V zhizni Mashi Sticharevoj, kotoruyu lyubyashhij muzh laskovo nazyval Motyl′kom, vse bylo kak v raduzhnom sne: zabotlivyj suprug, obozhaemyj synishka i rabota illyustratora detskich knig, prinosyashhaya udovletvorenie i radost′. No uzhe ne son, a real′nyj mir stanovitsya koshmarom. ZHit′ ne chochetsya, nichego ne ostalos′, chto radovalo i napolnyalo zhizn′ smyslom i schast′em. Est′ tol′ko odno nesterpimoe zhelanie, uderzhivayushhee Mashu na etom svete: raskvitat′sya s podonkami, lishivshim ee vsego, schitayushhimi sebya vyshe zakonov chelovecheskich i Bozh′ich. Ochvachennyj plamenem pravednogo gneva, Motylek ne boitsya sgoret′ i ustremlyaetsya v samoe peklo, chtoby izmenit′sya i vneshne, i vnutrenne, stat′ groznym orudiem mesti... Tat′yana Ustinova rekomenduet: «Ostrovskaya igraet zhiznyami, tasuet geroev, zastavlyaet ich sovershat′ neozhidannye i strannye postupki, a chitatelya — s zamiraniem serdca sledit′ za nimi i gadat′: srabotaet, ne srabotaet, vyberutsya, ne vyberutsya!.. Syuzhet to i delo povorachivaet v kakuyu-to druguyu storonu i na polnoj skorosti nesetsya dal′she. Eto pochti nevozmozhno, no ej udaetsya uderzhat′sya na etich virazhach!.. I ochen′ chochetsya, chtoby u geroev vse poluchilos′!.. I final! On vsegda feericheskij, vo vsech otnosheniyach».