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Part 3, Chapter 5, 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
Arina is already with Marie when Shatov returns to his apartment. Arina knows nothing about the plan to murder Shatov, but Virginsky told her earlier that Shatov planned to inform on the Society. Arina agrees to help Marie and Shatov in part to see Shatov for herself and gauge whether he might be planning to betray the Society. At Shatov’s apartment, Marie yells at Shatov to leave as her pain becomes worse. When Arina sends Shatov to secure some necessary supplies, Marie yells at Shatov to stay and isn’t satisfied until Shatov tells her that he’ll be back in an instant.
Arina’s plan to gauge whether she believes Shatov will inform on the revolutionary faction or not is perhaps more noteworthy than it might initially seem. Throughout the novel, several characters act without looking into matters and gathering evidence for themselves. That often results in dire consequences, as was the case, for example, in Liza’s death. Arina’s approach marks a stark divergence from that trend.
Themes
