Demons

Demons

by

Fyodor Dostoevsky

Shigalyov Character Analysis

Shigalyov is Arina’s brother. He is a member of the revolutionary faction. He refuses to take part in Pyotr’s murder of Shatov, but he does not warn Shatov that he will be killed. At one point, Shigalyov outlines his ideas of what the world will look like after the revolution. He says that the only way to ensure paradise on earth would be if nine-tenths of people were treated like livestock and served the other tenth of society. Some members of the faction are appalled by his ideas while others support them.

Shigalyov Quotes in Demons

The Demons quotes below are all either spoken by Shigalyov or refer to Shigalyov. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Politics and Self-Interest Theme Icon
).
Part 2, Chapter 7, Section 1 Quotes

Every one of these five operatives formed the first group in the fervent belief that it was merely a unit that linked hundreds and thousands of similar groups of five, just like theirs, scattered throughout Russia, and that everything depended on some huge but secret central organization that, in turn, was organically linked with the universal European revolution.

Related Characters: Pyotr, Liputin, Virginsky, Shigalyov, Lyamshin
Page Number: 433
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 2, Chapter 7, Section 2 Quotes

‘People cry: “A hundred million heads”. That’s perhaps just a metaphor, but why be afraid of them, if despotism, with its slow paper daydreams, in a hundred years or so will consume not a hundred but five hundred million heads? […] therefore I respectfully ask this worthy company not to vote, but to declare, directly and simply, what makes you happier: a tortoise-like procession in the swamp, or crossing the swamp under full sail?’

‘I’m absolutely for full sail!’ the high-school student cried enthusiastically.

‘So am I,’ replied Lyamshin.

[…]

‘I must admit that I’m more for a humane solution,’ said the major, ‘but since everyone is for yours, then I’ll go along with the rest.’

Related Characters: Pyotr (speaker), Pyotr (speaker), Lyamshin (speaker), Lyamshin (speaker), Liputin, Liputin, Virginsky, Virginsky, Shigalyov, Shigalyov, Lyamshin, Lyamshin
Page Number: 452-453
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 3, Chapter 6, Section 1 Quotes

‘Having given the matter a great deal of thought, I have decided that the proposed murder is not only a waste of valuable time, which could be used in a more essential and relevant way, but above and beyond that, it represents the sort of pernicious deviation from the normal path that has always done the utmost harm to the cause and has sidetracked its successes for decades, by subordinating itself to the influence of frivolous and primarily political people, instead of pure socialists.’

Related Characters: Shigalyov (speaker), Shigalyov (speaker), Pyotr, Pyotr, Shatov, Shatov
Page Number: 666
Explanation and Analysis:
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Shigalyov Quotes in Demons

The Demons quotes below are all either spoken by Shigalyov or refer to Shigalyov. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Politics and Self-Interest Theme Icon
).
Part 2, Chapter 7, Section 1 Quotes

Every one of these five operatives formed the first group in the fervent belief that it was merely a unit that linked hundreds and thousands of similar groups of five, just like theirs, scattered throughout Russia, and that everything depended on some huge but secret central organization that, in turn, was organically linked with the universal European revolution.

Related Characters: Pyotr, Liputin, Virginsky, Shigalyov, Lyamshin
Page Number: 433
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 2, Chapter 7, Section 2 Quotes

‘People cry: “A hundred million heads”. That’s perhaps just a metaphor, but why be afraid of them, if despotism, with its slow paper daydreams, in a hundred years or so will consume not a hundred but five hundred million heads? […] therefore I respectfully ask this worthy company not to vote, but to declare, directly and simply, what makes you happier: a tortoise-like procession in the swamp, or crossing the swamp under full sail?’

‘I’m absolutely for full sail!’ the high-school student cried enthusiastically.

‘So am I,’ replied Lyamshin.

[…]

‘I must admit that I’m more for a humane solution,’ said the major, ‘but since everyone is for yours, then I’ll go along with the rest.’

Related Characters: Pyotr (speaker), Pyotr (speaker), Lyamshin (speaker), Lyamshin (speaker), Liputin, Liputin, Virginsky, Virginsky, Shigalyov, Shigalyov, Lyamshin, Lyamshin
Page Number: 452-453
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 3, Chapter 6, Section 1 Quotes

‘Having given the matter a great deal of thought, I have decided that the proposed murder is not only a waste of valuable time, which could be used in a more essential and relevant way, but above and beyond that, it represents the sort of pernicious deviation from the normal path that has always done the utmost harm to the cause and has sidetracked its successes for decades, by subordinating itself to the influence of frivolous and primarily political people, instead of pure socialists.’

Related Characters: Shigalyov (speaker), Shigalyov (speaker), Pyotr, Pyotr, Shatov, Shatov
Page Number: 666
Explanation and Analysis: