Mumu

Interesting Facts

• The main character of the novella, Gerasim, is a deaf-mute serf, emphasizing his isolation and loneliness.
• The plot of the novella is based on real events from Ivan Turgenev's own life. The prototype for Gerasim was a serf named Andrey, who served the writer's mother.
• The name of the dog Mumu, whom Gerasim rescues and becomes attached to, has become a byword in Russian culture, symbolizing defenselessness and loyalty.
• The novella raises important social themes such as the cruelty of serfdom and the defenselessness of ordinary people against the whims of landowners.
• The ending of the novella, where Gerasim is forced to drown Mumu, is one of the most tragic moments in Russian literature and evokes deep emotional responses from readers.