The Devils (The Possessed)

Devils frequently raises the issue of moral culpability, suggesting that a failure to act—as Stavrogin does in not trying to prevent Marya’s murder—can be just as harmful as acting. To what degree and why are characters responsible for what they do or do not do? Does any character manage to behave in a morally responsible or redemptive way? Why or why not?

Consider the figure of Marya in the text. What role does she play in the novel? How does her characterization reflect some of the novel’s key thematic preoccupations and ideas?

In what ways does the town of Skvoreshniki function as a microcosm for Russian society at the time Devils was written? Consider the various political, social, and cultural aspects at play.

While the novel depicts a lot of violence and abuse, there are brief moments of human connection and/or compassion that stand in marked contrast. How do you interpret these moments? What is their significance in the text? Are they effective? Why or why not?

Communication is a recurring feature in the novel, both as textual communication—literature, revolutionary pamphlets—and oral communication, such as gossip and rumor. How do these means of communication compare and contrast with one another? How does communication function narratively and thematically in the novel?

Violence is a central component of the narrative. What are the various forms of violence in the novel? How do these various forms relate to one another, and which wider issues do they illustrate?

Analyze some of the female characters in the novel, such as Varvara and Liza. How are they characterized? Do they respond to social and political pressures differently than the men do? Why or why not?

The narrator confesses that he is not present for every scene in the novel. In what way does his narration explore the interplay between subjectivity and objectivity? How does having an “unreliable narrator” shape the text, and/or embody some of its key elements and ideas?