Futility · Character

The General

The military authority who tells Nikolai to wait and see, then orders him dragged from the chancery when the waiting finally breaks him.

supporting

Also known as the General, The General

First appearance: I

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The General presides over the Kolchak State's bureaucratic machinery, dispensing patience and procedure to petitioners like Nikolai Vasilievich. When Nikolai erupts into abuse, the General resorts to the recognized procedure—'Guard!'—and has him removed with deferential guards. His cold, correct response to human desperation crystallizes the novel's theme of waiting as a form of slow violence.

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Character Web

17 connections

A slice of how The General sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Professional
Other

Character groups

Siberian Intervention Characters
Protagonist
Family and Social Milieu

+12 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because the protagonist reaches an emotional and psychological peak of des…

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Relationships

Nikolai Vasilievich
professional · ambivalent
Admiral Kolchak
professional · ambivalent
Nikolai Vasilievich
professional · ambivalent
Admiral Kolchak
professional · ambivalent
Nikolai Vasilievich
professional · ambivalent
Admiral Kolchak
professional · ambivalent

Nikolai Vasilievich
Nikolai serves under The General in a military or official capacity, with a formal superior-subordinate dynamic.
Admiral Kolchak
Admiral Kolchak and The General are professional associates, likely cooperating in military command.
Nikolai Vasilievich
Nikolai serves under The General in a military or official capacity, with a formal superior-subordinate dynamic.
Admiral Kolchak
Admiral Kolchak and The General are professional associates, likely cooperating in military command.
Nikolai Vasilievich
Nikolai serves under The General in a military or official capacity, with a formal superior-subordinate dynamic.
Admiral Kolchak
Admiral Kolchak and The General are professional associates, likely cooperating in military command.

Relationship notes

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See The General in I

In the story

The General appears across 6 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

I
Not directly mentioned in this chapter, but Admiral Butt is a general-like figure; however, no explicit mention of 'The General' character.
III
Dances with a painted woman, is called the biggest fool in the Russian Army by the Admiral, and comments on women's appearances.
IV
Engages in a drunken theological argument with Uncle Kostia and later walks arm in arm with the narrator.
V
A master of evasion and delay; repeatedly puts off Nikolai Vasilievich with promises and platitudes.
The Spring Dinner and the Waiting Game
The Russian General's eyes blink in the cigar smoke during the dinner.
I
Referenced as the Russian General whose army includes the colonels and captain met in London.

Chapter companion notes

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See The General in I