Satire, Nihilism, And Gothic Atmosphere In Dostoevsky’s The Possessed

Examples of Dostoevsky’s Satire of Western Ideologies

Russian culture continuity and conflict

Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novel” The Possessed” is based on real-life crimes that took place in Russia in the 29th century. As he was opposed to the Western Ideologies of liberalism, socialism, and Marxism, he writes the novel to criticize the new revolutionaries of his country. The novel is both funny and shocking as it portrays the idealized the idealistic westernizers from Dostoevsky’s perspective.

1.There are several examples of Dostoevsky’s satire of Western Ideologies. He mentions the youth of the 60’s such as Stepanovich and Stavrogin, the civilized young men who suck certain herbs to seek forgetfulness (Dostoevsky, Part1 Ch. 1, p 4). He looks at the youth who want to lose their reasoning. Next, he ridicules Trofimovich’s irreligious beliefs and his claim to be a “pagan.” (Dostoevsky, Part 1 Ch 1, p 29). The third example can be taken from how Dostoevsky ridicules the “rootlessness” of Trofimovich because of his absurd use of French and how he tries to speak French “like a Parisian” and thus alienated himself from the common people.

2.Dostoevsky portrayal of the political nihilism of Peter Verkhovensky can be illustrated with several examples of his arrogant and deceiving ways. His first victim is his own father, Stepan Verkhovensky as he ridicules him in the drawing room of Yulia Mihailovna Lembke, the governor’s wife by discussing Socialist and ridiculing the older man. (Dostoevsky, Part 2 Ch. 10, p 471).  He tries to win over Governor Andrey Lembke by telling him that he is a friend of Yulia Lembke, his wife and hand him his novel. (Dostoevsky, Part 2 Ch. 6, p 356). He wins over the devotion of the governor’s wife by pretending to be a different other. Peter speaks about his political ambitions to Stavrogin and elaborates on the myth of a “new just law” that will replace the outdated system, and it was only he and his followers who will set up the new laws (Dostoevsky, Part 2 Ch. 8, p 437). The cement is alike an important force that holds everything together despite different opinions (Dostoevsky, Part 2 Ch. 6, p 398).

3.Peter Verkhovensky’s network of terrorist cells in many cities is made of five members who are bound together by crimes and murder. He describes his plan to the governor, AndreyLembke and tries to convince him about the terrorist cells and spare Shatov and Kirillov, who are into hiding. He promises to “kill all the birds with one stone” (Dostoevsky, Part 2 Ch. 6, p 365).

4.The goal and views of Peter Verkhovensky’s terrorist cell members are to set up such cells in different cities throughout Europe. Local criminals and other radicals are the members of the terrorist cells. The plan is to identify any conspirators against the government and put them in the asylum (Dostoevsky, Part 2 Ch. 6, p 364). The final objective is to weaken the authority of local leaders.

5.Shigalov, the brother of Madame Virginsky developed his own social restructuring and a utopia. He believes that all social systems makers until now had been fools and dreamers, as he ridicules Rousseau, Fourier, and Plato (Dostoevsky, Part 2 Ch. 7, p 416). He calls for a new social organization with a division of mankind that promises to be a paradise on earth. However, his utopia reflects an unequal division of mankind where one side enjoys absolute liberty while the other remains user submission (Dostoevsky, Part 2 Ch. 7, p 417).

Peter Verkhovensky’s Political Nihilism and the Meaning of ‘Cement’

6.One of the primary examples of nihilist women portrayed by Dostoevsky is Marya Timofeevna Lebyadkina. Though she is confused and childlike, she exhibits a deeper insight into what is going around her. For example, when she looks at Dasha, who is Shatov’s sister about her being charming and educated and the stolen money, she reflects a primitive sensibility of the Russian people (Dostoevsky, Part 2 Ch. 5, p 166). When she is transported to a world of pure trance and enjoyment admiring the beautiful drawing-room of Varvara Petrovna, without a trace of embarrassment, it points to the widening gap between Christian Russians and the godless European Russians.

7.There are several examples of moral nihilism of Nikolay Stavrogin. When as a child he gets educated under Stepan Trofimovitch, the tutor was able to reach the deepest chords of his pupil and aroused an eternal and sacred yearning within him (Dostoevsky, Part 1 Ch. 2, p 32). In another incident, when Pyotr Pavlovitch Gaganov, a man of high-rank comments by habit that he cannot be led by his nose, the young Nikolay suddenly goes up and takes him unexpectedly and firmly by the nose and leads him across the room (Dostoevsky, Part 1Ch. 2, p 36). He is not perturbed by what he has done. In the chapter At Tikhon’s, Nikolay shows his strong views on god by ridiculing Kirillov about his belief in god (Dostoevsky, Part 2 Part 2 Ch. 1, p 241) and how the one who claims that all are good are crucified.

8.Marya Lebyadkin can be seen as a holy fool. As the feeble-minded and the secret wife of Nikolai Stavrogin, he can be seen as an intense saint due to her childlike simplicity. She may not suffer like others but lives within her own suffering as she has to live with an abusive and alcoholic brother.  Yet she is holy as she doesn’t cause suffering to others. She expresses her spiritual insightfulness when Sahtov visits her apartment. Se4h comments that she finds Sahtov a dull person altho9guh he may be sensible and it is difficult for her to understand how people become dull and she herself doesn’t feel dull and is happy (Dostoevsky, Part 1 Ch. 4, p 139). She shows that despite her miseries, she is still happy in her own world.

