The Deluge · Chapter
III explained
Pan Andrei Kmita arrives at his estate Lyubich, where his rowdy comrades—outlaws and exiles—have already begun drinking.
What happens
Pan Andrei Kmita arrives at his estate Lyubich, where his rowdy comrades—outlaws and exiles—have already begun drinking. They celebrate his return and his betrothal to Olenka Billevich, but their revelry quickly degenerates into drunken shooting at the hunting trophies on the walls, damaging the portraits of the Billevich ancestors. The chaos culminates in a wild dance as the men chase the servant girls.
Themes in this chapter
- Social Class and Nobility
Kmita's authority as lord of Lyubich is contrasted with the lawless behavior of his noble comrades, highlighting the privileges and excesses of the szlachta.
- Love and Sacrifice
Kmita's betrothal to Olenka is celebrated with drunken toasts, but the reckless destruction of her family's portraits foreshadows tension between love and his wild lifestyle.
Characters to notice
- Andrei Kmita
Returns to his estate Lyubich, joins his comrades in drinking and wild shooting, showing his reckless and boisterous nature.
- Pan Yaromir Kokosinski
A swaggering soldier and friend of Kmita, leads the drinking songs and revelry.
- Ranitski
An outlaw and skilled fencer, initiates the shooting contest at the skulls and slashes the Billevich portraits with his sabre.
- Rekuts-Leliva
A comrade who has squandered his substance, joins the drinking and falls asleep during the chaos.
- Pan Uhlik
An outlaw under sentence of death, plays the flageolet during the revelry.
- Zend
A horse-trainer of uncertain descent, imitates animal sounds and spots the servant girls, prompting the dance.
Key passages
“Kmita threw a purse full of thalers on the tray, and asked for his comrades, astonished that no one of them had come forth to meet his proprietary mightiness.”
Kmita tossed a bag of coins onto the tray and asked where his comrades were, surprised they hadn't come to greet him as the new lord.
Shows Kmita's expectation of respect and his generous, impulsive nature.
“In such fashion did Pan Kmita and his wild company revel in Lyubich.”
This is how Pan Kmita and his unruly friends partied at Lyubich.
Summarizes the chaotic and destructive nature of the celebration.
