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Book 3, Chapter 21
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
After crossing the river, Nekhlyudov arrives in a provincial Siberian town and checks into a hotel, grateful for the relative comfort after months of rough travel. After cleaning up and changing into formal clothes, he visits the district Governor—a bloated, alcoholic general who preaches liberal ideals while upholding a brutal penal system. Nekhlyudov requests that Maslova be allowed to stay in town while awaiting news about her petition and that Pavlovna be permitted to remain behind with Kriltsov, even if it means having to marry him. The General listens with a mix of amusement and condescension, citing legal technicalities to deny both requests, but promises to consider them.
Nekhlyudov’s arrival in town brings a brief sense of relief, marked by small rituals of comfort. This moment of normalcy contrasts with the rigid routines and deprivation of the prison march. The meeting with the Governor quickly strips away any hope of fairness. The General’s self-satisfaction and easy talk of progress stand in sharp contrast to the cruelty he oversees. His manner—by turns indulgent and dismissive—reduces Nekhlyudov’s requests to bureaucratic inconvenience.
Active
Themes
