The theme of the little man, which appeared in many of Chekhovs short stories, was also touched on in the novel My Life. The main character, Misail Poloznev, a nobleman by birth, becomes a simple worker.
He is opposed to lies and hypocrisy, namely they, in his opinion, reign among the intelligentsia. The quote of the old house painter Radish: Aphids eat grass, rust iron, and lies the soul.
According to the protagonist, moral self-improvement of a person is directly related to physical labor, which he would like to make mandatory for everyone.
