Teenager

19-year-old Arkady Dolgoruky, the illegitimate son of the nobleman Andrey Petrovich Versilov, comes to St. Petersburg after graduating from gymnasium in search of wealth and independence. He becomes embroiled in a series of family intrigues and becomes a participant in an "ugly" story involving compromising letters. His search for the meaning of life leads him to realize the importance of moral choice and the necessity of taking responsibility for his actions.