# VI explained — Resurrection > Chapter companion for Resurrection by Leo Tolstoy. ## What happens The chapter introduces the president of the court, a tall, stout man with long grey whiskers, who is eager to finish the sitting early to meet his lover, Clara Vasilievna. He exercises in his private room before the session. A discontented member complains about the late arrival of Matthew Nikitich. The secretary, a Liberal, arranges for the poisoning case to be heard first, knowing the public prosecutor Brevé is unprepared. Brevé, a Conservative, is disliked by the secretary and is delaying the Skoptzý case to ensure conviction by a peasant jury. Meanwhile, in the corridor, a celebrated advocate emerges from a civil court after successfully transferring an old woman's property to his client, leaving her bewildered. ## Themes in this chapter ### Injustice of the Legal System The chapter exposes the manipulation of the legal system: the president rushes to finish for a romantic tryst, the prosecutor delays a case for political reasons, and a celebrated advocate uses legal tricks to steal an old woman's property. ### Hypocrisy of Religion and Morality The Skoptzý case is manipulated to ensure conviction by a peasant jury, showing how religious persecution is used for political ends, while the president's moral hypocrisy is evident in his extramarital affair. ## Character check-ins ### The Judges The president of the court is described as tall, stout, with long grey whiskers, married but leading a loose life, eager to finish early to meet Clara Vasilievna. He exercises with dumbbells before the sitting. ### Breve The public prosecutor, a Conservative, is unprepared for the poisoning case due to a night of card playing and drinking. He is delaying the Skoptzý case to ensure conviction by a peasant jury. ### Clara Vasilievna A Swiss girl, formerly a governess in the president's house, who writes that she will wait for him at the Hotel Itália between five and six p.m. ### The Judges A high-shouldered, discontented member with gold spectacles complains about Matthew Nikitich's lateness, having had a quarrel with his wife over money. ## Key lines > The president, who had to take the chair, had arrived early. The president was a tall, stout man, with long grey whiskers. Though married, he led a very loose life, and his wife did the same, so they did not stand in each other's way. The court president, a tall, stout man with long grey whiskers, arrived early. Despite being married, he and his wife both had affairs and did not interfere with each other. _Introduces the president's character and his marital arrangement._ > This morning he had received a note from a Swiss girl, who had formerly been a governess in his house, and who was now on her way from South Russia to St. Petersburg. She wrote that she would wait for him between five and six p.m. in the Hotel Itália. That morning, he got a note from a Swiss girl, a former governess in his home, who was traveling from South Russia to St. Petersburg and would wait for him at the Hotel Itália between five and six p.m. _Reveals the president's motivation to finish the court session early._ > He was putting off the case of the Skoptzý on account of the absence of a very unimportant witness, his real reason being that if they were tried by an educated jury they might possibly be acquitted. By an agreement with the president this case was to be tried in the coming session at a provincial town, where there would be more peasants, and, therefore, more chances of conviction. He delayed the Skoptzý case by claiming a minor witness was absent, but his true reason was that an educated jury might acquit them. He and the president agreed to try the case later in a provincial town with more peasants, increasing the chance of conviction. _Highlights the manipulation of the legal system for political and religious persecution._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/resurrection_se/chapters/vi - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/resurrection_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/resurrection_se/chapters