The Possessed (short story)

"The Possessed," also known as "The Devils" (Russian: Бесы, tr. Besy), is a novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky, published in 1872. It is considered one of his four major novels, alongside Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, and The Brothers Karamazov.

The novel is a complex and multi-layered work exploring themes of nihilism, atheism, social revolution, political intrigue, and the destructive consequences of radical ideologies. It is partially inspired by the Nechayev affair, a real-life political murder in Russia in 1869.

"The Possessed" chronicles the chaos that engulfs a provincial Russian town due to the influence of a group of young intellectuals and revolutionaries led by the charismatic but ultimately destructive Nikolai Stavrogin and the manipulative Pyotr Stepanovich Verkhovensky. Verkhovensky seeks to use Stavrogin as a figurehead to incite rebellion and overthrow the existing social order.

The plot involves a web of interconnected characters, each grappling with their own personal demons and contributing to the escalating turmoil. Key characters include Varvara Petrovna Stavrogina, Stavrogin's mother; Stepan Trofimovich Verkhovensky, Pyotr's father and a liberal intellectual; Kirillov, an engineer obsessed with suicide and proving his own godhood; Shatov, a former revolutionary who returns to religion; and Liza Tushina, a wealthy young woman drawn into the group's machinations.

The novel's central conflict revolves around the clash between traditional values and revolutionary ideals, the dangers of unchecked ambition, and the spiritual void that can lead to moral degradation and violence. Through its exploration of these themes, "The Possessed" offers a profound and unsettling commentary on the human condition and the seductive power of destructive ideologies. The work is noted for its dark humor, psychological depth, and prophetic insights into the potential consequences of radical political movements.