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- Demons
Stepan Trofimovich is an unusual person, because although he is quite middle-aged, he still often behaves like a capricious child. He managed to be widowed twice, and therefore agrees with Varvara Petrovna Stavrigina to become both a friend and just a teacher for her son, Nikolai, to teach the boy. They live together, and soon Stepan Trofimovich becomes both a friend and a good teacher for him. Nikolai's mother almost tamed the naive Stepan Trofimovich, and he became her own invention, as she skillfully directed him.
Soon Nikolai goes to study at the Lyceum, and upon returning from there he becomes very unusual in his behavior. And there are even rumors about him as a drunkard, a frivolous young man. But then I begin to suspect that he is mentally ill. And he is sent for treatment. When he recovered, he traveled to different countries. Soon, one general’s wife, a friend of Nikolai’s mother, reports that he began to communicate closely with a girl named Lisa, which greatly worried his mother, who immediately went there.
When they return, Nikolai’s mother proposes an unequal marriage to Dasha, her pupil, with Stepan Trofimovich, although the age difference is large. In the end, it turns out that Nikolai has actually been married to a woman, Maria, for a long time. And she turns out to be a little crazy.
Read more about the summary of Dostoevsky's story Demons
Half a century after the publication of F. M. Dostoevsky’s work “Demons,” it was recognized as prophetic, a novel that foresaw everything that later happened in Russia. The whole world, Russian, Asian, and American, everyone who encountered the events taking place in “The Possessed,” said the same phrase: “Everything came true according to Dostoevsky.” This was the amazing fate of the novel.
The novel “Demons” is not only one of the most politicized works of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, but also a real religious drama. Demonicity is the highest degree of social and moral irresponsibility: demagoguery, provocateurism, historical and scenic irresponsibility. This concept is beyond temporary and repetitive.
All events take place in the provincial city, the prototype of which is Tver. All the heroes come here and the action takes place. It ends with many deaths. Murders and suicides occur. And at the very end, a local apocalypse occurs - the suicide of the main character.
Demonism is projected onto modern life, since it has many similarities. The novel “Demons” is Dostoevsky’s artistic response to nihilism, to the desire of radical youth to change the world only through violence. Dostoevsky thinks differently: for him, the root of evil is not in society, but in the soul of the individual. And until a person overcomes selfishness and self-will within himself, until he acquires the faith that gives him the strength to create and live in the world, no social harmony is possible. It is unbelief that is the main tragedy of the main character of the novel, Nikolai Stavrogin.
The story is told either on behalf of the author or from the narrator, who is a friend of Stepan Trofimych. Stepana Trofimych Verkhovensky is a former writer and traveler. At the request of the widow Varvara Petrovna Stavrogina, he becomes her son’s tutor. In the provincial town everyone is waiting for Nicholas's arrival.
Despite the fact that the main character of the novel was a very self-absorbed boy, he was prone to philosophical reasoning and sentimentality. Stepan Trofimych often cried with him. Nikolai was a military man, but he went on such a spree that he was demoted to soldier.
Having previously arrived in this city, Stavrogin literally tricked Gaganov by the nose, bit the governor’s earlobe and kissed someone else’s wife. But soon he had a fever, so everything was attributed to illness, and Nikolai went abroad.
Five years earlier, Stavrogin lived in St. Petersburg, where he married Maria Timofeevna in a bet over a bottle of wine. Lebyadkin, a graphomaniac poet, Maria’s brother, engineer Kirillov and Pyotr Verkhovensky knew about this. Nikolai rented three apartments. In one of them, he once raped an 11-year-old girl, who hanged herself as a result of such abuse. This bad story constantly tormented him. And even living and studying abroad did not help. This rather vulgar scene was cut out of the novel by censors, and was later published as a separate chapter.
In anticipation of her son, on Sunday Varvara Petrovna goes to church for mass. There he meets Lisa Tushina, a loving fan of Nikolai. And then a large company of Nikolai Stovrygin’s relatives and admirers goes to the “birdhouses” - Varvara Petrovna’s place of residence.
