The Devils (The Possessed)

As well as Stepan, Varvara Petrovna is deeply attached to her son, Nikolai Vsevolodovich Stavrogin, even though he hardly loves her at all. In recent times, however, Stavrogin has developed an “obviously sordid” (42) reputation and has been associating with low-class people in Saint Petersburg. When the narrator sees Stavrogin for the first time, he is struck by his handsome appearance and elegant demeanor. His return refocuses Varvara Petrovna’s attentions and she dedicates her life to her son.

After a short time, however, Stavrogin causes a scandal in the small community. His rude, violent, and “outrageous” (46) behavior is followed by an incident at Liputin’s house, wherein Stavrogin shocks the other guests by kissing Liputin’s wife. The locals petition the governor to take action against Stavrogin. Though Stavrogin is briefly imprisoned, he is overcome by a violent and sudden attack of “brain fever” (52). He nearly breaks out of his cell but is overpowered and taken to a doctor. Stavrogin’s odd behavior, the doctor explains, may be due to a delirium in which he cannot know “his right mind” (53). After months of treatment, Stavrogin apologizes to the townspeople and leaves for Italy.

After three years away, Stavrogin is “almost completely forgotten” (55) in Skvoreshniki. Varvara Petrovna receives a letter from a friend named Praskovya Ivanovna Drozdova, in which Praskovya explains that Stavrogin has grown close to her daughter, Liza, and plans to travel with them to Switzerland to visit an influential Russian man named Count K. Varvara Petrovna travels to Switzerland, returning to say that the Drozdovs will come back to their nearby estate in the coming months. At the same time, the old governor retires, and the new governor and his wife are said to be on “unfriendly terms” (58) with Varvara Petrovna.

Stepan talks with Varvara Petrovna about the new governor; she mocks him for having aged “terribly” (59), while he says that he has been accused of being “a corrupter of youth and a sower of provincial atheism” (60). As she continues to chastise Stepan for his shabby appearance, she describes the complicated plans and intentions of the governor’s wife and the Drozdovs regarding her son. Later, Stepan complains to the narrator that Varvara Petrovna is always angry with him and worries that he is no longer “irresistible” (66) to her.

The Drozdovs return to Skvoreshniki at the end of August, but Stavrogin is not with them. He is in Saint Peterburg with Count K., as well as the Count’s three unmarried daughters. Somehow, Praskovya Ivanovna suggests, Stavrogin “offended” (67) Liza. Stavrogin and Liza were being sarcastic to one another, and then they met Stepan’s adult son, Peter Stepanovich Verkhovensky. Liza befriended Peter to provoke Stavrogin’s jealousy, leading to a quarrel. Varvara Petrovna writes to her son, telling him to return early to make amends, though she suspects that there may be a deeper issue. Suspecting that a romance may be brewing between Stavrogin and her protege, Dasha, Varvara Petrovna tries to arrange a marriage between Dasha and Stepan. Dasha agrees on the condition that “it’s absolutely necessary for [her] to get married” (71).

After, Varvara visits Stepan. She finds him in a “gloomy” (75) mood and immediately criticizes him for the untidy state of his home. She tells him of her plan for him to marry Dasha. Stepan is shocked—not only because she wants him to marry for a third time to a 20-year-old, but because he assumed Varvara would one day marry him. After being told to keep the potential marriage quiet, Stepan frets about his estate. The estate where he lives technically belongs to his son, Peter. Varvara agrees to purchase the estate on his behalf for him and Dasha. When she sets a date for Stepan to propose, however, Varvara mysteriously warns him that “nothing may come of it” (82).

Stepan feels a great sense of “shame” (84) because he spends a week unsure of whether he is engaged to Dasha or not. He is so preoccupied that he does not pay a call to the newly-arrived Drozdovs, though the narrator desperately wants to be “presented and introduced” (86) to Liza. Though he tries to keep his situation secret, he becomes convinced that Liputin knows. The narrator recalls meeting the famous writer Karmazinov in the street. He finds Karmazinov’s work to be of middling quality and finds the man himself to be rude and pretentious. However, their encounter is first deeply embarrassing to the narrator and then amusing, so he decides to visit Stepan to tell him what has happened. When he arrives, Stepan seems “extraordinarily changed” (92). Stepan is fretting about letters from Varvara that instruct Stepan what to do should Karmazinov visit him. The narrator is amused. Liputin enters with another note and an unknown person, Alexei Nilych Kirillov, an engineer who is acquainted with Stepan’s son. Liputin delights in telling his host about Kirillov’s work “about the reasons for the increasing number of suicides in Russia” (98). Continuing to fret, Stepan claims to feel unwell and implies that his guests should leave.

