What Is to Be Done? · Chapter
XXXI: A Colloquy with the Sapient Reader, and His Banishment explained
The author directly addresses the 'sapient reader,' defending his portrayal of Vera Pavlovna, Kirsanov, and Lopukhov as ordinary, decent people rather than idealized heroes.
What happens
The author directly addresses the 'sapient reader,' defending his portrayal of Vera Pavlovna, Kirsanov, and Lopukhov as ordinary, decent people rather than idealized heroes. He argues that they stand on a height attainable by all through self-development and culture. The chapter then debates the role of Rakhmetov, clarifying that he was introduced not as a plot device but to be characterized himself, and that the conversation with Vera served to reveal his personality. The author concludes by asserting the artistic necessity of depicting ordinary people accurately.
Themes in this chapter
The New People
The author explicitly describes Vera, Lopukhov, and Kirsanov as 'ordinary decent people of the rising generation,' embodying the new rational and ethical ideals.
Education and Enlightenment
The author urges readers to pursue culture, observation, and reading to achieve happiness and self-development, central to the chapter's message.
Characters to notice
- Viéra Pavlovna
Defended as an ordinary decent person; her character is already known to the reader; she is hot-tempered, fond of jesting, eats with appetite, and drinks sherry.
- Dmitri Sergéitch Lopukhóf
Portrayed as an ordinary person; he independently judged his own actions and used Rakhmetov as a tool to convey his thoughts to Vera.
- Aleksandr Matvéitch Kirsánof
Included among the three main characters described as ordinary decent people of the rising generation.
- Rakhmétof
Revealed not to be a plot device but a character whose personality is illuminated through his conversation with Vera; he is not a gloomy monster but can joke and talk gaily, though rarely.
- Masha
Mentioned as a minor character who brought a letter at the beginning of the story, but not an important character.
- Rachel
Mentioned as a minor character who advanced money for Vera to leave, but not an important character.
Key passages
“It is not they that stand so high, but you that stand so low. Now you see that they are standing on the earth. If they appear to you flying in the clouds, it is because you are sitting in the bottom of a den; on the height upon which they stand all people can stand, and must.”
The characters are not exceptionally noble; the readers are simply too low to see that these are ordinary people on a level anyone can reach.
The author refutes the idea that the main characters are idealized heroes.
“Rakhmétof is not at all necessary for this purpose. How many times have not Viéra Pavlovna, Lopukhóf, and Kirsánof by themselves expressed the opinion about their actions and relations? They are not stupid people; they are able to judge for themselves what is good and what is bad, and therefore for this do not need a prompter.”
Rakhmetov was not needed to judge the characters; they are capable of self-evaluation.
The author argues that Rakhmetov's role is not to provide moral commentary.
“Rakhmétof was not introduced for the sake of carrying on the conversation, but the conversation was imparted to you for the sake of making you better acquainted with Rakhmétof.”
The conversation between Rakhmetov and Vera was written to reveal Rakhmetov's character, not to advance the plot.
The author clarifies the artistic purpose of Rakhmetov's introduction.