The little hero and other stories

Dostoevsky wrote the story "The Little Hero," while he was in solitary confinement at the Petropavlovskaya fortress. And after a long time, he told his friend: "When I found myself in prison, I thought that this was the end, but I soon calmed down completely suddenly. So what did I do? I wrote the story 'The Little Hero.' Read this story! Do you find in it any anger or resentment or pain? I was dreaming peaceful, good, sweet, and gentle dreams while I was in my cell, and the longer I stayed in prison, the better my condition became." This contradiction between the damp cell with the long wait for the verdict and the peaceful dreams and bright, shining memories is a rare psychological phenomenon. Dostoevsky explained this phenomenon by saying: "There is astonishing vitality in human nature! Truly, I could not believe that a person possesses such vitality, but now I know it through experience." "My childhood has ended." How wonderful is Dostoevsky's description of these emotions that burn in the heart of a passionate boy! The last lines of this story, written by Dostoevsky before his transfer to Siberia, are among the clearest of his romantic dreams. It is a farewell to youth before the pains that will reveal to him the power of evil deep within the human soul. This romantic spirit encompasses most of what this collection of stories contains.