Grisha

Family: Oblonsky · Role: youngest boy · First appears: PART ONE · Chapter 3

Grisha is the youngest boy of the Oblonsky family. In chapter 3, Stepan Arkadyevitch greeted him, though Grisha sensed his father’s chilly smile and did not return it; he was also heard with his sister Tanya outside the door. By chapter 19, Darya Alexandrovna was giving him a French reading lesson while he tugged at a loose button, and in chapter 20 he nestled against Anna “with his head on her gown, beaming with pride and happiness.”

In chapter 77, Grisha received the sacrament with the other children, then was secretly given Tanya’s tart despite being punished. He protested when Nikolinka was not punished for whistling, insisting that he was upset by the injustice rather than the tart, and Darya Alexandrovna forgave him after seeing Tanya share it with him. The children were later described together with Lily and Aliosha, but in chapter 79 Grisha and Tanya fought violently, with Tanya pulling his hair and Grisha striking her with his fists.

Later, Darya Alexandrovna took Grisha and Tanya to a children’s ball, Varvara Andreevna guarded mushrooms from him, and Masha went with him into the raspberries. Levin taught him from a book, often forgetting the hour of the lesson. Grisha joined the children climbing into the trap and calling to Levin, and when he finished his crust, Mihalitch offered him more bread.

Relationship record

Life events

• Darya Alexandrovna took the children to receive the sacrament after nearly a year’s absence.(PART THREE · Chapter 8 · 📍 church)
  • With: Darya Alexandrovna Aliosha Tanya Lily Nikolinka
  • “On the Sunday in St. Peter’s week Darya Alexandrovna drove to mass for all her children to take the sacrament.”
• Tanya secretly gave Grisha her tart, sharing it with him despite his punishment.(PART THREE · Chapter 8 · 📍 drawing-room)
  • With: Tanya
  • “On the pretext of wanting to give some dinner to her dolls, she had asked the governess’s permission to take her share of tart to the nursery, and had taken it instead to her brother.”
• Darya Alexandrovna forgave Grisha after witnessing Tanya share her tart with him.(PART THREE · Chapter 8 · 📍 drawing-room)
  • With: Darya Alexandrovna
  • “But on the way, as she passed the drawing-room, she beheld a scene, filling her heart with such pleasure that the tears came into her eyes, and she forgave the delinquent herself.”
• Tanya and Grisha fight violently, shattering Darya Alexandrovna’s pride in her children.(PART THREE · Chapter 10)
  • With: Tanya Darya Alexandrovna
  • “Tanya was pulling Grisha’s hair, while he, with a face hideous with rage, was beating her with his fists wherever he could get at her.”