Wanting a better life for her son, Stovrygina dreamed of marrying him to Lisa. And for this it was necessary to somehow eliminate his pupil, the former serf Daria, with whom Nikolai was very passionate. Varvara Petrovna planned to marry her to Stepan Trofimych, completely disregarding the 25-year age difference.
Upon arrival, the main character receives a slap in the face from Ivan Shatov, who accuses him of deception. Stavrogin, taking him by the shoulders, suddenly suddenly lets go of his hands and steps back. Lisa faints and, waking up, leaves with her fiancé.
8 days pass. Nikolai Stavrogin, not receiving anyone, sits alone. But Verkhovensky comes and informs about who he needs to visit. In the rain, Nikolai goes to the house where Kirillov and Shatov live. After talking with the first one, he learned the idea that by killing yourself, you can become God.
Next, Stavrogin goes to visit the Lebyadkins. The initial conversation with the brother-in-law allows him to enter Maria Timofeevna's room. But after talking with her, Nikolai quickly leaves, believing that she has lost her mind.
The next day, a duel takes place between Stavrogin and Gaganov’s son. Stavrogin shoots in the air, not planning a murder at all. After this event, many began to respect Nicholas.
At this time, some strange things are happening in the city. Fedka the convict stole precious stones from the icon, and Peter Verkhovensky threw a mouse there. During the service in front of this icon, mass donations begin. In addition, the workers at the factory are raging, and the 25-year friendship of Varvara Petrovna and Stepan Trofimych ends due to the latter’s refusal to marry Daria.
All events predict impending disaster. Stavrogin joins a revolutionary circle that puts forward the idea of dividing society into 90 and 10%. The fewest number are given the role of managers of the majority. Shatov is also noticed in this circle, whom Stavrogin warns about murder and advises to be careful.
An inventory of the apartment of Stepan Trofimych takes place, who, perplexed, comes to the governor’s wife. But she does not give an explanation for what is happening, since in the city during the governor’s ball the Lebyadkins are stabbed to death and a fire breaks out. During the stampede, Liza Tushina dies. And soon Stepan Trofimych also dies, leaving the city and leaving, completely unaware of his path.
The series of senseless deaths continues. Fedka the convict is stabbed to death, Ivan Shatov is killed, and his corpse is thrown into the lake. Sensing something bad, Ivan’s wife dies, having given birth to a son the day before.
Nikolai Stavrogin left after the fire and lived in the stationmaster's house. He writes a letter to Daria, inviting her to live together. Arriving with his mother at Nikolai's address, they find him hanged.
A life novel that teaches how to overcome life’s hardships and pain, moral rethinking and purification. It is worth reading Dostoevsky’s “Demons” carefully and consciously.
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Dostoevsky. Brief summaries of works
- Poor people
- White Nights
- Demons
- Brothers Karamazov
- Double
- Uncle's dream
- Notes from the House of the Dead
- Notes from the Underground
- Player
- Idiot
- Meek
- Boy at Christ's Christmas tree
- Boys
- Netochka Nezvanova
- Teenager
- Crime and Punishment
- Crime and punishment by chapters and parts
- The village of Stepanchikovo and its inhabitants
- Bad joke
- Humiliated and Offended
- Epilogue Crimes and Punishments
Part I
Chapter first. Instead of an introduction: a few details from the biography of the venerable Stepan Trofimovich Verkhovensky
The events are presented on behalf of a certain G-va - a participant in the events described. He begins the story with a story about the fate of Stepan Trofimovich Verkhovensky, a twice widower. He lived next door to Varvara Nikolaevna Stavrogina, a noble St. Petersburg lady, whose patronage he enjoyed, while experiencing complex feelings for her: “They want to eat each other, they live like this all their lives, but they cannot part.”
Varvara Petrovna even came up with a suit for him, which he wore all the time. It was a long-skirted frock coat and a soft hat that made him look like the writer Puppeteer. And Stepan Trofimovich tried to “write”, but for more than ten long years he never wrote anything. Sometimes he was tormented by the thought that he was a simpleton, but then he consoled himself, drank champagne and played cards.
