What Is to Be Done? · Chapter
What Is to Be Done? explained
The chapter introduces the central philosophical and practical question of the novel, setting the stage for the characters' struggles against societal constraints and their pursuit of rational egoism, personal freedom, and social reform.
What happens
The chapter introduces the central philosophical and practical question of the novel, setting the stage for the characters' struggles against societal constraints and their pursuit of rational egoism, personal freedom, and social reform.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book.
- 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
- Freedom and Individuality
The chapter poses the question of how to achieve personal freedom within a repressive society.
- Rational Egoism
The philosophical underpinning of the characters' decisions to act according to enlightened self-interest.
Characters to notice
- Viéra Pavlovna
Central figure whose life and choices embody the question of what is to be done.
- Dmitri Sergéitch Lopukhóf
Key figure in Vera's emancipation and the rational egoist philosophy.
- Marya Alekséyevna
Represents the oppressive bourgeois family structure Vera seeks to escape.
Key passages
“What Is to Be Done?”
The central question of the novel, asking how individuals can act to improve their lives and society.
This title encapsulates the novel's guiding inquiry into personal and social transformation.
