White Nights is a short story by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, published in 1848, early in the writer’s career. The story tells about unfortunate young man who is lonely and shy. He strolls the streets of 1840s Saint Petersburg contemplating his solitude when he happens upon a young woman in tears.
While escorting her home, the two have a conversation and soon become friends. The young man has never had a romantic connection with a woman until he meets her. In that short time span, he discovers emotions that he has never felt.
This relationship lasts four nights and Fyodor Dostoyevsky tries to ask: Is temporary love possible? Also he explores the complex dynamics between people and the pain of the human condition.
