La fille du capitaine

Born into a modest provincial household, the narrator is the sole survivor of nine children in the remote region of Simbirsk. His father, a former officer turned landowner, ensures his son receives an education uncommon for the area, hiring a Frenchman, Monsieur Beaupré, to teach languages and the sciences. The young boy’s days are filled with lessons, chores, and the vivid imagination of a child who fashions a kite from a stretched‑out map of the world.

Beaupré, a charismatic yet often inebriated tutor, becomes a friend as much as a teacher, sharing stories of distant lands while struggling with his own habits. Their bond is abruptly shattered when an accidental confrontation leads to Beaupré’s untimely death, an event that leaves the household reeling and the boy confronting the fragility of adulthood.

The tragedy forces the narrator to confront his future beyond the quiet provincial life. As he prepares for his impending enlistment, the memories of his lost mentor and the cultural crossroads of his upbringing shape the choices he will soon face.