This novel portrays Armenian reality at the end of the 19th century (Tiflis, Shushi). At the center of the narrative is the merchant Tovmas Maralyan, whose sole purpose in life is to accumulate wealth and achieve social status. The main theme is the conflict between materialism and genuine human emotions; the author explores how the obsession with money destroys the human soul, forcing everything—even the fate of loved ones—to be reduced to cold calculation.