# IX explained — Sanine > Chapter companion for Sanine by Mikhail Artsybashev. ## What happens Yourii walks the boulevard with Novikoff, feeling irritated by the discordant music and the noisy crowd. Sanine and Ivanoff join them, and Sanine's laughter and Ivanoff's mockery disgust Yourii. Novikoff leaves with them to drink. Yourii then meets Sina Karsavina and Dubova, and he laments his life as a failure, portraying himself as a misunderstood genius. The girls listen sympathetically, and Yourii feels uplifted, returning home in a brighter mood. ## Themes in this chapter ### Despair of the Intelligentsia Yourii's self-pitying narrative of being a misunderstood genius doomed by circumstances exemplifies the despair and sense of victimhood among the intelligentsia. ## Character check-ins ### Yourii Sanine Feels irritated by the music and crowd, disgusted by Sanine and Ivanoff, then laments his life to Sina and Dubova, portraying himself as a misunderstood genius. ### Sascha Novikoff Walks with Yourii, then leaves with Sanine and Ivanoff to drink vodka. ### Yourii Sanine Joins the group on the boulevard, laughs at passersby, and goes off with Ivanoff to drink. ### Ivanoff Produces a bottle of vodka and invites Novikoff to drink, mocking Yourii. ### Sina Karsavina Sits on a bench with Dubova, listens to Yourii's complaints, and finds him interesting. ### Dubova Sits with Sina, teases Yourii, and asks about suicide. ## Key lines > God, I thank Thee, that I am not as other men Ivanoff mocks Yourii's self-righteousness by quoting the Pharisee's prayer. _Ivanoff's mockery highlights Yourii's hypocrisy and self-regard._ > My life has caused me to forget what laughing is. Yourii claims his suffering has made him incapable of joy. _Yourii's melodramatic statement reflects his self-pity and desire for sympathy._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/sanine_se/chapters/ix - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/sanine_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/sanine_se/chapters