The Idiot: Part Three, Chapter Two Summary & Analysis

Myshkin takes Evgeny’s arm and assures him that he thinks he is “the noblest and best of men.” Surprised, Evgeny almost bursts out laughing. He admits feeling deeply ashamed of what happened three days ago, which he believes is his fault. Mrs. Epanchin asks if Myshkin is about to have a fit, but he says he isn’t. He notes that his illness has made him “superfluous in society.” He knows that his strange behavior makes people laugh, although he also knows that he is loved by the Epanchins. At this moment Aglaya furiously bursts out that her family members do not deserve such kindness. She demands to know why Myshkin abases himself like this.

Kolya suddenly shouts: “The poor knight!” Addressing Myshkin, Aglaya shouts that she will never marry him, “a ridiculous man.” Myshkin points out that he hasn’t actually asked her to marry him. He approaches her, and she bursts out laughing. Everyone laughs too, including Myshkin. Adelaida suggests that they all go for a walk, and calls Myshkin “a dear man.” Aglaya jokes about Myshkin having “rejected” her and keeps laughing as she babbles. They walk to the Pavlovsk vauxhall, which during the week is filled with a more elite crowd than it is on weekends. Some people come to hear the music played there, but many come to survey the rest of the crowd.

On this particular evening, the Epanchins and their friends are very pleased by the music. They chat with various people, though Myshkin struggles to conform to the social etiquette required of him. He longs to be back in the solitude of the Swiss mountains. He finds himself staring at Aglaya’s face, until she tells him it’s creeping her out. She whispers to herself, “Idiot!” Alexandra murmurs to Mrs. Epanchin that Aglaya seems to be joking with Myshkin, but that she has taken the joke too far and must be stopped. Myshkin suddenly jumps, because he has seen Nastasya and Rogozhin in the crowd. A noisy group of about ten people then emerges near to the Epanchin group. Some of them are dressed in expensive fashions, but others look decidedly strange.

Myshkin hasn’t seen Nastasya for three months. He has been meaning to visit her but has not been able to bring himself to do so. He suddenly feels convinced that Nastasya is “mad.” At this moment, Nastasya sees Evgeny and comes over, saying she’s been unable to find him despite sending several messengers. In a strangely jolly way, she tells him that his uncle was involved in a scandal involving 350,000 roubles of missing government money, and that he has just shot himself. She says it’s a shame because she was relying on Evgeny inheriting his uncle’s fortune. She bids him farewell, and as she goes insists that Evgeny knew about his uncle’s corruption before he died.

Evgeny goes white; the Epanchin women immediately go to leave, but at this moment Evgeny’s friend, an officer, tells Nastasya that she should be whipped. Nastasya grabs a riding crop from the hands of someone standing nearby and whacks the officer with it. The officer lunges toward her, but Myshkin manages to hold him back. The officer pushes Myshkin, sending him flying across the room. By this time, Keller is also defending Nastasya. Keller introduces himself to the officer, saying he is standing in for “the weaker sex.” However, the officer has now finally calmed down. Rogozhin emerges and grabs Nastasya; as he is leading her away he mocks the officer’s bloody face. The officer politely introduces himself to Myshkin and walks away.