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Part 1, Chapter 1, Section 4
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Demons, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Politics and Self-Interest
Ideology and Extremism
Morality and Nihilism
Herd Mentality
Atheism vs. Belief in God
Summary
Analysis
Varvara feels so much of a sense of ownership over Stepan that she devises a set of clothes for him to wear, which she bases on a portrait of a poet from the 1830s. During the first half of Stepan’s years with Varvara, he believes that one day he’ll complete a great work. The only issue is that when he sits down to work, all the thoughts leave his mind. After those first few years, Stepan seems to forget about the project altogether. Stepan also feels like he’s been forgotten by the world.
Again, this passage delves into the differences between how Stepan sees himself and who he actually is. He believes that he’ll write a great work despite his inability to complete any work, just as he thinks of himself as a persecuted intellectual despite no evidence of persecution. Stepan’s image of himself can then be understood as his attempts to overcompensate and shield himself from his latent awareness that he has, in essence, been unable to succeed in all that he has set out to do.
Themes
There is something in the air at that time, which suggests a historical split with the past might be imminent. Stepan, though, is more concerned with his own obsolescence than with the shift in history. However, out of nowhere, Stepan’s name begins appearing in print, first in foreign journals, where he is called an exiled martyr. His name then appears in a Petersburg journal, where he is said to be an intellectual star. Stepan becomes interested in being involved in whatever historical change might be afoot. Varvara is interested as well, and the two travel to Petersburg together to see if they can find out what is going on. Varvara also wants to make the trip to see her son, who is studying in Petersburg.
This passage makes it clear that Stepan is first and foremost motivated by his own ego. He wants to be associated with progressive politics and historic change not because he thinks that it would be beneficial to others but because he thinks it would make him appear more important. He sees the opportunity to join those political causes as a chance to escape the obscurity that he has fallen into. In other words, he aims to exploit those political movements for his own gain.
Themes
