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Book 2, Chapter 1
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 next morning, Nekhlyudov rises with renewed purpose and no trace of the doubts that had troubled him the night before. Seeing the peasants gathering, he feels unexpectedly shy about addressing them, despite his intention to offer what he believes is a generous and just proposal. The meeting quickly devolves into a tense exchange. The peasants express cautious gratitude but also frustration about past mistreatment. Nekhlyudov struggles to refocus the conversation on the rental agreement. Even when he names a price far below market rates, the peasants hesitate, complain, and bargain.
Nekhlyudov approaches the meeting with sincerity, but his discomfort shows how unprepared he is for the realities of reform. He expects gratitude and goodwill, but the peasants arrive with long memories of injustice and no reason to trust his motives. Their frustration challenges his assumption that fairness is enough to erase the past. Even his generous offer cannot break through the distance between them.
Active
Themes
Eventually, terms are agreed upon, and the peasants disperse noisily while Nekhlyudov and the steward finalize the paperwork. Though he achieves what he set out to do, Nekhlyudov is left unsettled. The peasants, while polite, appear dissatisfied, and he departs feeling ashamed, unsure whether he has done enough or simply eased his own conscience.
Active
Themes
