The narrator
The narrator is an unnamed person who tells the story of poor Liza and her misfortune love. He himself knew Erast, and heard the story from his lips. All his sympathy is with Liza.
Liza
Liza is a young, beautiful girl. She is a peasant and is part of her mother's household. After her father’s death they became poor and she had to work a lot to provide herself and her mother with everything necessary. Once when selling flowers in Moscow she met a young man, and fell in love with him. After secret meetings she gave herself to him, but he left for army. A few months after she saw him in Moscow and he said that he was engaged. Returning home she committed suicide; she threw herself into the pond.
Erast
Erast is a wealthy young man, handsome and kind but rather frivolous. He also fell in love with Liza. But after some time he lost interest for her. When he was in the army he gambled all his money so had to marry a rich woman. To the end of his life he was miserable, and considered himself guilty for what had happened to Liza.
Liza’s mother
Liza’s mother is an old woman of sixty. After her husband’s death, she became rather weak so could not work. She always wished best for her beloved daughter, and after Liza’s death she just closed her eyes and never opened them again – her heart simply broke.
