# XXII explained — What Is to Be Done?

> Chapter companion for What Is to Be Done? by Nikolay Chernyshevsky.

## What happens

Marya Alekséyevna, stunned by Vera's sudden departure, chases after her in a public scene, attracting a crowd of mocking peddlers and onlookers. After a chaotic outburst, she returns home, beats the servants, and eventually calms down. She then orchestrates a cover story with her husband Pavel Konstantinuitch, instructing him to tell their landlady that he arranged Vera's marriage to Lopukhóf against his wife's wishes, thereby securing his position and a reduced salary increase.

## Themes in this chapter

### Critique of Bourgeois Society

Marya Alekséyevna's frantic public outburst and subsequent manipulation of her husband and landlady expose the hypocrisy, greed, and social maneuvering inherent in bourgeois family life.

### Love and Marriage

The chapter focuses on the aftermath of Vera's secret marriage, highlighting marriage as a site of conflict between individual choice and familial/social control.

## Character check-ins

### Marya Alekséyevna

Flies into a public rage after Vera's departure, attacks a peddler, returns home to beat servants, then devises a strategic cover story with her husband.

### Pavel Konstantinuitch Rozalsky

Returns from his office to face Marya Alekséyevna's wrath, then is instructed to lie to the landlady about his role in Vera's marriage.

### Matrióna

Hides under the bed during Marya Alekséyevna's rampage, later serves dinner and relays orders.

### Feódor

Beaten by Marya Alekséyevna at the door, then flees to the rear stairs.

### Fyedka

A young peddler who sticks out his tongue at Marya Alekséyevna and gets his ears boxed and hair pulled.

## Key lines

> Marya Alekséyevna, who had suspected nothing of the kind, stood thunderstruck, endeavoring to understand, and absolutely failing to understand, what her daughter had said, what it meant, and how it came about

Marya Alekséyevna was completely shocked and unable to comprehend her daughter's words or their meaning.

_Captures her initial disbelief at Vera's defiance._

> The fellows were laughing at her, and they exchanged among themselves words of more or less unfavorable character, and they praised her ironically, and they offered her their advice to be calm.

The peddlers mocked her, exchanging insults and offering sarcastic advice to calm down.

_Illustrates the public ridicule she faces._

> Go to the khozyáïka and tell her that our daughter has married that devil because you wished her to. Tell her, 'It was against my wife's will.'

Go to the landlady and say that our daughter married that devil because you wanted it, and that it was against my will.

_Marya Alekséyevna's strategic lie to protect her position._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/what_is_to_be_done_se/chapters/xxii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/what_is_to_be_done_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/what_is_to_be_done_se/chapters