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The Possessed, Chapter 1 summary

Chapter 1 of 23 · Part 1 · 53 min to read the chapter

In Chapter 1, the narrator introduces Stepan Trofimovitch Verhovensky, whose reputation as a persecuted intellectual rests largely on his own beliefs rather than official scrutiny. His account traces Stepan's dependence on Varvara Petrovna Stavrogin, whose money, care, resentment, and control sustain both his comfortable life and his public image.

What happens

  1. The narrator challenges Stepan Trofimovitch's belief that the authorities persecute and closely watch him.
  2. Stepan's poem appears abroad among revolutionary verses, alarming him while also flattering his sense of importance.
  3. The account traces his departure from university teaching to his acceptance of Varvara Petrovna's generous tutoring offer.
  4. Their long friendship combines her protection and control with his complaints, confessional letters, and repeated remorse.
  5. Two recalled incidents expose Varvara Petrovna's lasting resentment toward his public enthusiasm and suspected assumptions about marriage.
  6. As Stepan feels forgotten and produces no book, Varvara Petrovna takes him to Moscow, without satisfactory results.

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In this chapter

StavroginStepan TrofimovitchVarvara PetrovnaShatovTheme: Dependence and control

Quick check

What does Varvara Petrovna do with Stepan's emotional letters?

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