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| The Rest of the Chapters; Synopsis of each chapter | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: May 25 2011, 02:05 PM (202 Views) | |
| Psychopav | May 25 2011, 02:05 PM Post #1 |
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Since we aren't discussing, I thought it might be helpful if I at least posted the notes for each chapter as I made my way through the book. Enjoy. |
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| Psychopav | May 25 2011, 02:10 PM Post #2 |
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Part I, Chapter 3, Another Man's Sins and Chapter 4, The Cripple Summary Chapter 3 begins with Stepan Verkhovensky in an agitated state about the prospect of marriage to Dasha Shatov. He is both excited by the prospect and somewhat ashamed. Stepan is somewhat ashamed of the proposal because he believes that Mrs. Stavrogin has only arranged the marriage to cover up something in Dasha's past. This story is substantiated in a meeting between Verkhovensky, Liputin and a man that is friends with Verkhovensky's estranged son Peter, and Mr. Kirilov. Kirilov is a mutual friend of Peter Verkhovensky and Nicholas Stavrogin. Stepan questions Liputin about his recent encounters with Mrs. Stavrogin. Mrs. Stavrogin asked Liputin whether he though her son mad or not. He replies that he is very intelligent, though he cannot vouch for his character. There is an imputation that Nicholas is an unscrupulous seducer of women and Liputin insinuates that Dasha may have been seduced by him in Geneva. This insinuation upsets Verkhovensky who now believes that Mrs. Stavrogin may have only asked him to marry Dasha so as to cover up her son's indiscretions. Stepan is both upset and excited that he may have to sacrifice himself in some way to cover up Nicholas's action. He is also worried that marriage will somehow corrupt him. This is despite the fact that he has already been married twice before. In Chapter 4, we are introduced to a new set of characters. First is Lisa Tushin, a young headstrong woman who has apparently had some sort of relationship with Nicholas in Geneva. The next is Captain Lebyatkin and his crippled sister. Lebyatkin also had some relationship with Nicholas in St. Petersburg, though it is not clear exactly what the relationship was. He lives in the same house with Shatov and Kirilov and is said to constantly drink and savagely beat his crippled sister. Lisa approaches Shatov, who is multilingual, in an attempt to get him to join a business venture she is interested in pursuing. She wants to start a yearly book that will collect all the important articles in Russia from the previous year into one volume. She needs someone to edit and publish this and she wants Shatov to be that man. For some reason though, once Shatov finds out that she wants him to also maintain the printing press, which she will supply, Shatov is offended and leaves in a huff. Captain Lebyatkin sends Lisa a letter expressing his desire to marry her, which is odd because it does not seem that they have ever met. Lisa becomes upset and has a desire to see Miss Lebyatkin the cripple. We learn that Miss Lebyatkin was once a nun and there is some insinuation that she may be a witch. Part I, Chapter 3, Another Man's Sins and Chapter 4, The Cripple Analysis Chapter 3 and 4 continue many of the themes of the first two chapters but with increasing tension and amplification. It is becoming clear that the older characters, Verkhovensky and Mrs. Stavrogin, who were the central players in the first two chapters, are not in control of the action that is starting to unfurl around them. In Kirilov we meet a character obsessed with freedom, death, and God. Not uncommon obsessions among Dostoevsky characters. Trained as an engineer, he does nothing but sit in his apartment and brood about death and freedom. He believes that fear of death is slavery to God and eliminates human freedom. He is attempting to eliminate his fear of death and hence his need for God. This is why he studies suicides. His views are odd, but they also bear a striking resemblance to the views of the contemporary German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche believed that a higher man, a super man, who would live in absolute freedom and not be bound by the superstitious morality and religion of the past, must overcome man. Nietzsche famously argued that such a superman would be beyond good and evil in that his freedom would transcend the need for moral rules. In Crime and Punishment, one of Dostoevsky's earlier novels, the main character, Raskolnikov decides to kill an old woman merely to transcend morality in this Nietzschean way. Kirilov is an extreme type, but ultimately, Dostoevsky sees all intellectuals who are divorced from the church and God as traveling down the same road to one degree or another. We still have not seen where these ideas are leading our characters, though the tension does seem to be rising. |
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| Psychopav | May 25 2011, 02:11 PM Post #3 |
