Eugene Onegin · Chapter
Endnotes explained
This chapter provides extensive annotations and explanatory notes on the text of Eugene Onegin, covering cultural, historical, and literary references, including details on Russian serfdom, marriage customs, the influence of Byron and Shake
What happens
This chapter provides extensive annotations and explanatory notes on the text of Eugene Onegin, covering cultural, historical, and literary references, including details on Russian serfdom, marriage customs, the influence of Byron and Shakespeare on Pushkin, and the poet's own biography.
Themes in this chapter
The Role of Literature and Art
The endnotes extensively discuss Pushkin's literary influences (Byron, Shakespeare, Parny, Baratynski) and the contemporary literary schools, highlighting the importance of art and literature in shaping the narrative.
Social Class and Convention
Notes on serfdom, the tiaglo system, early marriages, and the distinction between white and black clergy illustrate the rigid social structures and conventions of Russian society.
Rural vs. Urban Life
References to the Okhta milkmaid, the Neva quays, and the contrast between St. Petersburg and the countryside reflect the rural-urban divide in 19th-century Russia.
Characters to notice
- Eugene Onegin
Referenced in notes about his discourtesy (using 'da' or 'nyet') and his neighbors' complaints.
- Alexander Pushkin
Extensively discussed: his African ancestry, literary influences (Byron, Shakespeare), his uncle Vassili Pushkin, and his membership in the Arzamass school.
- Vladimir Lenski
Mentioned in the context of the duel and the poet's literary circle.
- Tattiana Larina
Referenced indirectly through notes on Russian marriage customs and divination practices.
- Olga Larina
Mentioned in notes about peasant marriage and the tiaglo system.
- Bouyànoff
Identified as a character from Vassili Pushkin's poem 'Dangerous Neighbour,' called the poet's cousin.
- Zaretski
Referenced in the context of the duel.
- Monsieur Triquet
Mentioned in notes about the name-day party and French cultural influence.
Key passages
“The whole of this ironical stanza is but a refined eulogy of the excellent qualities of our countrywomen.”
A Russian scholar defends the stanza as a subtle compliment to Russian women, despite its seemingly critical tone.
This note addresses the controversy over Pushkin's portrayal of women, linking it to Boileau's eulogy of Louis XIV.
“The poet was, on his mother’s side, of African extraction, a circumstance which perhaps accounts for the southern fervour of his imagination.”
Pushkin's African ancestry through his great-grandfather Hannibal may explain the passionate quality of his writing.
This biographical note connects Pushkin's heritage to the intensity of his poetic imagination.
“The barshtchina was the corvée, or forced labour of three days per week rendered previous to the emancipation of 1861 by the serfs to their lord.”
The barstchina was a system of unpaid labor that serfs owed their landlords before serfdom was abolished in 1861.
This explains the economic and social context of serfdom in Onegin's Russia.
“The neighbours complained of Onegin’s want of courtesy. He always replied da or nyet , yes or no, instead of das or nyets.”
Onegin's neighbors found him rude because he used the simple forms 'da' and 'nyet' instead of the more polite 'das' and 'nyets'.
This linguistic note highlights Onegin's social aloofness and disregard for convention.