9.There are several gothic features in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novel” The Possessed.”  For example, there are suicides and murders along with outer deaths. There is a sweep of destruction and tragedy that render the novel gothic. Nikolay Stavrogin, the main character commits suicide and his former tutor Stepan Verkhovensky meets his death on his futile pilgrimage. There are other deaths too that add to the tragedy. There is one climax after another in the novel because of the deteriorating cultural order and the chaos that ensures that violence must be suffered. Kirillov, a distinguished civil engineer, shot himself as he could not compromise with an idea and killed himself to affirm his free will (Dostoevsky, Part 3 Ch. 8, p 699).

Peter’s Terrorist Cell and Its Goal

10.The relationship of Stepan Verkhovensky and Mrs. Varvara Stavrogina can be seen as a platonic. Varvara is a wealthy widow and a woman with high social standing. She supports Stepan Verkhovensky financially who grows dependent on her. Her generosity and assistance make him reliant on her, and he is willing to preserve their friendship at any cost. Stepan enjoyed the conversations, and one can sense a platonic, love between them. He enjoys teaching but relies on Varvara to support his profession. When he falls ill and dies, Varvara can reach him like a true friend. She takes his body to Skvoreshniki and in the precincts of the church (Dostoevsky, Part 3 Ch. 7, p 689).

11.Yulia von Lemke’s literary matinee and ball were divided into two segments; the first literary matinée was to last from midday till four o’clock and the later from ten o’clock till midnight. A rumor about free luncheon after the literary matinée had gained ground as the event was to go on for 24 hours (Dostoevsky, Part 3, Ch. 1, p 477). The ladies needed two costumes, one for the morning and the other for the evening. However, for the evening ball, there was a complete absence of family of the higher circles and subordinate officials, and there were very few ladies (Dostoevsky, Part 3, Ch. 2, p 516).

12.Shatov is the Slavophile in the novel and a religious nationalist. Although he values the idea of God and wants to believe in God, he feels the need of religion to give him that complete faith. Throughout the novel, he looks for faith, and when he develops a religious outlook, he gets murdered. He was an idealistic being with absolute faith in their overmastering ideas. He believed ‘on principle,’ like a Slavophil and failed to understand Christianity (Dostoevsky, Part 1 Ch. 1, p 29).

13.Kirillov is an atheist and believes in life made of pain and suffering. As he does not believe in God, he believes that anything is possible. For him, suicide is the ultimate expression to godlike existence and happiness does not exist but is a state of mind. Kirillov comes across as one of the most powerful characters in the novel by Dostoevsky. He is ready to kill himself for the freedom of others and realize his God-like existence. He thinks that those who teach that all are good will come and he will be the man-god. (Dostoevsky, Part 2, Ch. 1, p 241). After the murder of Shatov, he commits suicide as a right for the purpose of revolutionaries.

14.Stepan Verkhovensky uses the Biblical passage (Like 8:32) towards the end of the novel. He at terrorism as a result of the loss of faith in Europe and seeks refuge in the Russian Orthodox Christianity. He suggests that the cure lay in driving out the devils that possessed Russia, ju8st like what Jesus had done to free the possessed man in Luke 8:32. Dostoevsky seeks solutions in religion as Stepan that Russia is being possessed by devils with all the impurities that have made their beloved motherland a great invalid (Dostoevsky, Ch. 7, p 678).

15.The different characters in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novel:

Stepan Verkhovensky – The teacher of Nikolai Stavrogin, who is in a platonic relationship with his mother.

Madame Stavrogin – The mother of Nikolai and a wealthy aristocratic widow.

Shatov –  He is the son of Varvara Petrovna’s valet and a revolutionary former.

Shigaoev – He is the brother of Virginskyi’s wife with his ideas of social restructuring and refuses to be an accomplice in the murder of Shatov.

Captain Lebyatkin – He is a drunkard, poet, and neighbor of Shatov

Yulia von Lembke- She is the Governor’s wife, and Pyotr Stepanovich exploits her revolutionary aims.

Dasha- She is Shatov’s sister and a reluctant confidant of Stavrogin.

Bishop Tikhon-  He is a spiritual adviser to whom Stavrogin makes his most detailed confession.

Sofya Ulitin – The gospel pedlar who was a widow.

Peter Verkhovensky – The son of Stepan Trofimovich who is cunning and scheming and plans the murder of Shatov.

Nikolai Stavrogin – He is one of the main characters and participant in the key events but remains a controversial figure.

Kirillov – An engineer who is connected to the revolutionary society and is determined to kill himself for the freedom of others.

Marya Lebyatkin – She is married to Nikolai Stavrogin and mentally unstable but carries a deep insight into the world around her.

Lizaveta Nikolaevna- She is a lively, attractive and wealthy woman who is the daughter of Praskovya, who is Varvara friend.

Fedka-  He is a murderer who is a convict and sentenced to hard labor.

References

Dostoevsky, Fyodor. ” The Possessed.”  Vintage Classics, vol. 1, no. 1, 1872, pp. 1-768.