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Part I, Chapter 5, The Wise Serpent Summary Chapter 5 begins with a confrontation between Mrs. Stavrogin, Lisa, Miss Lebyatkin and Verkhovensky, Shatov, and the narrator. Mrs. Stavrogin wants to find out what Shatov knows about Lebyatkin. She also calls Dasha and Mrs. and Mr. Drozdov to come into the conversation. Peter Verkhovensky (Stepan's son) and Captain Lebyatkin also show up. Peter begins to tell of Nicholas Stavrogin's relationship to Miss Lebyatkin when Nicholas suddenly appears. His mother demands to know whether Miss Lebyatkin the cripple is his wife. It is implied that the answer is "no", though Nicholas does not answer directly. Instead he leads Miss Lebyatkin out of the house and takes her home. After Nicholas has left, Peter takes it upon himself to explain the circumstances of Nicholas's relationship with Miss Lebyatkin. Peter explains that five years ago, Nicholas met Captain Lebyatkin in St. Petersburg. At the time, the captain and his sister were living on the streets begging. Nicholas formed an interest in the captain because he found his buffoonish behavior amusing. At first he took no notice of Miss Lebyatkin, though later he began to notice her innocence. Nicholas decided that Miss Lebyatkin, though crippled and somewhat crazed, was better than all of his other associates and began to treat her very well. He began to give the captain money to provide for his sister. The captain, being a drunk and a tyrant, spent the money on himslef and began to see it as his entitlement. The reason for Nicholas's treatment of Miss Lebyatkin is not clear though Peter claims it is a product of the "demon of irony" that possess him. After Peter is done recounting all of this, Nicholas returns to the group. At that moment, Peter asks his father in front of the group whether his father has asked him there to save him or to congratulate him about his marriage. It is clear that by reading his father's ridiculous letter, Peter is intending to sabotage his marriage arrangement with Dasha. He mentions that Stepan believes that Dasha has fallen into disrepute in Switzerland. Mrs. Stavrogin goes into a rage after hearing this and throws Stepan out, claiming that she never wants to see him again. At this moment, Shatov walks up to Stavrogin and punches him in the face. Shatov walks out of the room after he punches Stavrogin. After he has left a scream is heard from outside the room and that is where the chapter ends. Part I, Chapter 5, The Wise Serpent Analysis All of part one so far has been setting up many of the dramatic pieces that will be used in the next two parts. Several elements have been slowly coming together in the story. Peter has been approaching his father, Nicholas has returned home. Stepan and Dasha are engaged in a strange and seemingly ill-fated a manner. In this final chapter of part one, we see all of these pieces come together and climax in Mrs. Stavrogin home. Peter eliminates the possibility of his father's wedding by exposing him as the indulgent, silly, man that he is. Lebyatkin is exposed as a man who is trying to cheat Nicholas out of his money. Shatov comes out against Stavrogin, presumably because he believes Nicholas to be behind the trick that Peter pulled to end the possibility of Stepan's marriage to Dasha. At the end of the chapter we are left with a feeling of dread, wondering where the scream came from. The themes of betrayal, violence, and ideas that will take up the rest of the book. |
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| Psychopav | May 25 2011, 02:18 PM Post #4 |
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Part II, Chapter 1, Night and Chapter 2, Night Continued Summary In chapter 1 and 2 of part II, we learn the aftermath of the events at Mrs. Stavrogin's and some answers to many of the questions from part I. We learn that for more than a week, no one has seen either Shatov or Stavrogin outside of their homes. We also learn that Peter Verkhovensky has been spreading rumors about what happened in Mrs. Stavrogin's home as well as stories about how Stavrogin is likely to kill Shatov. Peter has ingratiated himself with the governor of the province and has been generally getting to know the important members of the town, including Karmazinov, the important writer who happens to be staying in the town. Stepan is convinced that his son planned the whole incident with Nicholas beforehand. In a meeting between Peter and Nicholas while Nicholas is recovering from an illness that the blow from Shatov has brought on, we learn that this is partially true. Peter intentionally circulated rumors about Dasha to instigate his father. Although Lisa is to be married to Mr. Drozdov, Stavrogin tells Peter that he is planning on proposing to her in the next five days. It is clear that Peter is planning some sort of uprising and is involved in some type of conspiracy. He tells Nicholas about a nearby factory and the workers there that he intends to organize for some kind of socialist uprising. After Peter leaves, Nicholas falls into a feverish sleep before asking his servant to help him out of the house without his mother noticing. In the raining cold of the night, he goes to the house of Kirilov and Shatov. He initially sees Kirilov. Stavrogin tells Kirilov about a man named Gaganov who has been insulting Nicholas and whom Stavrogin plans to challenge to a duel. He asks Kirilov to be his second and to set up the duel with Gaganov early the next day. Kirilov and Stavrogin then engage in a discussion about life and death. Kirilov maintains that he loves life and that all things are good. He claims that man would be happy and good if only he realized he were happy and good. Soon, he believes, a man-god will come and preach his new doctrine. Stavrogin is ironic with Kirilov and clearly does not take his views very seriously. He leaves Kirilov and attempts to see Shatov. Shatov lets Stavrogin in to his apartment, though he is worried that Stavrogin will kill him. He has been so worried over the last several days that he bought a revolver to use against Stavrogin, though he did not buy any ammunition. Once he actually sees Stavrogin, he decides that he could not use the revolver against Stavrogin even if he wanted. Stavrogin wants to know why Shatov struck him. He asks if he struck him because of his affair with Shatov's wife and Shatov responds that it had nothing to do with it. We also learn that Mary Lebyatkin is Stavrogin's lawfully married wife, though he seemed to deny it at the previous meeting. Shatov claims that he struck Stavrogin because he has "fallen" so far from his previous greatness. It is clear that Shatov has the greatest respect for Stavrogin and Nicholas's disgraceful acts have offended Shatov. Stavrogin warns Shatov that members