Part One
Chapters XIII-XVI
Finally at Nastasya Filippovna's party, we can reach the high point of Part One. Everyone is present at the party, and Ganya is frozen in a silent, pensive state. Nastasya is not annoyed at the Prince for coming uninvited, and is actually gracious towards him. But he is dumbfounded by her beauty and whispers to her weakly: "Everything in you is perfection...forgive me..." but Nastasya laughs it off. Even the Prince cannot remain unaffected by her personality.
The group teases the Prince about his clothes and affection for Nastasya, and begins to drink. Nastasya's fever requires her to wear a mantilla, and Fedyshchenko, the most despicable attendee, urges that they play a parlor game where everyone tells a story about the worst thing they've ever done. Nobody liked the idea, but they went with it anyway.
Ferd's story involves stealing a 3 rouble note and lying about it, and getting a sick sense of pleasure at the maid who had been blamed for the crime.
Epanchin's story involves accusing a maid of stealing a rooster and not being able to compensate for his outburst before the woman dies.
Afanasy Ivanovich's story involved stealing camelias or something, it was stupid.
Suddenly, Nastasya offers Prince an unprompted proposition: should she get married or not? she claims to do what the Prince will say. Weakly, he says that no, she shouldn't marry Ganya for money. This dumbfounds the whole crowd, and me too, as the reader.
She rationalizes her behavior by saying, "The prince is this for me, that I believe in him as the first truly devoted man in my whole life. He believed in me from the first glance, and I trust him."
Suddenly, Rogozhin and his crowd enter, the man himself donning a new silk scarf, a diamond pin, and a diamond ring. He is wearing his wealth.
The Prince admits he would marry Nastasya just as she is, with nothing. "I'll take you as an honest woman, N.F., not as Rogozhin's kind." His speech is longer, but heartwarming. It's then revealed that he will inherit a lot of money, more than Rogozhin.
Nastasya claims to be a Princess herself, suddenly, and says, "You're too late, Rogozhin! Take your packet away, I'm marrying the prince, and I'm richer than you are!"
To mess with Ganya and make up for all the torment he's put her through, Nastasya takes Rogozhin's 100K roubles and tosses it into the fire. He can take it, burning his hands, and can keep it. Ganya does nothing, to the chagrin of everyone else and poor Ferdyshchenko. When she realizes his honor is more important than his want of money, she decides to take the money out of the fire and leave it with his fainted body as a reward. Everyone keeps referring to Nastasya as queen, strangely enough.
The General calls her a lost woman, a madwoman. Rogozhin and Nastasya leave for a resort, it seems, and the rest leave too.
End of Part One.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Part One
Chapter XII
Kolya led the Prince to a cafe to visit Ardalion Alexandrovich.
Prince wants to know more about Nastasya Filippovna...and asks the General if he's been to her place. Several times.
General talks about his time during the Crimean War and drunkenly reminisces about his first meeting with the Prince.
Prince asks General to take him to Nastasya's birthday party and he agrees, but first takes him to the house of Captain Terentev's wife, who complains about her dead husband. General donates her the Prince's 25 ruble bill. General then falls asleep. Kolya, in his place, offers to take the Prince to Nastasya's, but wants to introduce him to Ippolit first, who is a consumptive and may die soon. Will the Prince try to heal him?
Kolya says of Nastasya's party: "There are terribly few honest people here, so that there's nobody at all to respect." Shows why he likes the Prince so much.
Kolya refers to a case in the newspapers regarding 19 year old Moscow University student names Danilov who was tried for murder of the pawnbroker Popov and his maidservant in 1866, which must have struck Dostoevsky because it mirrored Crime and Punishment. The student's father advised him to stop at nothing to achieve his ends.
Prince and Kolya admit that they like each other and consider getting a flat together with Ippolit.
Chapter XII
Kolya led the Prince to a cafe to visit Ardalion Alexandrovich.
Prince wants to know more about Nastasya Filippovna...and asks the General if he's been to her place. Several times.
General talks about his time during the Crimean War and drunkenly reminisces about his first meeting with the Prince.
Prince asks General to take him to Nastasya's birthday party and he agrees, but first takes him to the house of Captain Terentev's wife, who complains about her dead husband. General donates her the Prince's 25 ruble bill. General then falls asleep. Kolya, in his place, offers to take the Prince to Nastasya's, but wants to introduce him to Ippolit first, who is a consumptive and may die soon. Will the Prince try to heal him?
Kolya says of Nastasya's party: "There are terribly few honest people here, so that there's nobody at all to respect." Shows why he likes the Prince so much.
