Sexual Exploitation and Women's Position

Where it surfaces

• II

  Katúsha's life is a series of sexual exploitations: seduced by Nekhlúdoff, assaulted by a police officer and a forester, and eventually forced into prostitution by economic necessity.

• The Indictment

  Máslova's role as a prostitute ('Lúbka') and her exploitation by Smelkóff and the brothel system are central to the charges against her.

• The Trial Begins: The Indictment and Pleas

  Maslova's testimony reveals her powerlessness: she was coerced by Smelkoff and manipulated by Kartínkin, yet she is the one on trial for her life.

• XVI

  Nekhlúdoff's predatory pursuit of Katúsha, a servant, exemplifies the sexual exploitation of women in a patriarchal society, where her resistance is overridden by his animal passion.

• The Seduction

  Nekhlúdoff's predatory pursuit of Katúsha, a servant, highlights the power imbalance and exploitation inherent in their relationship.

• XIX

  Máslova's past as a prostitute and her current status as a prisoner underscore the exploitation of women, while Kitáeva's testimony reveals the commodification of women's bodies in the brothel system.

• XXI

  Máslova is blamed as a temptress and 'decadent' woman, while the man who seduced her remains unpunished, highlighting gender inequality.

• XXIX

  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.

• XXXVII

  Máslova's memory of being seduced and abandoned by Nekhlúdoff, and her subsequent life of prostitution, highlight the exploitation of women.

• XLIII

  Máslova's past seduction by Nekhlúdoff and her subsequent fall into prostitution and prison illustrate the exploitation of women and their limited options.

• XLIV

  Máslova's view of life as a prostitute highlights the exploitation and limited agency of women in her society.

• XLVIII

  Máslova accuses Nekhlúdoff of having used her for pleasure and now seeking to save himself, reflecting her experience of exploitation.

• XIII

  Máslova's flashback to her life in prostitution and her bitter recollection of the 'terrible nights' highlight the exploitation and suffering imposed on women.

• XXVIII

  Nekhlúdoff compares Mariette's manipulative charm to a prostitute's direct offer, highlighting the exploitation of women in different social strata.

• Chapter XXIX

  Máslova's false accusation of an intrigue with the medical assistant underscores the sexual exploitation and vulnerability of women in prison.

• I

  Máslova faces constant sexual harassment from male prisoners and guards, illustrating the vulnerability of women in the prison system.

• III

  Both Máslova and Mary Pávlovna share a repulsion to sexual love, the former from traumatic experience, the latter from ideological conviction, highlighting women's struggles with sexuality and dignity.