of "the society" may try to kill him soon. Shatov was once a member of the society but after he returned from America he tried to leave the society once he changed his political views. The society is a secret revolutionary group of some sort that has ties to the socialist internationale. Peter heads it and many of Verkhovensky's circle are members. Stavrogin is not an official member and he claims that the society may be trying to kill him as well. Nicholas tells Stavrogin that he plans to make his marriage to Lebyatkin public soon and that Kirilov, Peter, and the Captain all know of the marriage but were sworn to secrecy. Shatov goes on to rant to Stavrogin about his political and religious views. He believes that great people have their own, national god and that the Russian god will be responsible for the regeneration of the earth. Shatov will not admit, however, that he believes in God, though he believes in the Russian Church and Christ. Stavrogin leaves and tells Shatov he will never come back to see him again. Stavrogin leaves and heads to the house where the captain and Mary Lebyatkin are now living. Along the way he runs into an escaped convict named Fedka that Peter has told him about. Stavrogin tells him that if he sees him again he will tie him up and tell the police about him. Once at Lebyatkin's, he tells the captain about his plan to make his marriage to Mary known. This bothers the captain, but Stavrogin quiets his fears. He then goes to see Mary, who seems delusional. She tells Stavrogin that he will never live with her and then, frustrated with her madness, Stavrogin leaves. On his way back he sees Fedka and throws him against the railing of the bridge. Instead of tying him up, though, Stavrogin gives him all the money he has and runs home. Part II, Chapter 1, Night and Chapter 2, Night Continued Analysis In this chapter we learn about the secret revolutionary society that is operating in the town. Stavrogin claims that Peter is the leader of the group and that he is not a member, though it is not clear how much we can trust Stavrogin. He has clearly been manipulating Kirilov and Shatov for a long time and he may still be manipulating them. Shatov claims that it was Stavrogin who implanted the ideas of a national religion regenerating the world into Shatov's head, while filling Kirilov's head with all of the ideas about atheism and the man-god. Peter, though somewhat defiant, also seems to defer to Stavrogin. In any case, what was idle intellectual chatter in Stepan Verkhovensky's circle has become actual conspiracy in the hands of his son. It is not clear how deep the conspiracy goes though most of the characters seem to be implicated in it one way or the other. The voice of Shatov in this chapter is also the voice of Dostoevsky and the views he expresses about the Russian Church and the regeneration of man through the Russian religion are views that the author shares. He firmly believes that socialism is merely a modern variant of the atheistic urge that Dostoevsky believes is the main error of humankind. At one point in the chapter he argues, through Shatov, that each great people has given the world their god. The Jews gave us an actual god, the Greeks gave us art and religion, and the Romans gave us the state. The French adopted the Roman Catholic religion, which to Dostoevsky is worse than atheism, and soon rejected it in favor of mad atheism and the guillotine. He believes that it is the job of the Unified Russian church to bring humanity out of the darkness of atheism, socialism, and Catholicism and thereby to regenerate the world. We see these themes again in Dostoevsky's later novel, The Brothers Karamazov, especially in the "Grand Inquisitor" scene. There, in more dramatic form, he accuses the Roman Catholic church of succumbing to the final temptation that Christ was presented in the desert by the devil, the temptation to rule over the world. This temporal desire has infected their church and has turned their religion into anti-Christianity. In "the Grand Inquisitor" the head catholic inquisitor comes to actually kill Christ, who has come back to earth claiming that the church has a different, more important mission. Dostoevsky, like Shatov, sees this perversion of religion as also being present in the socialist desire to remake the world and bring about paradise on earth. In this novel, many of the characters are possessed by abstract ideas of socialism or atheism. These ideas will lead them to act in ways contrary to their humanity. |
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| Psychopav | May 25 2011, 02:19 PM Post #5 |
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Part II, Chapter 3, The Duel and Chapter 4, All Agog Summary Chapter 3 begins in the afternoon of the next day, the day of the duel between Stavrogin and Gaganov. As Nicholas requested, Kirilov went to Gaganov early in the morning to apologize again for the insult that Stavrogin gave to Gaganov's father years ago. Gaganov would not accept the apology and was eager to duel with Stavrogin. It was decided that the weapons would be pistols and that if either duelist missed on either the first or second shot they would have another shot, for a total of three possible shots. It is evident that Gaganov's hatred of Stavrogin runs deep. He intends to kill Nicholas rather than to just regain his father's honor. Mr. Drozdov, an old school friend of Gaganov's and the fiancée of Lisa, acts as Gaganov's second. They meet at the appointed time and place for the duel. Before the duel beings, Nicholas offers one more apology in hopes of stopping the duel. Gaganov again refuses and the duel proceeds. Each man takes his place and walks twelve paces from the other. Gaganov fires first and wounds Nicholas in the finger, though the injury is not serious. On Stavrogin's turn to shot, he intentionally shoots into the air so as to miss Gaganov. This enrages Gaganov who takes another shot. He