Previous
Part 3, Chapter 1, Section 3
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
Anton rushes backstage to talk to Stepan. He tells Stepan that the crowd has descended into disorder and is on the verge of chaos. He urges Stepan not to go on, but Stepan ignores Anton’s advice. Anton also takes note of a visiting professor who is supposed to read after Stepan. The professor is pacing and raising his fist at irregular intervals. Anton warns the professor that it would be best not to read for more than 20 minutes. The professor tells Anton that he’ll be fine.
Anton observes that the audience has turned into a kind of powder keg and seems ready to explode at any moment. In the face of that impending chaos, Anton is devoted to maintaining order. Notably, Yuliya organized the gala, suggesting that the gala is a symbol of the established prevailing system of order. With that in mind, destabilizing that order seems to align with the goals of the revolutionary faction.
Themes
Stepan takes the stage. The crowd is murmuring and doesn’t take any notice of him. Stepan then raises his voice and says that this morning, he saw one of the manifestos that has been circulating. The crowd grows silent. Stepan continues and says that the manifestos are, in essence, paeans to stupidity. Some members of the crowd tell Stepan to stop talking. Others urge him to continue. Yuliya motions to Anton to get Stepan to stop, and Anton shrugs. He thinks that Stepan has decided to risk it all, and there’s nothing he (Anton) can do about that now. Stepan continues and says that he intends to find some kind of reconciliation. He adds that Shakespeare and Raphael are worth more than the emancipation of the peasants and socialism.
In the novel, socialism is depicted as a system of government that relies on materialism in the sense that it uses reason and science as its foundation. With that in mind, Stepan is arguing against that version of socialism when he proclaims the importance of Shakespeare and Raphael. In essence, he is saying that there is something ephemeral, immaterial, and invaluable about art that can’t be captured by reason and science. That is similar to Shatov’s previous arguments about the shortcomings of reason and science with regard to morality and religion.
Themes
Some members of the audience leave their chairs and move closer to the stage. Stepan continues and says he is simply arguing that the revolutionary factions overlook the importance of beauty. He then breaks down in sobs. The crowd seems panicked. One person shouts that Fedka, who has been in town robbing people and has recently committed another murder, was first sent to the army because Stepan lost a bet. What good is Stepan’s aestheticism when it causes him to create blunders that lead the whole town to contend with someone like Fedka? the man asks. A small faction of the audience wildly applauds. Other people move to leave, but there’s too much commotion in the crowd for anyone to easily move. Stepan responds to the outburst by saying, “I curse you.”
The emancipation of the peasants, mentioned in the previous section, is the emancipation reform of 1861 in which 23 million serfs in Russia gained freedom and independence. Before that, Fedka was Stepan’s serf, and the person in the crowd asserts that Stepan’s irresponsibility and exploitation of Fedka contributed to Fedka becoming a murderer and unleashing chaos in town now. That points to Stepan’s apparent hypocrisy, as he claimed to embrace progressive policies while his actions tell a different story.
Themes
Stepan runs backstage. Someone shouts out that Stepan has insulted the Society. The visiting professor then takes the stage. He seems hysterical and to relish the chaos. He talks about the corruption and issues that have beset Russia in recent years and then lifts his fist. The crowd responds enthusiastically. Six officers come from backstage and try to seize the man, but he escapes. Members of the Society go to help the visiting professor. Anton takes the rosette from his shoulder that designates him as a steward and leaves. He makes his way to Stepan’s house.
This passage shows how Pyotr’s revolutionary faction (or the “Society”) seems to relish and actively contribute to chaos. Notably, the chaos comes during an event put on by the governor’s wife, Yuliya, signaling how the revolutionary faction attempts to undermine prevailing systems of power and authority. As the faction challenges that authority, the crowd responds with enthusiasm, signaling that there may be a wellspring of potential supporters for a movement that aims to take down the established order.
Themes
Get the entire Demons LitChart as a printable PDF.
