Besides the relation of the imbroglio of the hero's sentimental life, hesitations, regrets, despair, anger, and love, Ivan Turgenev paints us a not-very-shining picture of Russian social society. He describes open dialogues that take place, the gossip, pretension of these Russians to seek the approval of the West without being ecstatic before the future in the colours of the rainbow, the sky of their country.
He admits that these social conversations may have bored themselves occasionally. However, they are necessary for the author to paint the portrait of these high-society Russians.
The torments felt by Litvinov are well exposed and suggest a painful outcome that an unexpected happy ending will compensate for.