Night Symbol in White Nights

The nights on which the Dreamer and Nastenka meet represent a time when unexpected and magical things can happen—the time of dreams. The “white nights” of the title refer to a period of about three weeks around the summer solstice during which the skies above St. Petersburg (and other northern cities) never fully darken but remain in a perpetual twilight state throughout the night. It’s neither day nor night but somewhere in between, and as the normal rules of time seem suspended, so too are the normal rules that govern the Dreamer’s and Nastenka’s daily existence. The Dreamer can set aside his usual shyness and reticence to befriend Nastenka. She can escape her grandmother’s usual surveillance. And their friendship blossoms in this space that is outside of and (up until the new lodger reappears) protected from the harsh realities of their daily existences. Looking back many years later, the Dreamer consciously positions his fleeting, happy friendship with Nastenka as a dream, something set apart by its beauty and joyfulness from the humdrum and dreary nature of his waking, mundane experience.

Night Symbol Timeline in White Nights

The timeline below shows where the symbol Night appears in White Nights. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

This story begins on one of those magical kinds of nights that are so beautiful they make a person wonder how human cruelty could even exist.... (full context)

Prior to that first, pivotal night, the Dreamer spent three miserable days feeling upset. Despite living in St. Petersburg for eight... (full context)

...It is so pleasant, he doesn’t even get tired. He returns to the city as night falls. (full context)

...says, they will likely see each other again, because she goes to the canal every night at ten o’clock for reasons of her own. She can’t stop the Dreamer from going... (full context)

On the second night, when the young woman arrives, the Dreamer has already been waiting for her for two... (full context)

...production of the Barber of Seville at the opera. It was one of the best nights of Nastenka’s life. From that point on, he invited them to the theater once a... (full context)

...might not have gotten the letter. Something might have prevented him from going out that night. He might have written a reply that had yet to arrive. Nastenka asks the Dreamer... (full context)

...Dreamer observes the lateness of the hour, and they part, promising to meet the following night, as long as the clear weather holds. (full context)

The next night, despite the rain, the Dreamer goes to their bench promptly at nine o’clock, but Nastenka... (full context)

The next night, Nastenka is already at the canal when the Dreamer arrives promptly at nine o’clock. Nastenka... (full context)

...and started to fall in love with the Dreamer. After all, he reminds her, two nights ago, she said she wished she’d fallen in love with him instead. The Dreamer swears... (full context)

It is getting late. The Dreamer and Nastenka know they must part. Tonight, however, Nastenka wants the Dreamer to walk her all the way home. He looks up... (full context)

...him a letter from Nastenka. Saying that her feelings of love for him the previous night were but a dream, she begs his forgiveness for leading him on. She wishes the... (full context)

Night Symbol Analysis

Night Symbol Timeline in White Nights