What Is to Be Done? · Chapter
Part V: New People, and the Finale explained
The final part of the novel presents the culmination of the 'new people's' ideals, showing the flourishing of Vera's sewing cooperative, the resolution of the love triangle through Lopukhóf's faked suicide and return as Beaumont, and the in
What happens
The final part of the novel presents the culmination of the 'new people's' ideals, showing the flourishing of Vera's sewing cooperative, the resolution of the love triangle through Lopukhóf's faked suicide and return as Beaumont, and the introduction of Rakhmétov as the extraordinary revolutionary figure. The chapter celebrates rational egoism, women's emancipation, and the possibility of a utopian future built on enlightened self-interest and collective work.
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 Falling action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This passage marks the dramatic climax because the speaker articulates a decisive psychological reversal: she…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- The New People
The chapter culminates the portrayal of the 'new people'—rational, enlightened individuals who reject bourgeois conventions and build a cooperative, egalitarian society.
- Women's Emancipation
Vera's sewing cooperative and her independent choices in love and work exemplify the novel's advocacy for women's liberation from patriarchal constraints.
Characters to notice
- Viéra Pavlovna
Central figure whose sewing cooperative and personal life exemplify the new ideals of rational egoism and women's emancipation.
- Dmitri Sergéitch Lopukhóf
Fakes his suicide to free Vera, later returns as Charles Beaumont, demonstrating the rational egoist principle of sacrificing personal desire for the greater good.
- Aleksandr Matvéitch Kirsánof
Vera's second husband, whose love develops after Lopukhóf's departure, embodying the new people's approach to love and marriage.
- Rakhmétof
The extraordinary man who represents the highest level of revolutionary dedication and asceticism, serving as a moral exemplar.
- Katerina Vasílyevna
A character who undergoes transformation through the new people's influence, eventually marrying Charles Beaumont (Lopukhóf).
Key passages
“The new people are not like the others; they are the salt of the earth, the flower of the world.”
The new people are exceptional individuals who represent the best of humanity, distinct from the masses.
This encapsulates the novel's idealization of the rational, progressive characters.
“I am a rational egoist; I do only what is pleasant for me, and I find pleasure in doing good.”
As a rational egoist, I pursue my own happiness, which aligns with benefiting others.
Key statement of the rational egoism philosophy that drives the characters' actions.
