Resurrection

Still energized despite his failed prison visit, Nekhlyudov checks with the governor’s office but finds that the original order for Maslova’s release has not yet arrived. He goes to dinner at the general’s home, still thinking about Maslova, Simonson, and the past. The elegant dinner—filled with cultured conversation, fine food, and gracious hosts—feels like a return to a world he had left behind. The general’s wife flatters him subtly, and the guests are pleasant and engaging. Nekhlyudov is drawn into the ease and refinement of it all, surprised at how natural it feels to reenter this privileged world.

After dinner, the general’s daughter proudly invites Nekhlyudov to see her children. Touched by her warmth and the peaceful domestic scene, he envies the quiet, secure happiness of this life—so unlike the suffering and chaos he has recently witnessed. As he praises the sleeping children, he feels a painful contrast between their innocence and the harsh realities of prison life. After the dinner, Nekhlyudov sets off to see the local prison, accompanied by an Englishman who was also at the party.