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Part 1, Chapter 2, Section 1
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
Not long after Nikolay arrives, he commits two or three heinous offenses without any apparent provocation. Those offenses cause almost the entire town to despise him. First, at a club that caters to the wealthy men of the town, a man utters his catchphrase, in which he says that he won’t be pulled by the nose. For no reason and with no warning, Nikolay approaches the man and pulls him two or three feet by the nose. Nikolay then lets out a maniacal laugh. The group surrounding the man is outraged. They ask Nikolay what has gotten into him. Nikolay seems unfazed. He offers the man a perfunctory apology, which only outrages the men around him more. The men petition the governor to have the authorities look into the matter, but the governor is out of town.
Nikolay shows that he does not feel beholden to norms of polite society. Instead, he wantonly flouts those norms and only offers lip service when he’s pressed to account for his actions. It remains to be seen what exactly motivates Nikolay’s actions. It could be that he is not in his right mind when the offense occurs, or it’s possible that Nikolay willingly flaunts those norms of propriety and morality because he wants to test them, and perhaps show himself and the world that one can overcome one’s internal drive to act morally.
Themes
Soon after, Liputin asks Nikolay to come to his wife’s birthday party. Because Liputin is a liberal, he thinks Nikolay’s treatment of the wealthy men is exactly what those men deserve. At the party, Nikolay dances with Liputin’s wife. He then sits next to her before kissing her on the mouth three times. Liputin’s wife faints. Nikolay stands up to leave, and Liputin follows him outside with Nikolay’s coat. The next day, Liputin sends his servant to deliver a message to Nikolay. The servant tells Nikolay that Liputin sends his greetings. Nikolay says Liputin is the most intelligent man in town. The servant says Liputin knew beforehand that Nikolay would say that. He then instructed her (the servant) to respond to Nikolay by saying that Liputin knows he is the most intelligent person in town, and he wishes Nikolay the same.
Nikolay’s second act of impropriety is arguably more serious than the first. At this point, Liputin’s response appears cryptic. He doesn’t seem to want to challenge Nikolay, suggesting perhaps that he is afraid of Nikolay, respects Nikolay, or understands Nikolay’s actions in a way that others do not. His statement that he wishes Nikolay intelligence sheds light on those possibilities. It appears that Liputin believes Nikolay may not be in his right mind, which is why he wishes for Nikolay to have intelligence (meaning that he hopes for Nikolay to return to his right mind).
Themes
