Darkness at Noon

Darkness at Noon

by

Arthur Koestler

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Rubashov’s porter and fellow soldier during the Civil War, Wassilij is an old man by the time Darkness at Noon opens. He is deeply loyal to Rubashov, and also is one of the few characters in the story to retain an older set of beliefs that the Party tried to stamp out. He still thinks of himself as a Christian and he takes solace in recalling verses from the Gospels, which to him form a resonant parallel with Rubashov’s own betrayal and sacrifice. By the end, the scheming of Wassilij’s daughter seems to suggest that his belief system and way of life will soon be stamped out.

Wassilij Quotes in Darkness at Noon

The Darkness at Noon quotes below are all either spoken by Wassilij or refer to Wassilij. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Ideology and Contradiction Theme Icon
).
The Grammatical Fiction: 1 Quotes

“…After a short deliberation, the President read the sentence. The Council of the Supreme Revolutionary Court of Justice sentenced the accused in every case to the maximum penalty: death by shooting and the confiscation of all their personal property.”
The old man Wassilij stared at the rusty hook above his head. He murmured: “Thy will be done. Amen,” and turned to the wall.

Related Characters: Wassilij (speaker), Vera Wassiljovna (speaker), Nicholas Salmanovitch Rubashov
Related Symbols: Christian Symbolism
Page Number: 256
Explanation and Analysis:
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Darkness at Noon PDF

Wassilij Quotes in Darkness at Noon

The Darkness at Noon quotes below are all either spoken by Wassilij or refer to Wassilij. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Ideology and Contradiction Theme Icon
).
The Grammatical Fiction: 1 Quotes

“…After a short deliberation, the President read the sentence. The Council of the Supreme Revolutionary Court of Justice sentenced the accused in every case to the maximum penalty: death by shooting and the confiscation of all their personal property.”
The old man Wassilij stared at the rusty hook above his head. He murmured: “Thy will be done. Amen,” and turned to the wall.

Related Characters: Wassilij (speaker), Vera Wassiljovna (speaker), Nicholas Salmanovitch Rubashov
Related Symbols: Christian Symbolism
Page Number: 256
Explanation and Analysis: