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Book 1, Chapter 8
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Resurrection, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Moral and Spiritual Resurrection
Class and the Penal System
Double Standards and the Abuse of Women
The Role of Conscience
Hypocrisy and Self-Deception
Summary
Analysis
The court president begins by asking the three prisoners for their plea, starting with the man, Simon Kartinkin, who nervously gives his answers and continues whispering to himself after sitting. Next is a woman named Bochkova, who answers boldly. When Maslova’s turn comes Nekhlyudov recognizes her and realizes with shock that this is the same woman he seduced and abandoned years ago. When the court secretary begins reading the indictment in a dull, rapid voice, the courtroom drifts into a half-daze. The judges slouch and whisper, the gendarme suppresses yawns, and the other prisoners remain still. Maslova alone seems alert, shifting in discomfort and casting glances around the room. All the while, Nekhlyudov watches her intently while feeling immense guilt.
The moment Nekhlyudov recognizes Maslova, the trial’s mechanical rhythm fractures. His guilt surfaces immediately through a sudden, personal reckoning. While the courtroom drifts into indifference—judges slouching, yawns stifled, the indictment reduced to background noise—Maslova alone remains fully present. Her discomfort and searching glances make clear that, unlike those judging her, she understands the stakes. The contrast is sharp: the system functions without attention, while the one on trial waits, watched but unheard.
Active
Themes
