I’m busy, so I’m publishing this entry just as the WIP draft, probably forever.

Reading period: Jan–Feb 2016.

Plot

  • Part I
    • history of Štěpán Trofimovič (not clear what is he opposed to)
    • first visit of Stavrogin – mental illness
    • episode of an arranged wedding
    • great meeting at Varvarovna Petrovna
      • Petr Štěpánovič making fun of Kirillov
      • Šatov hits Stavrogin
  • Part II
    • night trip of Stavrogin to Kirillov and Šatov
    • duel of Artěmij Pavlovic Gaganov with Stavrogin
    • Julie Michajlovna is preparing a fest, meeting with youth and von Lembke sees letters
    • Petr Štěpánovič visits guvernator von Lembke, supports Šatov
    • meeting of conspirators at Virginskij
    • Verchovenskij wants Stavrogin as a face of revolution
    • house search at Štěpán Trofimovič
    • rebellion at Špigulin factory
  • Part III
    • festival
    • great fire and chaos, Liza’s death, murder at Lebjadkins
    • Šatov wife comes to him and give birth to Stavrogin’s (?) child
    • Verchovenskij plans murder of Šatov (traitor, he may turn them in), and he needs to unite the “cell”
    • murder at the lake and suicide of Kirillov, Verchovenskij runs away (meeting at train station)
      • when he became suspected he was in Petrohrad and later escaped abroad
    • Štěpán Trofimovič escapes
    • Stavrogin’s suicide

Topics

  • communism
  • god/atheism
  • Russian life – contrasts
  • Russian revolution (abolition of serfdom), anarchists
  • psychological profiles of characters
  • French/Swiss/German orientation of Russia
  • dominant women, woman question, students
  • enthusiasm about/dedication to an idea even with homi- or suicide
    • illusion of many cospiracy cells
    • idea of general decomposition, destruction
  • generation conflict (clear division of character to old and young)
  • Mohamed has epilepsy
  • Fourierists, Gercen
  • dark idea and allegory of pigs drowning (also Hammeln)
  • mental health
  • illegal books, leaflets etc. and its printing

Composition

  • frame – Štěpán Trofimovič
  • very escalated, culminated structure
  • sometimes forward explanations (fate of Petr Štěpánovič)
  • town, Skvorešniky / Moscow, Petrograd, their small town
  • many at night, rainy autumn weather

Characters

  • Štěpán Trofimovič Verchovenskij

  • Varvarovna Petrovna Stavroginová

  • Petr Stěpánovič Verchovenskij
    • main rebellant
    • sly, shrewd, communist
  • Nikolaj Vsevolodovič Stavrogin
    • duel
  • Andrej Antonovič von Lembke
    • papermodelling when sad

  • Julie Michajlovna von Lembke

  • Lizavata Nikolajevna Drozdovová?, Mavrikij Nikolajevič
    • publishing house (newspaper)
    • Praskovna Ivanovna Drozdovova (step mother of Darja)
  • Marie Timofejevna Lebjadkinová
    • mad, wife of Stavrogin
  • cpt. Lebjadkin
    • drunkard, irresponsible, simple/primitive

  • Darja Pavlovna (mail order bride, Šatov sister)

  • Arichna Prochorovna (obstetrician)
  • Virginskij
  • Šatov, his wife
  • Kirillov
    • civil engineer, Dostojevkij autobio?
  • Liputin
    • a Jew, mean
  • Ljamšin (ill before murder, traitor)
  • Karmazin
    • big author/writer
  • Šigaljov
    • Šigaljovština (TODO quotation, his social system works fine unless there are people)

  • Erkel, Tolkačenko

  • Feďka (the drudge)

  • Blume
    • von Lembke’s assistant, German, his illegitimate child(?)
  • Alexej Jegoryč
    • servant at Stavrogin
  • Natasja
    • servent at Štěpán Trofimovič
  • Sofje Matjevna
    • news vendor (sells evangelia)
    • charms ŠT on his journey
  • TODO purpose of each character