The narrator, Liputin, and Kirillov stand beside Stepan’s door to say goodbye. They discuss the arrival in town of Marya Lebyadkina, a “sick” (101) woman with a mysterious past. She is regularly abused by her brother, Captain Lebyadkin, who now receives money to cover up a scandal in which his sister was seduced. Kirillov complains that Liputin talks “too much” (102). When Liputin hints that he knows something about Varvara, Stepan drags him back inside and demands to know whatever he knows. Liputin explains that he was summoned to a meeting with Varvara to talk about Stavrogin. She wants an “independent judgment” (105) of her son’s behavior. Kirillov refuses to talk about Stavrogin, complaining that Liputin is a “gossip” (106). Liputin has been trying to extract information about Stavrogin from Kirillov and Captain Lebyadkin regarding Stavrogin’s mental state. The “whole town” (109) is allegedly rife with gossip on the subject. Kirillov runs from the room, unable to tolerate the gossiping, and Liputin chases after him.

Stepan has decided that he cannot marry “to cover up another man’s sins” (110). Liputin has confirmed his worst fears: that Stavrogin has scandalized Dasha and that the quickly-arranged marriage is an attempt to hide this from the public. On the way to Varvara, Liza stops Stepan in the street. She is thrilled to see him, as he was once her beloved tutor. She chides him for not visiting the Drozdovs and insists that they return to Stepan’s house. The narrator struggles to describe Liza’s beauty, which is “both attractive and triumphant” (114). She is also sickly, and her refusal to visit many people in the town since her arrival has caused some consternation among the locals.

As they talk about the town, Liza inquires about Shatov. She wants to hire him as an assistant. The narrator offers to introduce her to him. Liza and her companion leave. The narrator plans to visit Shatov but Stepan insists that he return later in the evening. Shatov is not at home. Instead, he meets Kirillov and they sit down to talk. They discuss Liputin and Kirillov’s interest in suicide. He is trying to understand “the reason why people dare not kill themselves” (119). Kirillov rejects the narrator’s traditional views that “man fears death because he loves life” (121). People who have killed themselves, Kirillov believes, have always done so for the wrong reason. The right reason, he believes, is to “become God” (121) by conquering pain and fear. Kirillov obsesses over this subject to the point of being an introverted man. He says that the narrator reminds him of his dead brother.

As the narrator is leaving Kirillov’s home, he meets Captain Ignat Lebyadkin and Liputin outside. The captain is drunk and declares his love for Liza and his dislike for Dasha. Liputin, who has been drinking with the captain, reveals that Lebyadkin intends to propose to Liza. The narrator accuses Liputin of orchestrating “nasty business” (125). He returns to Stepan’s house, where Stepan is in shock after being quizzed by Praskovya Drozdova about Stavrogin. Stepan dislikes being caught in some social struggle between Varvara and Praskovya. He also confesses that he has sent a note to Dasha, in which he mentioned his “noble intentions” (129). The narrator criticizes Stepan, who has accepted that he will marry Dasha and raise other people’s children. In truth, he is in love with Varvara and wishes that he could marry her instead. The narrator leaves.

The narrator invites Shatov to visit Liza with him. They arrive at the Drozdov house and find Liza bickering with her mother. After a brief mention of Stavrogin, Liza’s mother leaves to consult a doctor and the narrator sits with Liza’s friend, Maurice Nikolaevich. They listen to the conversation between Liza and Shatov about publishing “a very useful book” (134): She wants to create an almanac that will express “the personal, moral life of the people, the character of the Russian nation at a given moment” (135). She wishes to enlist Shatov as her co-editor, due to his experience in the printing industry and based on a recommendation from Peter Stepanovich. When he seems reluctant, she shows him a love letter from Captain Lebyadkin. The narrator, Shatov, and Maurice all agree that the captain is “a drunkard and a scoundrel” (139) who physically abuses his sister. When Liza returns to the subject of the almanac, Shatov refuses. Liza is “flabbergasted” (140).

The narrator suspects that “something had occurred” (141) before his arrival that explains the strangeness of Shatov’s behavior, so he leaves. Before he leaves the house, Liza calls him back and asks him to introduce her to “that Lebyadkin girl” (142). She recognizes that the narrator is attracted to her; he agrees to introduce her, even though he has no idea how to set up the meeting.

He finds Shatov meeting with Kirillov and a man named Shigalyov. They fall silent when the narrator enters, and then awkwardly leave, insisting on their departure that Shatov submit “a full report” (144). The narrator and Shatov talk about Kirillov and politics. Shatov tells a story about his experiences as a poor person in America. He wanted to experience “the most arduous social conditions” (146) in the country, so he and Kirillov spent months being exploited or abjectly poor in the United States. Shatov was only able to return when Stavrogin sent him 100 rubles. The debt remains unpaid. They discuss Liza’s offer and her request to meet Captain Lebyadkin’s sister. Shatov hatches a plan to secretly bring Liza to the captain’s home when he is away. He confesses to having physically fought the captain on a previous day so as to stop him beating his sister.

They go immediately to the “two nasty little rooms” (148) where the captain and his sister, Marya, live. The narrator spots the emaciated Marya, who cannot walk and who sits in the dark while her brother with alcoholism is absent. She ignores the narrator, using playing cards to absent-mindedly tell her fortune while recalling a story from her past. When she was a member of a convent, she says, she had a baby. She cannot remember who the father was, or what happened to the child. Shatov is not sure the story is real. He and the narrator try and leave but they hear the drunken captain return. Captain Lebyadkin hammers on Shatov’s door. He argues with Shatov, who rebukes him for abusing Marya. The captain claims that Shatov does not know who Marya “really is” (157) but refuses to elaborate. When he slinks away, the narrator leaves.  

