# III explained — The Little Demon

> Chapter companion for The Little Demon by Fyodor Sologub.

## What happens

Peredonov and Ershova dance wildly in the yard, then Peredonov returns inside where Volodin has vandalized the landlady's parlour with a noose and paper. They perform a mock funeral and dance a quadrille. Peredonov throws money at Varvara for a wedding dress. Later, Varvara consults Grushina about a new servant and secretly plots to forge a letter from Princess Volchanskaya to secure Peredonov's promotion.

## Themes in this chapter

### Provinciality and Pettiness

The characters engage in crude pranks, gossip, and petty scheming, such as vandalizing the landlady's house and plotting a forged letter.

### Hypocrisy and Social Facade

Varvara and Grushina conspire to deceive Peredonov with a forged letter, maintaining a false front to secure his marriage and promotion.

## Character check-ins

### Peredonov

Dances mechanically with Ershova, joins Volodin in vandalism and mock funeral, then throws money at Varvara for a wedding dress.

### Pavel Volodin

Vandalizes the landlady's parlour by smearing walls, hanging a noose, and leading a mock funeral; dances with Peredonov.

### Varvara

Watches the dancing, encourages Volodin's mischief, picks up money thrown by Peredonov, and later plots with Grushina to forge a letter from the Princess.

### Grushina

Visits Varvara, discusses a new servant Klavdia, and agrees to forge a letter from Princess Volchanskaya in exchange for gifts.

### Prepolovenskaya

Watches the dancing from the window, encourages Volodin, and leaves as Grushina arrives.

## Key lines

> Volodin made a noose, then stood up on a chair in the middle of the room and hung the noose on the lamp-bracket. 'That's for the landlady,' he explained.

Volodin ties a noose to a lamp bracket, saying it is for the landlady.

_Volodin's malicious prank against the landlady._

> Varvara pulled a crumpled letter out of her pocket, saying: 'I've brought one of the Princess's letters for you to copy.'

Varvara gives Grushina a letter from the Princess to use as a model for a forgery.

_Varvara and Grushina plot to forge a letter from Princess Volchanskaya._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_little_demon_se/chapters/iii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_little_demon_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_little_demon_se/chapters