Diary of a Madman

Main Characters and Their Development

• Aksenty Ivanovich Poprishchin - the main character, a low-ranking clerk who gradually goes insane. At the beginning of the story, he is portrayed as a man dissatisfied with his life and social status. As the plot progresses, his mental state deteriorates, he begins to believe in his own grandeur, and eventually ends up in an asylum.
• Sofya - the daughter of the department director, whom Poprishchin is in love with. She is the object of his unrequited love and fantasies. Her character remains static and unchanged throughout the story.