Kolya refers to a case in the newspapers regarding 19 year old Moscow University student names Danilov who was tried for murder of the pawnbroker Popov and his maidservant in 1866, which must have struck Dostoevsky because it mirrored Crime and Punishment. The student's father advised him to stop at nothing to achieve his ends.
Prince and Kolya admit that they like each other and consider getting a flat together with Ippolit.
Part One
Chapter XI
The Prince left the scene for the comfort of his room, and Kolya came to speak with him.
He says that all this turmoil started with Nastasya Filippovna. He is smart for a schoolboy.
Prince admits he doesn't quite like Kolya's brother, Ganya.
Varya comes in and admits that Prince has some strange influence over Nastasya.
Suddenly, Ganya barges in and tries to get the Prince to forgive him. Prince, surprised, silently embraced Ganya and they kissed each other. Ganya, however, refuses to apologize to his sister.
Prince and Ganya wonder is "torment" of marriage is worth $75,000. Prince - "a man marries for money, and the money stays with the wife." Ganya used to love her, but admits that now Nastasya is a "terribly irritable, suspicious, and vain woman"
Prince sees Ganya laugh and strikes him by saying he's quite childlike. "It's all somehow absurd"
He talks about Ptitsyn's struggle to make money... "The meanest and most hateful thing about money is that it even gives one talent."
Prince admits that he, too, likes Nastasya.
The chapter ends with Koyla delivering to Myshkin a note from his Father...
Chapter XI
The Prince left the scene for the comfort of his room, and Kolya came to speak with him.
He says that all this turmoil started with Nastasya Filippovna. He is smart for a schoolboy.
Prince admits he doesn't quite like Kolya's brother, Ganya.
Varya comes in and admits that Prince has some strange influence over Nastasya.
Suddenly, Ganya barges in and tries to get the Prince to forgive him. Prince, surprised, silently embraced Ganya and they kissed each other. Ganya, however, refuses to apologize to his sister.
Prince and Ganya wonder is "torment" of marriage is worth $75,000. Prince - "a man marries for money, and the money stays with the wife." Ganya used to love her, but admits that now Nastasya is a "terribly irritable, suspicious, and vain woman"
Prince sees Ganya laugh and strikes him by saying he's quite childlike. "It's all somehow absurd"
He talks about Ptitsyn's struggle to make money... "The meanest and most hateful thing about money is that it even gives one talent."
Prince admits that he, too, likes Nastasya.
The chapter ends with Koyla delivering to Myshkin a note from his Father...
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Part One
Chapter X
Rogozhin, Lebedev, and Zalyozhev enter. It's clear that Rogozhin and Ganya definitely have some history, and believes the rumor of him marrying Nastasya - "So it's true!"
Rogozhin is a bit intoxicated and is being dramatic, he speaks about buying people out and bragging about his money. Maybe he is intoxicated by his inheritance.
He drops a question to Ganya, "like a lost man, as if addressing some sort of divinity, but with the boldness of a man condemned to death, who has nothing more to lose."
Ganya lies, saying "absolutely not, what's the matter with you?"
Rogozhin presents him a hefty some of rubles and 18,000 for Nastasya. It's not clear what for, but he is certainly acting bombastic. The scene was getting ugly. Suddenly, Ganya tries to strike his sister, but Prince blocks him. Ganya gets upset and plainly strikes the Prince in the face.
Kolya and the others are shocked.
Famously, Prince announces to Ganya in response, "Oh, how ashamed you'll be of what you've done!"
It seems to be a Christ-like thing to other say. Turning the other cheek...
Rogozhin joins: "You'll be ashamed, Ganka, to have offended such a ... sheep!"
It seemed to turn Nastasya into something more animated, and she rejoins by saying she's seen the Prince before. Rogozhin's crowd leaves.
Chapter X
Rogozhin, Lebedev, and Zalyozhev enter. It's clear that Rogozhin and Ganya definitely have some history, and believes the rumor of him marrying Nastasya - "So it's true!"
Rogozhin is a bit intoxicated and is being dramatic, he speaks about buying people out and bragging about his money. Maybe he is intoxicated by his inheritance.
He drops a question to Ganya, "like a lost man, as if addressing some sort of divinity, but with the boldness of a man condemned to death, who has nothing more to lose."
Ganya lies, saying "absolutely not, what's the matter with you?"
Rogozhin presents him a hefty some of rubles and 18,000 for Nastasya. It's not clear what for, but he is certainly acting bombastic. The scene was getting ugly. Suddenly, Ganya tries to strike his sister, but Prince blocks him. Ganya gets upset and plainly strikes the Prince in the face.
