# II explained — Demons

> Chapter companion for Demons by Fyodor Dostoevsky.

## What happens

The narrator describes Stepan Trofimovitch's past, his failed academic career, and his long-standing relationship with Varvara Petrovna Stavrogin, who hired him as a tutor for her son. It details his marriages, his pretensions to liberal idealism, and his dependence on Varvara Petrovna's patronage and friendship.

## Themes in this chapter

### Hypocrisy and Vanity in Society

Stepan Trofimovitch's pose as a liberal idealist and his actual love for card games and comfort highlight the gap between his public persona and private behavior.

## Character check-ins

### Stepan Trofimovitch Verhovensky

The chapter focuses on his background, marriages, and his role as a tutor and friend to Varvara Petrovna.

### Varvara Petrovna Stavrogin

She is the wealthy patron who employs Stepan Trofimovitch and exerts a strong influence over him.

## Key lines

> Reproach incarnate thou didst stand Erect before thy Fatherland, O Liberal idealist!

You stood as a living reproach to your country, a liberal idealist.

_The narrator uses this poetic line to characterize Stepan Trofimovitch's self-image as a perpetual critic of Russia._

> His whole figure seemed to exclaim 'Cards! Me sit down to whist with you! Is it consistent? Who is responsible for it? Who has shattered my energies and turned them to whist? Ah, perish, Russia!' and he would majestically trump with a heart.

He would dramatically lament his fall to playing cards, as if it were a national tragedy, while still enjoying the game.

_This illustrates the ironic contrast between his lofty ideals and his mundane pastimes._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/demons_se/chapters/part-i-ii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/demons_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/demons_se/chapters