The Idiot · Chapter
II explained
Prince Myshkin returns to St.
What happens
Prince Myshkin returns to St. Petersburg in early June and goes to visit Lebedev at his villa, where he finds Lebedev in a chaotic domestic scene. Lebedev's nephew argues with him over a loan, and Myshkin learns about Nastasya Filippovna's current state of restless freedom and her disdain for her impending marriage.
Themes in this chapter
Innocence and Idiocy
Myshkin's naive trust and his hallucination of glowing eyes suggest his vulnerability and the tension between his innocence and the corrupt world around him.
The Fallen Woman
Nastasya Filippovna is portrayed as a woman seeking something lost, restless and violent, trapped by her past and her impending marriage, embodying the archetype of the fallen woman.
Characters to notice
- Prince Lev Nikolaevich Myshkin
Arrives in St. Petersburg by morning train from Moscow, troubled by a hallucination of glowing eyes; visits Lebedev's villa to inquire about Nastasya Filippovna.
- Lukian Timofeyevich Lebedev
Found in his villa in shirtsleeves, reciting a speech; he is flustered by Myshkin's arrival, then discusses Nastasya Filippovna's behavior and his apocalyptic interpretations.
- Nastasya Filippovna Barashkova
Described by Lebedev as restless, mocking, deceitful, and violent; she insists on her freedom and is disgusted by her coming marriage, yet fears Rogozhin.
- Nikolai Ardalionovich Ivolgin
Mentioned as visiting Nastasya Filippovna often; Lebedev calls him a strange, thoughtless boy.
- Parfyon Semyonovich Rogozhin
Referenced as the man Nastasya Filippovna fears and whose name she forbids; his followers include the ex-lieutenant who beat Lebedev's nephew.
Key passages
“It was the beginning of June, and for a whole week the weather in St. Petersburg had been magnificent.”
Early June brought a week of beautiful weather to St. Petersburg.
Sets the seasonal context for the chapter.
“She is a woman who is seeking… She seems always to be searching about, as if she had lost something.”
Nastasya Filippovna appears to be constantly searching for something she has lost.
Lebedev's description of Nastasya's restless state.
“I both believe it and explain it. I am but a poor creature, a beggar, an atom in the scale of humanity.”
Lebedev claims to both believe in and interpret the Apocalypse, despite his lowly status.
Highlights Lebedev's self-deprecating yet proud intellectualism.