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Hadji Murád · Theme

Individual vs. State Power

How Hadji Murád develops Individual vs. State Power.

Hadji Murád is caught between two powerful empires—Shamil's theocratic state and Tsarist Russia—both of which treat him as a tool to be used or eliminated, illustrating the struggle of the individual against impersonal, oppressive systems.

Where it surfaces

  • Chapter III

    Vovílo's internal monologue contrasts his own constrained life as a serf with the relative freedom of the ordnance sergeant, reflecting the power imbalance between individuals and the state or landowner.

  • VI

    The quarrel between Vorontsóv and Meller-Zakomélsky over authority reflects the tension between personal initiative and bureaucratic hierarchy.

  • XIV

    Vorontsóv's decision-making reflects the tension between individual agency (Hadji Murád's requests) and state security (the risk of escape).

  • Chapter XV

    Nicholas I exercises absolute authority, punishing dissent and ordering harsh measures without accountability, while courtiers and officials submit to his will to maintain their positions.

  • XXI

    The soldiers' resentment of extra duties to protect Márya Vasílevna illustrates tension between individual soldiers' welfare and the state's priorities.