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Book 2, Chapter 42
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
Maslova has traveled over 3,000 miles with the prison convoy, enduring filth, vermin, and constant harassment from men who resent her refusal to engage with them. Her situation improves when Nekhlyudov arranges for her to join the political prisoners, where she is treated better and forms supportive connections—especially with Mary Pavlovna and a man named Simonson, who positively influence her. Though she rests with the politicals, she must still march with the criminals. On a cold, wet September morning, the prisoners prepare to depart. A sudden commotion breaks the routine—a child’s cry and a shouted command—prompting Maslova and Mary Pavlovna to hurry toward the disturbance.
Maslova’s movement into the company of political prisoners marks a shift in her development. Figures like Mary Pavlovna and Simonson treat her with respect, offering a contrast to the constant harassment she faced before. These relationships do not transform her overnight, but they create space for dignity and self-respect to take root. Even though the system still classifies her as a criminal, the influence of those around her begins to change how she carries herself. When she moves toward the commotion at the chapter’s end, it signals a growing willingness to engage with others and try to help them.
Active
Themes
