Demons

by Fyodor Dostoevsky

over the course of twenty years you have been creating a hotbed of everything that has now come to a head…

That's a great way to describe Stepan Trofimovich's character. It is true. Though he did not mean to bear the fruits of the present, he did.

I presented all the defects of the Slavophiles, and in the Nikodimov type all the shortcomings of the Westernizers…’ 10

‘Why, you’re spoiling him!’ Pyotr Stepanovich exclaimed, as he came running quickly into the room.

Oh gosh both the devils are here this meeting is gonna go to shit

I have the misfortune of being the relative of this man. It will soon be five years since I became the husband of his sister, whose maiden name is Lebyadkina.

NO WAY HE JUST ANNOUNCED IT LIKE THAT. BRO IS WILD.

I’ve moved from the place where I’ve been stuck for twenty-five years, and I’ve suddenly set out — where, I don’t know, but I’ve set out…’

Well! Unto Part III, the Psychological Novel!!! I’m so excited, because I don’t actually remember Part III. Actually I’m gonna be so honest right now, I don’t remember anything from my first read of Demons other than when Pyotr gushed over Nikolay in the ‘Ivan Tsarevich’ chapter. That’s why my notes are distinctly as if this is my first read, because it really feels like that. (memory dump below. Just plot shit and basic events that happened; I know subtext is important and that the meaning behind the plot is much more important than the plot itself, but I wanna make sure I actually remember Demons this time.) The first half was focusing heavily on Nikolay Vsyevolodovich: conversations with Shatov and Kirillov, Fedka, Marya Timofeyevna, Darya (in which Liza was also implied), his duel with Gaganov, the instance with that strange elder Semyon Yakovlevich. The last part of that chapter ended with Stepan and Varvara separating, Stepan repeating ‘alea jacta est!’ twice before leaving Skvoreshniki, really under the impression that it would have been the last time he would see Varvara Petrovna. I just noticed that it is probably symbolic how after the elder Verkhovensky announced that ‘alea jacta est,’ the perspective switched to his son and all the seeds the young Verkhovensky was planting in the town. I am aware though, that this may be because the ‘At Tikhon’s’ chapters, which were focused on Stavrogin, were banned by censors and removed from the book, so Dostoyevsky needed to switch perspectives to keep the story going. Pyotr Stepanovich started in high society; at von Lembke’s, Karmazinov, ummmm???? I think he visited Kirillov and Shatov. Yes he did. He them right after he was done with Karmazinov, that meeting by the way had them both acting weird. Pyotr went to Kirillov essentially to ask him if he’s still set on killing himself, and Pyotr slightly gave it away that he needs Kirillov to confess to a murder. Kirillov is still on about how it is out of his own free will that he will kill himself. Then with Shatov, Pyotr went there to talk to him about that letter which von Lembke found which was talking about the printing of the manifestos abroad, because he ‘can’t’ print it in Russia. There was also that poem, ‘A Radiant Personality,’ or something like that, that was attributed to Shatov’s printing and was also brought up with von Lembke in the beginning of Pyotr’s bustling. Then there was the meeting at Virginsky, IVAN TSAREVICH CHAPTER (literally peak; Pyotr showed his need for Nikolay and revealed the essence of his revolution), Stepan Trofimovich was searched by the police, the Shpigulin men rebelled, von Lembke had a breakdown but pulled himself together long enough to flog some of the rebels, met Stepan, invited him to his wife’s salon, and yea here we are.

PART III CHAPTER 1

I’M ALMOST DONE WITH THIS BOOK ???? ARF ARF ARF WOOF WOOF WOOF RAAAAAAAAA

people in our town are saying that Pyotr Stepanovich was controlled by the Internationale, and that Pyotr Stepanovich controlled Yuliya Mikhaylovna,

I do not think that Pyot is controlled by the Internationale but I do think he controls Yuliya Mikhailovna. Pyotr certainly is not as omnipresent as the people suppose him to be but he definitely instigated the majority of the 'riff-raff.'

the lowest of low types suddenly gained predominance, and began loudly criticizing all that was sacred, whereas previously they hadn’t dared open their mouths, and the leading people, who until then had blithely had the final say, suddenly began listening to them while keeping quiet themselves, and some began tittering in a most disgraceful manner.

