The Little Demon · Character

Grushina

A drunken gossip who peddles scandal as currency, Marya Ossipovna Grushina turns every drawing room into a stage for erotic anecdotes and dangerous talk about her betters.

supporting

Also known as Marya Ossipovna Grushina, Marya Ossipovna, Marya

First appearance: i

As a supporting figure in The Little Demon, Grushina is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Visits Varvara, discusses a new servant Klavdia, and agrees to forge a letter from Princess Volchanskaya in exchange for gifts.

In the storyIIIOpen this moment free

See Grushina in III Book page

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Grushina is the town's purveyor of gossip, a woman whose loose tongue and looser morals make her both entertaining and perilous to those around her. She trades in stories about deceived husbands and important personages, oblivious to the fact that her careless words can ruin reputations or inflame Peredonov's mounting paranoia. Her presence illustrates how information circulates in this suffocating town, where idle chatter becomes a weapon and no secret stays buried for long.

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The fuller portrait of Grushina sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Grushina in i

Character Web

28 connections

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

Relationship types

Psychological
Other

Character groups

Peredonov's social circle
Haunting and matchmaking figures
Matchmakers and servants
Extended cast of townspeople
Protagonist

+23 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 excerpt marks the climax because Sasha’s internal conflict—between shame and obsessive desire—peaks into…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

Peredonov
psychological · negative
Grushina is a malicious gossip and manipulator who feeds Peredonov's paranoia and… How this plays out →
Peredonov
psychological · negative
Grushina is a malicious gossip and manipulator who feeds Peredonov's paranoia and… How this plays out →
Peredonov
psychological · negative
Grushina is a malicious gossip and manipulator who feeds Peredonov's paranoia and… How this plays out →

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Grushina in i

In the story

Grushina appears across 8 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

III
Visits Varvara, discusses a new servant Klavdia, and agrees to forge a letter from Princess Volchanskaya in exchange for gifts.
V
Confirms Natashka's job; warns about the danger of forbidden books for instructors; visits Varvara daily.
IX
Mentioned as a suspected enemy who might be spreading rumors or attempting blackmail.
XI
Tells Varvara the rumor that Sasha Pilnikov is a girl in disguise.
XX
Insists Varvara steal and burn the first forged letter; comments on the headmaster's supposed malice.
XXIII
Arranges for boys to throw rubbish at the newlyweds, sniggers at the secrecy of the wedding, and enjoys creating an ignominious spectacle.
XXVIII
Helps Varvara write the anonymous letter; informs Kokovkina bluntly about the rumors.
XXIX
Wears a scandalously revealing costume, is asked by the police commissioner to cover up, steals sweets, and becomes tipsy and boisterous.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Grushina unlock in the free preview.

See Grushina in i

See Grushina in III