yells at Nicholas to aim the gun at him and claims that by shooting into the air, Nicholas is insulting Gaganov again. Nicholas argues that it is his right to shoot as he pleases and shoots again into the air. Gaganov exercises his right to take a third shot, but misses again. Nicholas takes his last shot, still shooting into the air, but this time closer to Gaganov. After the duel, Nicholas returns to his mother's house where Dasha comes to see him. We find out that the rumors of their affair are true and Dasha declares her love for Stavrogin. Nicholas tells her that he will probably announce his marriage to Mary Lebyatkin in a day or two, but claims, cryptically, that by that time they may all be dead. In chapter 4 we learn that news of Stavrogin's duel has spread and opinion of him throughout the province has gone up substantially. The rest of the chapter deals with the relationship between the provincial governor, Mr. Lembke and Peter Verkhovensky. Lembke is an ethnically German Russian and because of this, a member of the Russian ruling elite. Although in school he lacked ambition and talent, his familial connections have allowed him to achieve distinction in the civil service. At one time, he desired to be a writer and even wrote a novel that was rejected by a literary magazine. Mrs. Lembke is from a good, though not great, family and desires to be included in Mrs. Stavrogin's society. She fancies herself a kind of liberal and tries to keep up with the current political fashions of the Russian youth. For these reasons she befriends Peter Verkhovensky. Peter is a political radical and has nothing but contempt for Mr. Lembke, which he openly shows. Mr. Lembke gives Peter his novel to read and Peter claims that he has lost it. Later, Peter meets again with his father and proceeds to abuse him. He accuses Stepan of being a worthless hanger-on and claims that Mrs. Stavrogin let Peter read all of Stepan's letters to her. Apparently Peter plans to drive his father into a frenzy of despair and do something involving Mr. Lembke; this is exactly what Peter is planning though it is still not clear. At the end of the chapter we learn that whatever plans Peter has are being facilitated by Julia Lembke's ambition and lack of sense. Part II, Chapter 3, The Duel and Chapter 4, All Agog Analysis Aside from a rather uneventful duel, there is not much action in chapter 3 and 4. It is clear that Dostoyevsky in the last 4 chapters has been setting up and slowly turning the screw to increase the tension before his impending climax. Every chapter has revealed some new fact about Nicholas Stavrogin that started in part one as a rumor, was seemingly dispelled, and is now revealed to be true. Here we also find out that the rumors of Nicholas's affair with Mrs. Shatov are also true. Peter's relationship with Nicholas is more complicated than it originally seemed and it is not clear who is manipulating whom. Peter is more devious and clever than it might have seemed at the outset and it is clear that he is using his relationship with Mrs. Lembke to plot something. |
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| Psychopav | May 25 2011, 02:27 PM Post #6 |
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Part II, Chapter 5, Before the Fête and Chapter 6, Peter Verkhovensky is Busy Summary Julia Lembke is planning a Fête for the town. All of the townspeople will be allowed to attend if they first buy a ticket that acts as a subscription to a new literary magazine that Julia Lembke wants to start. The great writer, Karmazinov will be attending and Stepan Verkhovensky will also be giving a lecture. Julia and Mrs. Stavrogin are social rivals and Mrs. Stavrogin would very much like to host the fête. Meanwhile, Peter is busy spreading rumors at the Lembke house that Stavrogin is a government spy. Julia is hosting many of the local youth in her salon and we discover that as the behavior of the youth is degenerating, her favors continue to pile up upon them. Mrs. Stavrogin, finally fed up with Stepan Verkhovensky's antics after his letter about Dasha to Peter, decides to separate from him. She tells him that he must leave her house for good, but that she will still pay him an allowance and provide for some of his expenses even after her death. Mrs. Stavrogin is becoming increasingly modern, with utilitarian views. She accuses Mr. Verkhovensky of being a fraud and a dilettante and then abuses him when she finds out that he is planning on talking about the Sistine Madonna at Julia Lembke's fête. She believes this to be too old-fashioned a topic. In Chapter 6, we see Peter rushing around town manipulating various characters to act out whatever evil designs he may have waiting. We find out that Mr. Lembke has become ineffectual and is under the sway of his wife. Many of the youths that are running wild in town would, in normal circumstances be sent to Siberia, but are being protected by Julia. As a result of this, Mr. Lembke is becoming more and more distant and disconnected from the work of government. Julia in her hopeful naivety believes she can help and rehabilitate the wild youths, but in reality they are manipulating her. A local lieutenant, accused of freethinking and nihilism, attacks his general, biting his ear. Once his room is searched, the authorities find a stack of radical literature. Similarly, a cholera outbreak at the town factory leads to an investigation where the same radical literature is found in the factory. It is clear that someone is instigating radical activity in the town. Mrs. Lembke sends Peter to see her husband to find out some information about the fête. Mr. Lembke begins questioning Peter about the literature and Peter advises that he has all of the factory workers flogged to discourage any radical thinking. He then shows Lembke a radical poem, A Noble Character, which he claims is written by Shatov. Peter also claims that Shatov is responsible for the revolutionary literature