The revolution has begun its initial sweep wth these ranks of people.

people in town continued to believe in a Belshazzar’s feast, that is, in a buffet provided by the committee; they went on believing until the very last moment.

They are going to feel cheated when they find out that was never the plan

One can just imagine, then, the revolution that swept through the town!

In more ways than one

until the last moment Yuliya Mikhaylovna was waiting for Pyotr Stepanovich, without whom recently she had been unable to take a step, even though she would never have admitted it.

So he does control her :)

the evening of the previous day she went into Andrey Antonovich’s study and stayed with him well past midnight. Andrey Antonovich was forgiven and consoled.

on the empty platform there suddenly appeared out of the blue the gigantic figure of Captain Lebyadkin in a tail-coat and white

Oh NO. I'm not even part of the 'club' and still got horrified

At this, the captain’s stupid red face (he was dead drunk)

Oh NOOO they're cooked

but it seemed to us’ (what ‘us’? I’m quoting this disconnected and inconsistent speech word for word)

I bet Pyotr wrote the speech lmao

Now that you’re dowered, as we’ve planned, Spit in triumph on all you’ve met.’

Oh NOOO cooked i say they are cooked

This is simply a plot against Yuliya Mikhaylovna, to turn the day into a scandal.’ Liputin again gave me a sideways glance. ‘Really, what do you care?’ he smirked, shrugged his shoulders and walked off to the side.

LIPUTIN JUST CONFIRMED MR NARRATOR'S SUSPICIONS. Mr Govorov must have been correct in supposing all he did about the circle's plot for the gala.

Should I run to Yuliya Mikhaylovna? But it was too early for that: she needed a much harsher lesson if she was to be cured of her conviction that she had an ‘entourage’ and was surrounded by ‘fanatically devoted’ people.

Lmao real

‘Oh well,’ I thought, ‘really and truly, what business is it of mine? I’ll just take off my rosette and go home when it begins.’

LMAO HE'S SO REAL FOR THAT

(well, then, why did he bring it out?)

Mr Narrator is really shining in Part III and I'm here for it

Much need he has of your hermit! No indeed, plainly and simply this sigh ‘reminded him of her first sigh, thirty-seven years previously’,

LMAO THE NARRATOR WAS RIGHT IN PART I WHEN HE SAID THAT KARMAZINOV'S WRITING WAS RIDICULOUSLY SELF-CENTERED. Narrator said that if Karmazinov wrote about a mother and her son dying, he would go ahead and turn the focus on how he wept at the sight. Karmazinov is doing that here too; the monk is sighing but he circles it back to himself. all the strange narration and imagery serves just to circle back to himself, whom he characterises as a genius.

if all of you, dear readers, should suddenly become so kind as to get on your knees and begin to beg tearfully: “Write, oh write for us, Karmazinov — for the fatherland, for posterity, for laurel wreaths”,

…nah that's vain as hell

‘That’s vanity for you!’

LMAO SAME REACTION

‘Well, a cook’s more useful,’

Recalling some language from Part I: '"the rumbling of carts bringing bread to mankind is more useful than the Sistine Madonna."' And also that a pair of boots is more useful than Pushkin.

‘Oh, the hell with you all!’ I thought,

Mr Govorov is the realest

From his agitation and from what I knew all too well about him, it was clear to me that he himself believed that his present appearance on the platform would decide his fate, or something like it. That’s exactly what I was afraid of. This man was dear to me.

Relationships: Stepan Trofimovich Verkhovensky/Mr Govorov (Narrator in "Demons")

‘Stop him, stop him at all costs!’ she whispered in alarm. I only shrugged my shoulders;

LMAO

The enthusiasm of today’s youth is as pure and bright as it was in our time. Only one thing has happened: a shift of goals, the replacement of one beauty with another!

[Later]

‘And I declare,’ squealed Stepan Trofimovich, throwing all caution to the winds, ‘and I declare that Shakespeare and Raphael are of higher value than the emancipation of the peasants, of higher value than the national principle, of higher value than socialism,17 of higher value than the younger generation, of higher value than chemistry, of higher value than almost all mankind, for they are already the fruit, the real fruit of mankind, and perhaps the most precious fruit there can possibly be!

