't help you.
You are a Russian man of letters," he said, "but I am only a German merchant. Compared to you, I am just a poor German merchant. But even a man like me can put a well-known Russian literary figure in debtor's prison.be madeI want to show them that I will do it. I will do it.
This was after Germany had won the war against France, and every German was good at it and arrogant.
This attitude toward Fyodor Mikhailovich was frustrating, but I realized that we had fallen into the wrong hands and that there was no escape. I knew that Gintelshteyn was not going to do anything more than scare me, so I decided to take matters into my own hands. Without saying a word to my husband (who was surely going to stop me), I went to Gintelshteyn.
With an arrogant attitude he said to me.
"Either we get our ears together and pay it, or we get foreclosed on and auctioned off a week later, and my husband is going to have to pay the Tarasov's.-ist (used after a noun indicating someone's occupation, pursuits, disposition, etc.)You can either be locked up in a jail or you can be locked up in a jail.
*The world used to say this about debt prisons.
The current house is rented in my name and has nothing to do with my husband. And the furniture is still being paid in monthly installments, so we can't foreclose until that is completed," I answered calmly. I showed him a copy of the lease and the furniture contract as proof of this.
I'm going to put him in debtor's prison, and if that happens, I'm going to keep him there until the debt expires, and I'm not going to let him go.(before a noun) mereI am going to move close by myself and visit with my children and help my husband with his work. I myself will move nearby and visit with my children and help my husband with his work. That way you won't get a penny. In addition, you would have to pay for his "food.(at sentence-end) indicates certainty, emphasis, contempt, request, etc.You will be rewarded for your obstinacy. Truly, you will pay for your stubbornness.
The debt was canceled once the debtor was in debtor's prison. For a debt of 1,200 rubles, he had to stay there for nine to 14 months.
**Creditor had to pay for food for his debtor who was in debtor's prison.Gintelshteyn began to criticize my husband, saying that he was ungrateful for not paying the debt after having waited so long. I was furious and retorted.
No, you are the one who should thank your husband. You are the one who should thank your husband. Your husband wrote a bill for a debt that should have been paid a long time ago, without your wife's permission. He did it because he had an open heart and felt sorry for you. He did it because his wife cried and told him that you would kill him. If you still intend to carry out your threats, I will write the whole story and publish it in "Children of the Fatherland. Then everyone will know what an 'honest' German is capable of!
I got carried away and spewed out the words as they came out of my mouth. This time, my anger seemed to have an effect. The German was terrified and asked me what to do.
That's exactly what my husband said yesterday."
"Well, thank you very much. I'll take the money."
Fearing that Gintershteyn might later change his mind and cause us trouble again, I demanded a receipt with detailed conditions. I returned home feeling proud that I had been able to bring some peace to my husband, even if only for a little while.
Misuzu Shobo, Anna Dostoevskaya, translated by Hiroshi MatsushitaDostoevsky in Recollection 2."p6-10
The heavenly Mrs. Anna! What a brilliant stand up job!
In the past four years, Mrs. Anna has become able to do such things! At this time, Mrs. Anna was 25 years old. She was 25 years old at the time, and was incredibly talented and determined.
Anna also fought off a succession of creditors who kept coming. She took on the responsibility of dealing with them all so that her husband, Dostoevsky, could concentrate on his writing. Of course, Dostoevsky did not ask her to do this. She did it before Dostoevsky even knew about it. She was the first one to meet the creditors who came to the house. If she were to let them through to the house and meet with Dostoevsky, the negotiations would be at their mercy, as Dostoevsky is a timid and trusting man. It would also hinder his writing. That is why Mrs. Anna took it upon herself to deal with the creditors in order to prevent this from happening.
It is a fearsome tanryoku.
But on second thought, this is hardly surprising, since she had been ripped off by the most dreaded gambler of all, Dostoevsky, during her travels! She had been ripped off by Dostoevsky, the most fearsome gambler of all time, during the entire trip! What debt collector could be scarier than this man? Dostoevsky was taking money from Anna even when she could not even buy food!
However, the saving grace of the man, Dostoevsky, is that he was never violent. He never attempted violence against his wife Anna. Even though chastisement by husbands was the norm in those days, he never did so. I find that a great relief.
But when I mentioned this to a friend of mine, he said, "Well, he may not have been violent, but crying and threatening and mentally begging for money is just as bad. I told my friend about it, and he said, "Yes, I may not have been violent, but crying and threatening and mentally begging for money is just as bad.
That's true! (LOL)
In any case, we have spent four years with Dostoevsky, a fearful collector. I guess he is no longer moved by a few collectors. You never know what will turn out to be positive in life. The experience I thought I had at the bottom of the barrel is now coming in handy.
Mrs. Anna was thus able to fight off debt collectors.
She not only helped Dostoevsky with stenography and calligraphy, as she had done in the past, but also took on the publishing business. Thanks to this publishing business, the Dostoevsky family's finances were greatly restored, and by the end of Dostoevsky's life, he had paid off his enormous debts. Dostoevsky himself was able to form close relationships with his readers thanks to this publishing business. He began to receive heartfelt letters from his readers, rather than the storms of controversy in the literary world. This was largely due to the efforts of Mrs. Anna. It was also thanks to Mrs. Anna's publishing business that brought writers and readers together directly. Dostoevsky was strongly moved by the letters from his readers, and he wrote back with heartfelt replies. And his correspondence through these letters was once recorded in the "Diary of a Writer. He must have been deeply happy to have readers who adored him. The happy life he led in his later years was also born from such a source.
Well, my journey is finally coming to an end. I have been talking about the theme of my trip to retrace the travels of Mr. and Mrs. Dostoevsky to Western Europe. I hope you have felt as if you were reading a novel because of the many ups and downs.
Their journey was truly on a scale we could not have imagined.
Mr. and Mrs. Dostoevsky after their return is also interesting. I would love to tell you about them in detail, but that is not possible.
But there is one more thing I would like to share with you all.
In fact, there is another place in Europe associated with Mr. and Mrs. Dostoevsky.
It was in Bad Ems, a German sanatorium, where Dostoevsky recuperated from illness four times in 1874, 1975, 1976, and 1979.
Dostoevsky was to recuperate here for treatment of lung catarrh. Although Dostoevsky did not want to leave his family, he was reluctant to come to this spa resort, which is famous for its hot springs, on the advice of his doctor.
In the next article, I will talk about that Bert Emms Dostoevsky. Even after almost 10 years of marriage, Dostoevsky is still fond of and fond of Mrs. Anna. He continues to send ardent love letters from Ems to Mrs. Anna.
I would like to show everyone how delirious he is, which is hard to believe that he is a great writer who wrote "Evil Spirits".
be unbroken
Next Article.
Click here to read the previous article.
Click here for a list of Dostoevsky's recommended books.
List of recommended Dostoevsky biographies."
List of recommended Dostoevsky commentaries.
A list of recommended commentaries on "Dostoevsky and Christianity."
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