The Deluge · Chapter
LXI explained
Kmita, leading a chambul of Tartars, maintains strict discipline to prevent plunder and violence, earning both fear and love from his men.
What happens
Kmita, leading a chambul of Tartars, maintains strict discipline to prevent plunder and violence, earning both fear and love from his men. They arrive at the fortress of Zamost, where Kmita meets Pan Zamoyski, Princess Griselda Vishnyevetski, and her son. Zamoyski proposes that Kmita escort Anusia Borzobogati to Pan Sapyeha to secure her inheritance, a plan that Princess Griselda initially resists due to concerns about propriety and safety.
Themes in this chapter
- Honor and Betrayal
Kmita's strict discipline over the Tartars and his suspicion of Zamoyski's motives highlight themes of honor and potential betrayal in personal and political dealings.
- Social Class and Nobility
The interactions between magnates like Zamoyski and Princess Griselda, and the concern over Anusia's inheritance, underscore the importance of social class and noble status.
- Political Intrigue
Zamoyski's plan to send Anusia away with Kmita, and Kmita's perception of a snare, reflect the political maneuvering and hidden agendas among the nobility.
Characters to notice
- Andrei Kmita
Leads the Tartar chambul with iron discipline, punishing those who plunder. He is approached by Zamoyski to escort Anusia Borzobogati to Sapyeha, and he suspects a snare in the proposal.
- Sobiepan Zamoyski
The lord of Zamost, he proposes that Kmita take Anusia to Sapyeha to secure her inheritance, though he fears Princess Griselda's reaction. He is described as a man of medium wit but honorable.
- Princess Griselda Vishnyevetski
Widow of the great Yeremi, living at Zamost on her brother's bounty. She is full of grandeur and virtue, and initially refuses to allow Anusia to travel with Kmita due to concerns about propriety.
- Anusia Borzobogati
A young orphan whose inheritance is at stake. She is present during the discussion about her journey to Sapyeha, and expresses willingness to go.
- Akbah Ulan
An old Tartar leader who respects Kmita's authority and urges the condemned to hang quickly to avoid Kmita's anger. He is homesick for war.
- Prince Yeremi Vishnyevetski
Mentioned as the deceased husband of Princess Griselda, a great man who lost his fortune in the Cossack incursion.
- Yan Sapyeha
Mentioned as the person to whom Anusia would be escorted to secure her inheritance.
Key passages
“I conduct her to Sapyeha?” asked Kmita, in amazement. “Is the office unpleasant? Even if it should come to love on the road—” “Ah,” said Kmita, “another one is managing my affections; and though the tenant pays nothing, still I do not think of making a change.””
Kmita is surprised by the request to escort Anusia to Sapyeha, and when Zamoyski jokes about romance on the journey, Kmita replies that his heart is already taken.
This exchange reveals Kmita's loyalty to Olenka and his suspicion of Zamoyski's motives.
“The road was very bitter therefore to that chambul which Kmita led, for under his iron hand these wild warriors had to become lambs, keep their knives in the sheaths, and the quenched tinder and coiled ropes in their saddlebags.”
Kmita's strict command forced the normally unruly Tartar warriors to behave peacefully, suppressing their usual plundering and violence.
Illustrates Kmita's authority and the discipline he imposes on his men.
“He was glad to affect simple manners, though he had received a refined education and had passed his youth in journeys through foreign lands. He spoke of himself as a common noble, and spoke emphatically of the moderateness of his station, perhaps so that others might contradict him, and perhaps so that they might not notice his medium wit.”
Zamoyski pretended to be a simple nobleman despite his education and travels, possibly to invite flattery or to hide his average intelligence.
Characterizes Zamoyski's personality and social pretensions.
