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Part 1, Chapter 2, Section 5
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
Praskovya arrives in the provincial town with her daughter, Liza, and with Darya, but Nikolay is not with them. Praskovya goes to see Varvara. She angrily tells Varvara that Nikolay and Liza had a falling out. She explains the situation and says that Nikolay couldn’t take Liza’s sarcasm. When tension mounted, Liza took up with another man, who happened to be Stepan’s son, Pyotr, to try and make Nikolay jealous. Nikolay didn’t react jealously, though. Instead, he befriended Pyotr, which infuriated Liza. Nikolay and Liza parted ways, and Nikolay went with the family of a man named Count K. to travel to Petersburg.
Praskovya’s assertion that Liza’s sarcasm drove her and Nikolay apart seems unsatisfying and hints that there may be more to the story than she is telling or perhaps than she knows. Notably, Nikolay already has a rumored history of treating paramours (and former paramours) badly. In the past, that poor treatment seems to have been tinged with disdain. It remains to be seen whether his relationship with Liza will build upon that pattern.
Themes
Varvara wonders if there is more to the story than Praskovya is telling her or than Praskovya knows. Varvara writes a letter to Nikolay, asking him to come back home. She then talks to Darya to get her version of events. Varvara asks Darya if there’s anything Darya has to tell her, and Darya says no. Varvara then asks Darya if she would be open to marrying Stepan. Varvara explains how the situation would unfold and says that she would provide both Darya and Stepan with yearly allowances. She stresses that the decision is up to Darya, and Darya says she will marry Stepan if that’s what Varvara wants.
Varvara has doubts about Praskovya’s version of events, and that leads her to question Darya. Varvara’s line of questioning implies that she suspects that Liza and Nikolay may have parted ways because Nikolay and Darya shared some kind of romantic connection. Darya denies that, but Varvara follows up by asking Darya if she would marry Stepan. In Varvara’s view, if Darya married Stepan, then that might help avoid any possible scandal if Darya and Nikolay had been romantically involved.
Themes
