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Part 2, Chapter 1, Section 2
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
After eight days have passed following the events at Varvara’s house, Pyotr visits Nikolay. Pyotr tells Nikolay that he has planted seeds around town suggesting that Shatov hit Nikolay because Nikolay had an affair with Shatov’s wife in Paris at some point. Nikolay seems annoyed by Pyotr’s voluble nature. Pyotr also tells Nikolay that he has arranged a place for Lebyadkin and Marya to stay and gives the address to Nikolay. Pyotr says that “our people” are waiting for orders. He corrects himself and says that they are simply people, not “our people.”
This passage makes it clearer that Pyotr is in fact using rumors to manipulate public opinion, ostensibly for his own benefit. In this case, Pyotr uses an affair between Nikolay and Shatov’s wife to explain Shatov hitting Nikolay, but the novel implies that that is still not the real reason Shatov hit Nikolay. Pyotr also corrects himself when he says “our people” to Nikolay, suggesting that Nikolay is not a member of the group he’s referring to.
Themes
Nikolay asks if Pyotr has represented him (Nikolay) as a kind of leader. Pyotr changes the subject. Nikolay says that he told Varvara that he would propose to Liza in five days. Pyotr asks if Nikolay said that to appease Varvara, and Nikolay asks Pyotr what he would think if he (Nikolay) had been serious. Pyotr says that Shatov told him that if they wanted to start a rebellion in Russia, then they would have to start with atheism. He also says that an old acquaintance of his, Fedka the Convict, is in town and could be of use. He’ll do anything they want him to for a price. Pyotr also says that Shatov had no right to risk his life by striking Nikolay. Pyotr then leaves.
This interaction between Pyotr and Nikolay shows that both of them make liberal use of lies and untruths to try and manipulate others to get what they want. In Nikolay’s case, he has told Varvara he plans to propose to Liza, but it’s unclear whether that’s true or not. In Pyotr’s case, he plants rumors and has also perhaps told “our people” that Nikolay plans to be a leader, which seems untrue. It also becomes clear that Pyotr has ambitions to start a revolution in Russia, which suggests that “our people” may refer to people sympathetic to those revolutionary goals.
Themes
