The White Poodle by Aleksandr Kuprin
The story revolves around a young woman who becomes infatuated with a wealthy and charismatic man. He is depicted as being cruel and manipulative, using his charm to exploit her emotions. The narrative explores the themes of obsession, class differences, and the destructive nature of unchecked desire.
By Aleksandr Kuprin · First published 1906 · Genre: Literary Fiction, Romance, Drama · 6 chapters · 15,495 words
First lines
By narrow mountain paths, from one villa to another, a small wandering troupe made their way along the southern shore of the Crimea. Ahead commonly ran the white poodle, Arto, with his long red tongue hanging out from one side of his mouth. The poodle was shorn to look like a lion. At crossways he would stop, wag his tail, and look back questioningly. He seemed to obtain some sort of sign, known to him alone, and without waiting for the troupe to catch up he would bound forward on the right track, shaking his shaggy ears, never making a mistake. Following the dog came the twelve-year-old Sergey, carrying under his left arm a little mattress for his acrobatic exercises, and holding in his right hand a narrow dirty cage, with a goldfinch, taught to pull out from a case various coloured papers on which were printed predictions of coming fortune. Last of all came the oldest member of the troupe, grandfather Martin Lodishkin, with a barrel organ on his bent back.
What this Textopian page supports
The White Poodle is listed on Textopian as a novella by Aleksandr Kuprin, dated 1906 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novella
- Author: Aleksandr Kuprin
- Date: 1906 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Literary Fiction, Romance, Drama, Short Story, Psychological Fiction
- Length: 15,495 words
- Structure: 6 chapters, 257 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The White Poodle by Aleksandr Kuprin
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The White Poodle?
- How does this novella by Aleksandr Kuprin fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Literary Fiction first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Literary Fiction — The narrative focuses on character development and explores complex themes of love and loss.
- Romance — The plot centers around romantic relationships and emotional connections between characters.
- Drama — The story contains intense emotional conflicts and character-driven situations.
- Short Story — The work is a concise narrative that encapsulates a complete story within a limited word count.
Tags
Russian Literature · Short Story Collection · Psychological Fiction · Existentialism · Philosophical Themes · Social Commentary · Class Struggle · Bourgeoisie Critique · Proletariat Portrayal · Alienation · Loneliness · Isolation