around town. Peter argues that Shatov, Kirilov, and the Lieutenant who bit his general are all part of a radical conspiracy. Lembke then shows Peter a letter he has received and Peter takes the letter telling Lembke to remain silent about its contents. After Peter leaves Lembke, Lembke begins to distrust Peter and starts to wonder if Peter is telling the truth. Lembke's assistant, Blum, also believes that Peter is lying and trying to manipulate Lembke. Blum suggests that they search Peter's house for revolutionary material and Lembke seems to give Blum permission to do so. After meeting with Lembke, Peter calls on Karmazinov, the great Russian writer who has been staying in town. Karmazinov has lent the manuscript of his new novel Merci to Peter, though Peter claims to have not read it and misplaced the novel at home. When Karmazinov requests that he send his people over to Peter's to immediately find the novel, however, Peter produces the copy from his pocket. Peter trades some back-handed insults with Karmazinov and then Karmazinov goes on a tirade about the drawbacks of Russia and the Russian people. He claims that he is more of a German now than a Russian and equates Russia to a sinking ship. Peter alludes that the revolution is coming and Karmazinov tells Peter he is emigrating soon. Next Peter goes to Kirilov's apartment. Although it is still not clear what Peter's plan is, it seems that Kirilov has decided to commit suicide to cover up some crime that Peter intends to commit. After talking to Kirilov, Peter goes to see Shatov. We find out that it was Peter, not Shatov, who wrote a Noble Character and that Peter threatens to hang Shatov with the success of the revolution. Simultaneously Mr. Drozdov, Lisa's fiancée, approaches Stavrogin and asks him to marry Lisa. He knows that Lisa loves Stavrogin and would leave Drozdov at any time to be with Stavrogin. Nicholas tells Drozdov that he is already married. Drozdov leaves and Peter enters Stavrogin's room. They talk to each other cryptically and then leave together. Part II, Chapter 5, Before the Fête and Chapter 6, Peter Verkhovensky is Busy Analysis Like the last chapters, chapter 5 and 6 are building up for the inevitable climax. We learn that Mrs. Lembke is being duped and manipulated by the local ill-behaved and politically radical youths, led by Peter. We also learn that Peter is manipulating several important people in town. He tries to frame Shatov to Lembke as a radical author and provocateur, though we know that Peter himself is the culprit. We also find out that Kirilov has agreed to commit suicide to cover up a murder that Peter is planning. The assumption is that the murders will be politically motivated, though part of the approach Dostoevsky has been using in this novel is to show how political, spiritual, and mundane motives and reasons can often overlap and be used as substitutes for one another. It is not clear in the rash behavior of the youths at the monastery, what behavior was the result of genuine anti-religious sentiment and what was just boorishness and immature pranks. It is similar with Stavrogin and his relationships and Kirilov. Kirilov is a member of the "society" but he has clearly agreed to commit suicide for purely person, philosophical reasons. Peter seems to be driven by political motives, but he is also a clever and manipulative fellow who is working everyone around him to his designs. How much of his ultimate reasons are political rather than merely personal is not clear. Part of Dostoevsky's point here in using Mrs. Stavrogin and Mrs. Lembke is to show how radical youths need and take full advantage of silly rich people who want to ingratiate themselves with the younger generation. As the narrator makes clear, none of the impending problems would have occurred but for Mrs. Lembke's behavior. That is, everyone believes the radicals are harmless and charming until it is too late. |
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| Psychopav | May 25 2011, 02:31 PM Post #7 |
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Part II, Chapter 7, At Virginsky's and Chapter 8, Ivan the Crown-Prince Summary Fifteen people have gathered at Mr. Virginsky's house, ostensibly to celebrate his birthday. The real purpose is to engage in a radical political meeting. Some of those in attendance are members of Peter Verkhovensky's secret revolutionary cell or "group of five." Liputin, Virginsky, Shigalyov, Lyamshin, and Tolkachencko. None of those in attendance, save Peter, know the purpose of the meeting, though everyone is anxious and excited. A young man and woman student begin discussing some of the latest nihilist ideas in an attempt to impress Stavrogin and Peter, though they only annoy everyone at the party. After they get the young students to stop their silly quibbling, Shigalyov starts the meeting by giving an overview of his new plan of social organization. His plan is to remove the necessity of thinking from 90% of humanity and to basically make them all slaves. Contented slaves, but slaves nonetheless. The other 10% will stay educated and maintain the society. The next chapter, "Ivan the Crown-Prince", begins with Peter racing out of Virginsky's to stop Stavrogin from leaving. Peter realizes that he does not need to return to Virginsky's and decides to head off Kirilov and Stavrogin by taking a shortcut to Fillipov's where Stavrogin and Kirilov are heading. Peter is concerned about an anonymous letter that someone sent to Lembke that will expose their group. Peter suggests to Stavrogin that Lebyatkin was the one who sent the letter and that he is using it to blackmail Stavrogin. Stavrogin does not take this threat seriously and tells Peter that he will not let him kill Shatov. Nicholas says that Peter is intent on killing Shatov to cement his new political group; furthermore, he wants Fedka, the escaped convict to kill Mary and the Captain. Peter argues that he has similar cells all over