Resurrection · Chapter
XXIX explained
Máslova returns to prison exhausted and hungry after her trial, crushed by the unexpected sentence of hard labor.
What happens
Máslova returns to prison exhausted and hungry after her trial, crushed by the unexpected sentence of hard labor. She receives three roubles from Kitáeva, which she uses to buy rolls and cigarettes. In the prison, she is harassed by male convicts before being led to the women's ward.
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 Nekhlúdoff to confront the central moral crisis of the nov…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Injustice of the Legal System
Máslova is convicted despite her innocence, and the judges and jury treat the verdict as routine, highlighting systemic injustice.
- Sexual Exploitation and Women's Position
Máslova is objectified by male convicts and even by the men in court who previously looked at her approvingly, reflecting her vulnerability as a woman.
Characters to notice
- Katerina Maslova
Returns to prison after trial, exhausted and hungry; receives money from Kitáeva and buys cigarettes; is harassed by convicts.
- Euphemia Botchkova
Scolds Máslova in the prisoners' room after sentencing.
- Simeon Kartinkin
Present with Botchkova in the prisoners' room after sentencing.
- Carolina Albertovna Kitaeva
Sends Máslova three roubles via the usher after the trial.
Key passages
“She was crushed by the unexpectedly severe sentence and tormented by hunger.”
Máslova was devastated by the harsh verdict and suffered from hunger.
Describes her physical and emotional state after the trial.
“What astonished her most was that young men—or, at any rate, not old men—the same men who always looked so approvingly at her ... had condemned her.”
She was shocked that the same young men who had admired her were now her condemners.
Highlights the hypocrisy and betrayal she feels from the male observers.
“She wanted only two things now—tobacco and strong drink.”
Her only desires were cigarettes and alcohol.
Shows her turn to vices as a coping mechanism.