Im. Hand over my open mouth type of shock rn. I mean I agree with him, but he is so cooked. Good for him though; he had the courage to denounce this 'changing of goals'.

Do you know, do you know that mankind can still continue to live without the Englishman, can continue without Germany, can continue all too well without the Russian, can continue without science, can continue without bread — it is only without beauty that we cannot continue, for there will be nothing at all to do in the world!

STEPAN I LOVE YOU LMAO GREAT QUOTE

‘Haven’t I, haven’t I just stated that the enthusiasm of the younger generation is just as pure and bright as it was, and that it is coming to grief only because it is mistaken about the forms of the beautiful?

HE'S SO RIGHT THOUGH. GREAT QUOTE AGAIN. [Later]

And he suddenly began to sob hysterically. He wiped his flowing tears with his fingers.

Omg dude…

‘I shake the dust off my feet and curse you18… The end… the end.’

OMG DUDE.

Ecstasy passed all limits. People were howling, clapping their hands, and even some of the ladies were shouting: ‘That’s enough! You can’t say anything better than that!’ They were like drunkards.

Of course. This orator has become the voice of the revolutionists, and how they react ferally to his words show the abslute chaos thatt is in the nature of their revolution.

‘Ladies and gentlemen, I have come to inform you of the sufferings of the unfortunate students, and stir them to protest, one and all.’

''Apres moi le deluge' or something. Anyway, the dam has broken. This gala was the height of Dostoyevskian 'scandalous gatherings.' [Later]

The die is cast; I am leaving this town forever, and I don’t know where I’m going.

'Alea jacta est,' Stepan proclaims again. It seems that he will pursue beauty by becoming some sort of hermit.

Standing before her was Pyotr Stepanovich, who talked nonstop, and the prince,

OH SHIT HAHAHAH IM EXCITED FOR THIS SCENE

he himself desperately needed the ball to take place that evening, and for Yuliya Mikhaylovna to be present at it.

Ooh.

‘Of course, I was sitting in the back, hiding, and setting in motion the entire little mechanism! Why, if I had taken part in the plot — and you will certainly understand this! —it would by no means have ended with just Liputin! And so, in your view, I also made an arrangement with Papa so that he would deliberately create such a scandal? Well now, who’s to blame for allowing Papa to read? Who tried to stop you yesterday, just yesterday, yesterday?’

He's cooking her up omg

‘You see, they’re convinced that a senator has been appointed here, and that Petersburg is replacing you. I’ve heard it from many people.’

Oh he KNOWS how to push her buttons

Lizaveta Nikolayevna went straight from the carriage of the marshal’s wife and took a seat in Stavrogin’s carriage and slipped off with him to Skvoreshniki in broad daylight. It was just an hour ago, not even an hour.’

Oh no. Anyway Pyotr definitely arranged this

‘A city, they say, cannot stand without seven righteous men6…

Yuliya is cooked. The old dignitary is likening the ball to Sodom and he is right.

But I’ve actually come for the beautiful young girls, whom I, of course, cannot meet anywhere in such large numbers as here.

Oh gosh he's a creep. No wonder he was unable to ascribe the correct number of righteous men earlier.

Finally, the ‘literary quadrille’10 got under way.

(Check footnotes). It's gonna be so funny to see Dostoyevsky mock these journals. He has gone through so many struggles in his career due to these journals, and the revolution started as a literary one.

close-cropped nihilist girls

Emo girls lmaooo

The roar of laughter from the crowd came of course not in reaction to the allegory, which no one cared anything about, but merely at seeing someone walking upside down in a coat with tails.

Lmao this is the spirit of revolution. No one knows what the 'riff-raff' is actually about anymore; they are just enjoying the chaos.

‘Fire! All of Zarechye11 is on fire!’

OH GOSH.

‘I felt in my heart there would be arson; all this time I’ve felt it!’ ‘The Shpigulin workers, the Shpigulin workers, no one else!’ ‘We were brought together here on purpose so that the fire could be set there!’

They are probably right

danced the Komarinsky unexpurgated,

Help the von Lembkes are cooked but this is so funny

I won’t undertake to paint a detailed picture of the fire: who in Russia isn’t familiar with it?

For the Filipinos reading your chronicle, Mr Govorov :(