Russia and that once the violence begins, they will tear the foundations of the Russian State apart. Peter goes on a long speech about how much in agreement he is with Shigalyov doctrine of equality. He believes in the equality of the slave and the necessity of violence to bring about his desired social transformation. He plans to use drunkenness and vice to reduce the common man's desire for learning and then to level everyone but the elite to the level of contented workers. Peter claims he is a rogue rather than a socialist and goes on to extol many despicable things. Peter needs Nicholas to be his charismatic leader, his prince Ivan, and a mystical figure that has been in hiding and will return to lead the revolution. Stavrogin refuses to play this part in Peter's plan and Peter, in a rage says he will give Nicholas three days to change his mind. Part II, Chapter 7, At Virginsky's and Chapter 8, Ivan the Crown-Prince Analysis We are now beginning to see where the plot is taking the novel. We see the designs that Peter has on Shatov and maybe on the Lebyatkins. The plan that Dostoevsky attributes to Shigalyov is an amalgamation of various nihilist, socialist, and anarchist plans that were floating around during the time, though it is not atypical. Indeed the plan is not too far from the communist system that was actually implemented in Russia several decades after the events in this novel take place. Peter has been manipulating everyone around him to create revolutionary societies to topple the Russia society. Nicholas correctly suspects, though, that Peter is more of a rogue of ambitious politician than he is a committed socialist. We are left wondering whether it is a political ideal that Peter is after or just plain power, and whether there is really ever much of a difference. Before Shigalyov gives the overview of his plan the two students are debating at Virginsky's home. This scene has elements of satire with both students trying to outdo one another in radical ideas. One claims that he knew that morality was meaningless before the other suggesting that radical ideas are like fashions. |
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| Psychopav | Jun 6 2011, 05:05 PM Post #8 |
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Part II, Chapter 9, Stepan Verkhovensky is Raided and Chapter 10, Filibusters, A Fateful Morning Summary Chapter 9 begins, as the title suggests, with Stepan Verkhovensky being raided by the provincial police. Stepan has many papers and books taken from his house by the police. Mr. Verkhovensky is very upset, but also somewhat triumphant and excited by the raid. We find out that it was Mr. Lembke's assistant, Mr. Blum who carried out the raid. Stepan, far from resisting the search is more than cooperative, opening his drawers and desks for the police, helping them find anything that might be of interest. The narrator, who is talking to Stepan after the arrest is baffled by the fact that Stepan facilitated the entire search. Indeed, he declines his rights to have a more limited search and asks the police to perform a more detailed search. Stepan, though he has in some ways brought the search on himself, is deathly afraid of being sent to Siberia. He believes the coach for Siberia will pick him up at any minute. Eventually he gathers his courage and decides to visit Lembke and demand to know why he is being searched and what he is accused of. The narrator, noting that he has been selected by Mrs. Lembke to be a steward for her upcoming Fête, decides to join Stepan on his trip to Lembke's. The narrator is hoping to make sense of the odd raid and to keep Stepan from doing something silly at Lembke's. The next chapter begins just as Stepan and the narrator are leaving for Lembke's. They notice that workers from the Spigulin factory are gathering in the street to ask the governor to interceded on their behalf to deal with their manager who had fired them and not paid the whole amount he owed them. Some claim that the workers in the street are just trying to get the money owed to them by the factory owner, others believe that they are political agitators stirred up by the revolutionary literature that Peter has been planting at the factory. Liputin and Fedka have been stirring up agitation at the factory and Fedka and two workers are implicated in arson at the factory. The police commissioner, convinced the workers are part of a general socialist uprising, gathers his police on the street to confront the workers. In the crowd of workers, Peter and some of his gang are stirring up trouble trying to incite the crowd. Mrs. Lembke, whose generosity and naivety are partially responsible for these troubles, still believes that she can reform the youths. Meanwhile, Stepan and the narrator arrive at Lembke's and Stepan demands to know why he was searched. Lembke, somewhat confused, asks Blum if he knows anything about the search. Blum claims that it was all a misunderstanding. Apparently, Blum meant to search Peter's house and searched Stepan's by mistake. Julia Lembke, still upset at her husband, sees Stepan and rushes him into her salon to meet with Karmazinov. They talk about his new book Merci and Lembke discusses what he will read for the Fête the next day. Lisa, who is also in the salon challenges Nicholas by asking him to have Lebyatkin, who claims to be his relation by marriage to stop writing her letters. Nicholas, in front of everyone, admits that Lebyatkin is his brother-in-law and that he is married to Mary. The chapter ends with Mrs. Stavrogin shocked and mortified that her son has married Mary and all of the characters in the salon in an uproar about the news before the fête. Part II, Chapter 9, Stepan Verkhovensky is Raided and Chapter 10, Filibusters, A Fateful Morning Analysis These chapters are similar to the last several chapters in that they are setting up the plot pieces for the coming climax rather than advancing the plot themselves. Nicholas, by