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Book 3, Chapter 9
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
As soon as the orderly leaves, a barefoot prisoner quietly approaches Nekhlyudov and warns him that a convict named Karmanov has tricked a young exile into switching identities so he can avoid being sent to the mines. The man—Makar Devkin—begs Nekhlyudov to intervene, explaining that the other prisoners are afraid to act or speak out. Nekhlyudov nods in understanding. Devkin, a peasant sentenced to hard labor for attempted murder and robbery, had once asked Nekhlyudov to help secure permission for his wife to join him. He had described his crime as the devil’s doing—after hearing that a traveler was carrying money, he claimed a voice urged him to hide an axe in the sleigh and attack. Though he attempted to strike the man, he was quickly overpowered, arrested, and convicted despite positive testimony from his community. Now, by speaking up, Devkin risks being killed by the other prisoners.
Devkin steps forward with urgency shaped by fear. The story he tells places him in danger, not just from authorities but from the men around him. Karmanov’s scheme depends on silence, and Devkin’s decision to speak breaks a shared code. His earlier encounter with Nekhlyudov adds depth to the moment. He once asked for something small and personal; now he asks for action that could shift the balance of power among the prisoners. Ultimately, Devkin is a minor figure in the novel but, like everyone else caught up in the prison system, he has a story that makes him a sympathetic figure, one who does not deserve the horrible circumstances he finds himself in.
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