Yuliya Character Analysis in Demons

Yuliya is Andrey’s wife. She has an outsized view of her own importance and is portrayed as out of touch, as she believes that befriending revolutionaries will help her stymie an international revolutionary plot. She hopes that if that happens, it will lead her to an illustrious political career. At the same time, Yuliya is convinced that if she were successful, she wouldn’t alienate revolutionaries like Pyotr. In reality, Pyotr successfully manipulates Yuliya to gain political influence in town and advance his revolutionary goals.

Yuliya Quotes in Demons

The Demons quotes below are all either spoken by Yuliya or refer to Yuliya. 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:

‘Please don’t worry about Verkhovensky,’ she said, concluding the conversation. ‘If he had been party to any mischief, then he wouldn’t have talked as he has with you and with others here. Phrasemongers aren’t dangerous, and let me say that even if something should happen, I will certainly be the first to find out about it from him. He is fanatically devoted to me, fanatically.’

I will note, in anticipation of events, that if it hadn’t been for Yuliya Mikhaylovna’s self-importance and ambition, perhaps everything that these wretched little people managed to inflict on us wouldn’t have happened. She had a great deal to answer for!

Related Characters: Yuliya (speaker), Anton, Pyotr, Andrey

Page Number and Citation: 352

Explanation and Analysis:

When the expedition had ridden down from the bridge and had drawn up beside the town hotel, someone suddenly announced that the body of a guest who had shot himself had just been discovered in one of the hotel rooms, and that they were waiting for the police. Immediately the idea was floated of having a look at the suicide. The idea found support; our ladies had never seen a suicide. I remember that one of them said aloud, then and there, that ‘everything’s become so boring that there’s no point in being fastidious about one’s amusements as long as they were diverting’.

Related Characters: Liza, Anton, Yuliya, Mavriky, Nikolay, Pyotr

Page Number and Citation: 362

Explanation and Analysis:

Yuliya Character Timeline in Demons

The timeline below shows where the character Yuliya appears in Demons. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...Varvara’s trip to the cathedral earlier in the day. It was the first trip of Yuliya (the governor’s wife) to the cathedral, and the event drew a crowd. After the services... (full context)

...brother was. Liza then approached Marya and Varvara. Marya had come to the cathedral with Yuliya, and she asked Yuliya if she could accompany Marya and Varvara back to Varvara’s house.... (full context)

...town. By the end of the eight days, he has become a frequent guest of Yuliya’s at the governor’s house. (full context)

...general who is known for making authoritative public pronouncements speaks up in support of Nikolay. Yuliya, who is at the party, then speaks up in support of Nikolay as well. After... (full context)

Yuliya invites Varvara to a literary gala. She tells Varvara to invite Stepan as well. When... (full context)

...then goes to see Stepan. At Stepan’s house, Pyotr invites Stepan to the literary gala Yuliya is holding. But, Pyotr says, Yuliya is only inviting Stepan to try and appease Varvara.... (full context)

...won’t visit again and then reminds Stepan to submit whatever he plans to read at Yuliya’s party to him beforehand. (full context)

...passion for writing. After graduating from school, Andrey rose through the ranks and eventually met Yuliya. Yuliya was over 40 years old at the time and was well-connected and wealthy. The... (full context)

Andrey appeals to his wife, Yuliya, to see if she can get Pyotr to stop disrespecting him, considering that Pyotr is... (full context)

In the weeks leading up to the literary gala thrown by Yuliya, she is almost constantly accompanied by Pyotr, Liputin, and a clerk named Lyamshin, who runs... (full context)

...Varvara’s house. She is busy with preparations for a gala she plans to hold after Yuliya’s to let the public decide who the better host is. When Stepan arrives, Varvara tells... (full context)

As time goes on, Yuliya becomes increasingly involved in Andrey’s work as governor. She persuades the governor to pass a... (full context)

Andrey has been feeling glum recently, and Yuliya sends Pyotr to go and see him, hoping that Pyotr might be able to use... (full context)

...so and tells Andrey that he (Pyotr) hasn’t told anyone what he’s found, not even Yuliya. The man who wrote the poem, Pyotr says, is Shatov. (full context)

...Karmazinov recently gave Pyotr the manuscript he plans to read at the literary gathering at Yuliya’s gala and is expecting a visit from Pyotr. When Pyotr enters, Karmazinov asks if he... (full context)

At the same time, at his house, Andrey gets into an enormous fight with Yuliya. More than anything, the fight is about Pyotr. During the fight, Andrey lets it slip... (full context)

When Andrey wakes up, a servant tells him that Yuliya has gone with Varvara to inspect a location for the next gala. Another person then... (full context)

While Anton and Stepan are waiting to see Yuliya, Andrey storms into the building. Stepan rises to meet him. Andrey asks who he is,... (full context)

...and assures him that it was a misunderstanding. Stepan isn’t fully satisfied by that apology. Yuliya then returns. (full context)

Yuliya enters accompanied by Karmazinov, Varvara, Liza, and others. Yuliya and Karmazinov go to Stepan and... (full context)

...taken. He storms out of the room and trips on the carpet as he leaves. Yuliya rushes after him. (full context)

...that Andrey might be “deranged,” and people gossip about the personal issues between Andrey and Yuliya. Yuliya returns. She tries to save face by saying that the gala tomorrow will surely... (full context)

...the event would happen even if Andrey had died the night before. That’s how devoted Yuliya is to the idea of the gala. Several people speculate that some scandal or upheaval... (full context)

...well. When the gala is about to start, the crowd grows restless as it takes Yuliya and Andrey much longer than expected to arrive and begin the proceedings. After they arrive,... (full context)

...Some members of the crowd tell Stepan to stop talking. Others urge him to continue. Yuliya motions to Anton to get Stepan to stop, and Anton shrugs. He thinks that Stepan... (full context)

Anton then goes to see Yuliya. Pyotr is with her. Yuliya blames the upheaval that occurred at the first half of... (full context)

Pyotr tells Yuliya and Anton that Liza has abandoned Mavriky and run off with Nikolay. Pyotr says that... (full context)

...choreographed dance that references pieces of literature. Liputin and Lyamshin take part. Anton stands behind Yuliya. At one point, Pyotr walks up to Yuliya, and Yuliya tells him to get away... (full context)

As Andrey yells, someone from the audience calls him a fool. Yuliya tries to restore order by telling the crowd that Andrey is not in his right... (full context)

...Gaganov’s house, where a group is gathered. There, Pyotr addresses the group and says that Yuliya arranged for Nikolay to run off with Liza, and to do so, she had actually... (full context)

Lyamshin exonerates Yuliya and Nikolay. He blames Pyotr for Shatov’s murder, the arson, and the murder of Marya... (full context)

Demons

Yuliya Character Analysis

Yuliya Quotes in Demons

Part 2, Chapter 4, Section 3 Quotes

Part 2, Chapter 5, Section 2 Quotes

Yuliya Character Timeline in Demons