admitting that he is indeed married to Mary, has passed the point of no return and his mother can no longer cover up his indiscretion. The possibility of him living an honorable life is effectively over once he announces this fact. He has separated himself from his society. We also see how far Peter's plotting goes in the factory uprising. Peter has been manipulating everyone in town to force some kind of confrontation that can spark a revolution and we may just have that kind of event in the factory uprising. We see Dostoyevsky's lampoon of the literary intelligentsia in his portrayal of Karmazinov and Verkhovensky here. Both are out of touch with the times and desperately trying to ingratiate themselves with a younger generation that is hell bent on destroying them. Only Lembke, who is hamstrung by his appeasing wife and his own personality, recognizes the brewing threat, though it may be too late to do anything about it. |
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| Psychopav | Jun 6 2011, 05:07 PM Post #9 |
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Part III, Chapter 1, The Fête, Part One and Chapter 2, The End of The Fête Summary This chapter begins the day after the factory riot, the day of the fête. Mrs. Lembke, the planner of the fête, is still unaware that public opinion has shifted against her. Peter is controlling her, though she is not aware of the fact herself. On the day of the fête, everyone who could afford the high price of a ticket to the event and some that could not would be attending. Some of the poorer folk in town had even pawned household items to afford dresses for their daughters and wives. The fête was composed of two main parts, a morning literary event and an evening ball. Mrs. Lembke, at the advice of some of young men on the planning committee, made a grave error in deciding to charge a high price to attend, but also not to provide food. As the Fête begins, it is clear that Liputin and other compatriots of Peter are letting many of the disheveled lower class townspeople in to the house. They begin to loudly complain about the lack of food and demand that they should have food for the price they paid. The chief of police realizes that this is a plot to incite a riot and starts arresting the complainers. Next, the townspeople start entering the fête and taking their seats for the expected reading by Karmazinov. On the stage where Karmazinov is set to speak, however, Lebyatkin is on the stage drunk. Liputin takes the stage and shuffles Lebyatkin off before returning and asking the audience if they would allow him to read a poem. The crowd, agitated and bored, ask him to read the poem, which is an obscene farce lampooning the gentry and generally in bad taste. Liputin leaves the stage and Karmazinov comes on to read his final work Merci. Karmazinov begins reading 30 pages of pretentious memories that, half way in, bore the audience. Some of the younger, unruly types in the back begin to heckle Karmazinov. He finishes and exits the stage, leaving it for a reinvigorated Stepan Verkhovensky. Stepan, in opposition to the prevailing trend, gives a passionate defense of high culture against materialism. The crowd reacts violently against his message and the narrator pulls him off the stage and sends him home. Next a mad, revolutionary professor takes the stage and stirs up the crowd, but before we can hear too much of his message, the narrator escapes from the fête and runs away. In the chapter, "The End of the Fête", we find the narrator with Mrs. Lembke back at her home. She has finally realized that Peter has been manipulating her and she is sobbing and arguing with Peter. Peter, alternately insulting her and trying to comfort her is trying to convince her to go back for the second part of the fête, the ball. Peter, in the midst of all this, lets slip (intentionally) that Lisa has gone back to Stavrogin's in his carriage. The narrator accuses Peter of instigating Lisa's liaison. The narrator then leaves. Returning to the ball, the only people left after the spectacle earlier in the day are drunken rabble, lower class functionaries, and troublemakers. Some of the revolutionary cell engages in a satirical play until a fire is seen coming from across the river, the poor side of town. It is assumed that workers from the Spigulin factory set the town on fire and everyone from the ball rushes across the river to help put the blaze out. In an attempt to help put the fire out, Lembke is hit by a burning board and is incapacitated. Later it is discovered that in a house that was meant to be burned are the bodies of Mary Lebyatkin and the Captain along with their maid, throats slit and robbed. Some of the townsfolk start discussing how Stavrogin must have had them killed so that he could engage in his affair with Lisa. Part III, Chapter 1, The Fête, Part One and Chapter 2, The End of The Fête Analysis These two chapters are part of the rising climax of action that will play out through Part III. In this chapter Dostoevsky shows one of the central themes of the novel in the events of the fête, namely, the distinction between the "superfluous men" of the 40's and the "raw youth" of the 60's. Karmazinov, who is modeled on Turgenev, is the archetypal aristocratic superfluous man. He is an educated writer who is concerned with the affairs of Europe and would desperately like to see his homeland, Russia, reformed, but he is also aloof and alienated from his homeland. He goes so far in his meeting earlier in the novel with Peter to say that he is no longer going to live in Russia and that he does not consider himself a Russian. Dostoevsky shows Karmazinov in this chapter to be well meaning, but also out of step and disconnected from the population, in this case the audience. Stepan is a similar type though more comical in some ways. He is, like Karmazinov, a man of the 40's but is more similar to Alexander Herzen, a writer who he admires. Herzen, like Stepan in this chapter, argued that Shakespeare was more valuable than boots. That is, high culture was valuable regardless of the material effects that it contributed to the lower classes. Part of the dispute between the older and younger generation here is a frustration with the older generations defeatism. The younger generation regards the literary methods of the older generation as ineffectual and decadent. Hence the dispute between Shakespeare and boots. What good is Shakespeare, the youth argue, when we have no boots? This separation is seen clearly between Peter, the young, culture-less terrorist and Stepan the older, cultured, but alienated and ineffectual intellectual. Much of the action in this chapter is a sustained satire of both generations, though Dostoevsky does seem to be, however reluctantly, closer to the older generation than the younger generation. |