The next day is a Sunday. While sitting with Stepan, the narrator is shocked when Liza, Varvara, and Marya all arrive together. The narrator explains that—one hour earlier—the trio had been together at a church. There, Marya’s unexpected arrival caused a stir among the congregation when she “fell on her knees right in front” (162) of Varvara. At that moment, Varvara was attempting to publicly demonstrate her aloofness and lack of fear of the new governor’s wife, who had foiled one of Varvara’s charity projects. She did not recognize Marya, who claimed to only want to “kiss [Varvara’s] hand” (163). Varvara handed her own cloak to the freezing Marya and offered to take her home. Liza, who had been with the governor’s wife, asked to accompany them in a state of “extreme agitation” (165). Varvara accepted and, in doing so, won a public battle against the governor’s wife, Yulia Mikhailovna, and Varvara’s “prestige rose to great heights” (167).

Varvara demands to know what Stepan thinks of Marya. As Marya fumbles through an awkward conversation, Shatov interrupts to provide a few scant biographical details about the distressed woman. They are interrupted by the arrival of Liza’s mother, Praskovya Ivanovna, who insists that Liza return home with her. Varvara can scarcely conceal her “annoyance” (171). Liza stares into space, “almost absent-mindedly” (172). Praskovya angrily refuses Varvara’s invitation to sit down and join them. After a drawn-out debate about scandals, Praskovya shrieks and Varvara turns pale.

The scene is interrupted by the arrival of Dasha, who has heard about Marya. She explains that she was asked by Stavrogin to take 300 rubles to Switzerland to hand to Captain Lebyadkin. However, rumors abound that not all the money was handed over. Dasha insists that she is innocent, but Varvara worries that she “might have committed an indiscretion” (177) in an unwitting capacity. The narrator notices that Liza is staring at Dasha “with hatred and contempt” (178). Varvara reveals that she received an anonymous letter that stated that her son has a mental illness and that she should “fear some lame woman” (179), which she took to mean Marya. She believes that the letter was from Captain Lebyadkin, who is waiting outside. She tells the servants to show the captain into the house, even though he is not someone who should be “received” (180) in a decent house.

The captain is shown into the room and immediately trips over. Varvara instructs him to take a seat. In a fluster, he tries to speak while counting out money to repay the donation given to Marya by Varvara outside the church that morning. Varvara tries to ask about “that sum of money” (188) that was allegedly paid to the captain by Stavrogin and part of which may be missing, but the captain continues to fluster and half-recites an allegorical poem about cockroaches. He insists that he will not reveal anything.

The conversation is interrupted by the announcement of the return of Stavrogin, a month before he was expected. When a man bursts into the room, however, he is “totally unknown to everyone there” (189). As the man chatters informally, Stepan leaps up. He now recognizes his son, Peter. Stavrogin enters behind Peter; his “elegant and dignified” (192) appearance is immediately striking to the narrator. Varvara immediately demands an answer from her son as to whether Marya is Stavrogin’s “lawful wife” (193). He ignores the questions and walks straight to Marya, offering to take her home. She accepts his offer and, as she stands, suffers a “minor accident” (194). She trips and falls but Stavrogin catches her, and then leads her from the room. As soon as they are gone, everyone else begins to talk.

Peter begins to speak about this “rather interesting little affair” (196). Five years ago in Saint Petersburg, the captain and his sister were living in squalid conditions. Marya, in the early stages of her mental health condition, began to worsen after her brother’s associates mocked her. Stavrogin overheard the mockery and “fed that illusion of hers” (198), insisting to everyone that she should be respected. Marya came to believe that he was her fiancé. When he was about to leave the city, Stavrogin offered to pay her an allowance of 300 rubles a year as a kind of indulgence. Varvara chooses to believe that Stavrogin’s actions show his “great compassion” (201) for the marginalized Marya and those like her. She intends to adopt Marya. Peter explains that the captain stole the allowance intended for Marya, taking her from the convent where Stavrogin had placed her and resorting to physical abuse while drinking heavily. The captain also demanded his sister’s allowance “in advance” (203). The captain confesses that everything Peter has said is true. He is allowed to leave, just as Stavrogin returns to the room.

As Varvara and Stavrogin agree that the matter is concluded, Liza laughs uncontrollably. Peter diagnoses her with “hysterics” (209) and, while Liza gathers herself, Peter congratulates his father on his impending engagement. He talks, unaware that the engagement to Dasha is not yet official, nor to whom his father is supposedly engaged. When he mentions his father’s letter, in which Stepan mentions “sins in Switzerland” (211), everyone in the room understands that he is talking about Dasha and Stavrogin. Varvara is appalled and tells Stepan to leave and never return. As he departs, Stepan wonders whether his son has exposed him on purpose. The scene is interrupted by Liza, who begins to leave with her mother, and by Shatov, who rises from his chair and punches Stavrogin in the face. Though the narrator knows Stavrogin to be a fearlessly violent man, Stavrogin visibly restrains himself. Shatov walks out and Liza collapses on the floor.