Demons · Chapter
III: The Sins of Others explained
The narrator recounts his interactions with Liputin, who is a gossip and spy, and his visit to Stepan Trofimovitch, who is agitated about Liputin's knowledge of their affairs.
What happens
The narrator recounts his interactions with Liputin, who is a gossip and spy, and his visit to Stepan Trofimovitch, who is agitated about Liputin's knowledge of their affairs. The narrator meets Karmazinov, a once-revered writer now in decline, and reflects on the fleeting nature of literary fame. Stepan Trofimovitch laments his upcoming marriage, expressing despair and a confession of his long-standing love for 'Auntie' (Varvara Petrovna), and calls for his son Pyotr. The chapter also includes a philosophical conversation with Kirillov about suicide, godhood, and the transformation of man, and ends with a drunken encounter with Captain Lebyadkin.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This scene is the dramatic climax because it forces Stavrogin to confront the core crisis of his identity: his…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Hypocrisy and Vanity in Society
Karmazinov's vanity and the narrator's critique of his literary decline highlight the hypocrisy and superficiality of social and literary circles.
- The Search for Meaning and Faith
Kirillov's philosophical discourse on suicide, godhood, and the transformation of man explores the search for meaning and the rejection of traditional faith.
Characters to notice
- Liputin
Described as a regular spy and gossip, envious and agitated about the secrets of Stepan Trofimovitch.
- Stepan Trofimovitch Verhovensky
Deeply agitated about Liputin's knowledge, expresses despair over his impending marriage and confesses his love for Varvara Petrovna.
- Karmazinov
The 'great writer' met by the narrator; his literary decline and vanity are discussed.
- Alexey Kirillov
Engages in a philosophical discussion about suicide, godhood, and the transformation of man, revealing his obsession with one idea.
- Captain Lebyadkin
Drunkenly encounters the narrator at the gate, boasting of his education and reciting a poem.
Key passages
“He talked for a quarter of an hour and so amusingly that I could not tear myself away. Though I could not endure him, yet I must admit he had the gift of making one listen to him, especially when he was very angry at something.”
Liputin spoke for fifteen minutes in such an entertaining way that I was captivated, despite disliking him; he had a talent for holding attention, particularly when angry.
Describes Liputin's engaging but unpleasant nature.
“Oh, if that day after tomorrow, that Sunday, might never come! Why could not this one week be without a Sunday— si le miracle existe ? What would it be to Providence to blot out one Sunday from the calendar?”
Stepan Trofimovitch wishes that Sunday would never arrive, questioning why Providence cannot remove a single Sunday from the week as a miracle.
Expresses Stepan's desperate desire to avoid his wedding.
“He who will conquer pain and terror will become himself a god. Then there will be a new life, a new man; everything will be new… then they will divide history into two parts: from the gorilla to the annihilation of God, and from the annihilation of God to…”
Kirillov argues that overcoming pain and fear makes one a god, leading to a new humanity and a division of history into the era before God's destruction and after.
Kirillov's philosophy on achieving godhood through suicide.