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| Psychopav | Jun 6 2011, 05:10 PM Post #10 |
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Part III, Chapter 3, The End of a Love Affair and Chapter 4, The Last Decision Summary Chapter 3 begins in Stavrogin's home the morning after the eventful fête. We find Lisa, in her dress from the evening before, sitting in Stavrogin's parlor after clearly having spent the night with him. They begin to quarrel and Stavrogin begs Lisa not to leave him after their night together. Lisa, is upset with herself and claims that she must leave. Stavrogin protests and says that he has paid for their night together with a life—not his, but someone else's. Lisa, not having heard of the murder of the Lebyatkins and the fire of the night before, is confused and does not understand what he is talking about. We find out that Peter had a hand in manipulating Lisa to come to Stavrogin. Lisa also insults Stavrogin and claims that he really wants Dasha, who will follow him anywhere. As they are arguing, Peter enters and takes Stavrogin aside. He tells him about the murder of the Lebyatkins and claims that it was all Fedka's fault. Peter tells Stavrogin about the fire and claims responsibility for it. He also tells Stavrogin that some of the townspeople believe Stavrogin to have been behind the double murder. Stavrogin, feeling guilt for the murder of his wife, also accuses Peter of having a hand in the murder. Lisa finally barges into where they are talking and, overhearing some of their conversation, asks Stavrogin if he really did murder his wife. Nicholas says that he knew they were going to be killed and did not stop it, but that he did not have a hand in their death. Lisa rushes out upon hearing this and Stavrogin argues with Peter before Peter chases after her. Lisa escapes Peter and finds her fiancé Drozdov on the path. He helps her into a carriage and they rush off to see the murdered trio. Along the way, they find Stepan Verkhovensky walking on the road in the rain. He decided to set off on foot to find the real Russia. Once Lisa arrives at the house of the murdered, the townspeople are in an agitated state. One of them, seeing that Lisa is Stavrogin's mistress strikes her on the head and kills her. In the next chapter, Peter finds out that Stavrogin has left for Petersburg and assembles his group of five. Peter and the group quarrel about the necessity of the murders and the fire. Peter claims, erroneously, that Lebyatkin is an informant and so the murder was necessary. He also explains to his group how there are many groups such as theirs spread throughout Russia. Peter tells them all of a plot to inform on the group and undermine their plan and claims that Shatov is the informant. Peter proposes that they lure Shatov to a secluded area and murder him. He also proposes that they get Kirilov to commit suicide to cover up their crime. Peter claims that he has seen Shatov's letter to the governor and that they must kill him right away, though we learn from the narrator that Peter is really intent on killing Shatov because of an insult from years ago. The group is not really in favor of killing Shatov, but they feel compelled to go along with the plan. Peter quarrels with Liputin and they meet with Fedka. Fedka is mad with them and strikes Peter, later we find out that Fedka has also been found murdered. Part III, Chapter 3, The End of a Love Affair and Chapter 4, The Last Decision Analysis In these chapters we learn more about the characters of Stavrogin and Peter. We find out, in his exchange with Lisa, that Stavrogin, though he is a seducer, is genuinely looking for some kind of companionship and redemption from a woman that is consistently eluding him. We also find the novel rushing further and further into melodrama. After the murder of Fedka, the body count stands at five. Lisa's death is gratuitous and seems to follow directly from her sin with Stavrogin. We discover that Peter, though he may in some sense hold the revolutionary ideals that he claims to hold, is driven by petty and personal interests to commit the crimes that he does. He is consistently lying to his cell about who is and who is not an informant and his murders seem to lack any real political motive. Dostoevsky may be trying to show here that it is not so much the political ideas themselves that are corrupting, but rather the desire to disregard the propriety of the means to achieve a given end. Peter finds, in the radical political ideals of the time, a force that he, cynical and manipulative as he is, can use to motivate others to do his bidding. All of his followers are flawed in some serious sense, but they do seem to believe in the political ideals in a way that is less serious in Peter. Peter is clearly exploiting their devotion to an ideal to commit crimes for him. This is the danger of any ideals that subvert the moral order, they allow less than scrupulous people to manipulate the faithful in ways that they would not endorse. |
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7:03 PM Jul 10