The poem, with its sharp criticism of the contemporary Russian society, marked a radical detour from Lermontov's earlier romantic verses.
Critics see it as a pivotal point in Lermontov's development as a realist and as a huge step from earlier, mostly derivative works towards his masterpiece A Hero of Our Time.
As Sashka falls asleep, the narrator relates his life story, some details of which correspond with those of Lermontov (the French governor's characteristics were later reproduced in some biographies).
Upon awakening, the young man goes home, receives financial aid from his aunt and gives money with some instructions (the nature of which remains unknown) to his black servant who also appears to be his friend.
Judging by the first verses of this original rough copy, the author's initial intention was to write about his own adventures ("Sure, my predecessors' paths are slippery / And yet I'm eager to publish my own tale").
[2] Pavel Viskovatov, who published Sashka in 1882, received the manuscript from Penza literary collector, merchant I.A.Panafutin whose father was a land-surveyor at Lermontov's relative P.P.Shan-Girey's estate.
As the poet's vast legacy has been systematized in the 20th century, it was established that recycling lines in this manner was the common practice with Lermontov ("In Memory of A.I.Odoyevsky" also featured a fragment from 1832 poem "He was born for happiness, for hopes...").
The author's major intention was to create a portrait of a young man of his generation, a "common fellow" (not an exceptional "hero") and he did this in a jovial manner, using simple language.