Anna Akimovna, a factory owner in a Russian province, finds herself during the Christmas holidays caught between the nostalgia of her childhood, when she did not yet enjoy prosperity, and her longing to find a husband to alleviate her loneliness. In the course of two days, she will experience the contrast between two different worlds: that one of her workers, whom she respects but fails to understand, and that of her friends and co-workers, whom she reproaches for their selfishness and frivolity.

With a subtle sense of humor, Chekhov delicately portrays the contradictions of a late 19th century society that at the same time longs for and fears the changes to come. Among the characters, masterfully delineated, the women stand out: Anna Akimovna herself, her affable aunt, and the beautiful maid Masha, who fails to win Mishenka's love.