Kolya and the others are shocked.
Famously, Prince announces to Ganya in response, "Oh, how ashamed you'll be of what you've done!"
It seems to be a Christ-like thing to other say. Turning the other cheek...
Rogozhin joins: "You'll be ashamed, Ganka, to have offended such a ... sheep!"
It seemed to turn Nastasya into something more animated, and she rejoins by saying she's seen the Prince before. Rogozhin's crowd leaves.
Part One
Chapter IX
A general fear set over the group as Nastasya Filippovna entered, and Ganya was completely shocked as well. She has an abrasive, forceful personality and she mistakes Prince for a "lackey" and the word idiot is mentioned about him.
Both Nastasya and Prince think they have seen each other before.
Ardalion Alexandrovich diverges into a story about how a woman on a train threw his cigar out the window, so he threw her little dog out the window, too.
Then the door bell rings.
Chapter IX
A general fear set over the group as Nastasya Filippovna entered, and Ganya was completely shocked as well. She has an abrasive, forceful personality and she mistakes Prince for a "lackey" and the word idiot is mentioned about him.
Both Nastasya and Prince think they have seen each other before.
Ardalion Alexandrovich diverges into a story about how a woman on a train threw his cigar out the window, so he threw her little dog out the window, too.
Then the door bell rings.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Part One
Chapter VIII
We are introduced to Gavrila's thirteen-your-old brother, Kolya, and his sister Varvara Adralionovna, who was known to be hot-tempered, whom Ganya sometimes feared. Ivan Petrovich Ptitsyn, a visitor of theirs and Ganya's friend, also feared it.
We meet a dirty, red-haired man named only Ferdyshchenko, who lives in the room beside the Prince's.
General Ivolgin stops by the Prince's door, and claims he has a long history with the Prince's parents. The Prince listened with a "certain mistrust." General speaks of a "tragedy in the house", a marriage prepared between his son Ganya and Nastasya Filippovna, which he doesn't seem to approve of, and it strains his relationship with Ganya...they aren't speaking.
So there are General Epanchin and General Ardalion Ivolgin living here, it seems.
Prince says his father died on trial, but not sure why he was on trial.
As the conversation steers more toward marriage, Ganya gets more and more upset.
The doorbell rings, and it's none other than Nastasya Filippovna! Dostoevsky really timed this well, at the height of the drama. Prince recognizes her immediately. The first thing she does is complain, though. The Prince cannot open his mouth and drops her coat. She calls him an idiot, naturally. Poor Prince. Varya is annoyed at her brother's rudeness and stares at him. Prince steps into the room and announces Nastasya Filippovna!
Here's an article about her which I don't have time to read, and would wait until I finish the novel, too: http://community.middlebury.edu/~beyer/courses/previous/ru351/studentpapers/Women.shtml
Her character was probably influenced by a mistress of D's: Polina Suslova: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polina_Suslova
Chapter VIII
We are introduced to Gavrila's thirteen-your-old brother, Kolya, and his sister Varvara Adralionovna, who was known to be hot-tempered, whom Ganya sometimes feared. Ivan Petrovich Ptitsyn, a visitor of theirs and Ganya's friend, also feared it.
We meet a dirty, red-haired man named only Ferdyshchenko, who lives in the room beside the Prince's.
 |
| Dostoevsky in 1863 |
General Ivolgin stops by the Prince's door, and claims he has a long history with the Prince's parents. The Prince listened with a "certain mistrust." General speaks of a "tragedy in the house", a marriage prepared between his son Ganya and Nastasya Filippovna, which he doesn't seem to approve of, and it strains his relationship with Ganya...they aren't speaking.
So there are General Epanchin and General Ardalion Ivolgin living here, it seems.
Prince says his father died on trial, but not sure why he was on trial.
As the conversation steers more toward marriage, Ganya gets more and more upset.
The doorbell rings, and it's none other than Nastasya Filippovna! Dostoevsky really timed this well, at the height of the drama. Prince recognizes her immediately. The first thing she does is complain, though. The Prince cannot open his mouth and drops her coat. She calls him an idiot, naturally. Poor Prince. Varya is annoyed at her brother's rudeness and stares at him. Prince steps into the room and announces Nastasya Filippovna!
Here's an article about her which I don't have time to read, and would wait until I finish the novel, too: http://community.middlebury.edu/~beyer/courses/previous/ru351/studentpapers/Women.shtml
 |
| Polina Suslova in 1867 |
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