Chapter two. Prince Harry. Matchmaking
Events develop after the return home of Varvara Petrovna’s only son Nikolai Vsevolodovich Stavrogin. He was once a student of Sergei Trofimovich, a quiet and shy teenager. But having entered military service in a guards regiment, he “suddenly went on a spree”: he drank, played cards, fought in a duel, for which he was demoted to the rank and file, but earned his service.
Returning to his hometown, he first made a very pleasant impression: “he was the most elegant gentleman.” But soon “the beast released its claws”: he said impossible insolence to the oldest members of the club, pulled the most respected elder of the club across the hall by the nose, publicly kissed someone else’s wife, bit Ivan Osipovich on the ear.
Everything was explained allegedly by delirium tremens, for which Nikolas was treated for two and a half months, after which he went abroad.
Chapter three. Other people's sins
Varvara Petrovna was concerned about her son’s attention to her pupil Daria Shatova, so she invited Verkhovensky to marry the girl. He is more than thirty years older, but agreed because he was tired of the role of a hangover. He's ready to propose.
At this time, the narrator G-v took an active part in the life of his friend in the role of a confidant. He listened to the confession of Verkhovensky, who complained that for a long time he suffered from his feelings for Stavrogina, from her unfair attitude, and now he was forced to take on “other people’s sins.”
Engineer Liputin appeared, who knew both Petrusha Verkhovensky and Nikolai Stavrogin. He hinted that the matchmaking with Dasha was an attempt to “cover up the noble sins of her priceless Nicolas with a wedding.”
Suddenly, Stepan Trofimovich’s former pupil Lizaveta Nikolaevna Tushina appeared. She asked G-va to give a note to Shatov, Daria Pavlovna’s brother. And a letter came from Varvara Petrovna in which she informed that on Sunday Stepan Trofimovich should propose to Dasha.
Chapter Four. Lame leg
Lisa suggested that Shatov publish a book collected from newspaper news from different years in order to leave the most interesting news in the memory of readers. But he, having learned that Captain Lebyadkin had dedicated poetry to her and essentially proposed, abandoned this idea.
Sergei Trofimovich was waiting for Varvara Petrovna from mass, very worried about the upcoming matchmaking. A drunken Lebyadkin appeared to Shatov and began shouting through the door that he and his sister were both serfs. Stavrogina was walking from church when Marya Lebyadkina, nicknamed Lame Leg, asked her for alms. She asked to kiss the hand, giggling like a child. Varvara Petrovna received an anonymous letter the day before, saying that a lame woman would play an important role in her fate. She invited Marya and Lisa Tushina to her home.
Chapter five. Wise serpent
Marya behaved strangely: she giggled, called Stavrogina “auntie” and addressed Shatov in a friendly manner, causing bewilderment among those around her. They explained to Varvara Petrovna that this was Captain Lebyadkin’s sister. Dasha appeared, and Lebyadkina accused her of receiving 300 rubles from Stavrogin in Switzerland, but not giving it to her brother.
Varvara Petrovna wanted to send the impudent woman home, but Stepan Trofimovich brought Lebyadkin, who explained that his sister was out of her mind. He himself began to speak in hints and allegories, provoking the anger of Varvara Petrovna, but like a bolt from the blue the words about the arrival of Nikolai, her son, sounded. First Pyotr Verkhovensky appeared, and after him Stavrogin.
The mother directly asked her son who Lebyadkina was to him. Nikolai led Lame Leg by the arm to the carriage, and Peter explained to everyone present that Stavrogin helped his brother and sister Lebyadkin, since they lived in poverty, and Marya told everyone that this was her fiancé, which was notified by “well-wishers” in anonymous letters to Varvara Petrovna.
The mother was touched by her son’s act and said that she should adopt this girl. She asked for forgiveness from her returning son, but Lisa threw a tantrum, despite the fact that Captain Lebyadkin confirmed Verkhovensky’s entire story. And after Shatov slapped Stavrogin, she fainted.
