Abstract
Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novel Demons is much more than the story of a political murder; it describes the clash of ideas in 1860s Russia as Russia battles between retaining its past national identity, rooted loosely in Eastern Orthodoxy, and Western ideas, rooted in atheism. It is a clash of politics, but even more it is a clash of religion. However, the opposing sides in the battle of religion appear far from balanced, for even Shatov, who supports Russian Orthodoxy, does not truly believe in God. Atheism seems to win out as all characters reject real, vital faith in God in some form, and havoc ensues. At the center of it all lies the enigmatic, fascinating, horrifying character Stavrogin. Though Stavrogin often lies in the background, rarely doing anything and often fading out altogether, his subtle yet powerful influence over the other characters drives the plot of the novel. Through it all, Demons sets Stavrogin up as an anti-Christ figure, hammering the dreadful consequences of replacing God with man.
Recommended Citations
MLA:
DeOrnellis, Drake
"Stavrogin: The Anti-Christ of Demons,"
The Kabod
5.
1
(2018)
Article 8.
Liberty University Digital Commons.
Web. [xx Month xxxx].
APA:
DeOrnellis, Drake (2018) "Stavrogin: The Anti-Christ of Demons" The Kabod 5( 1 (2018)), Article 8. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/kabod/vol5/iss1/8
Turabian:
DeOrnellis, Drake "Stavrogin: The Anti-Christ of Demons" The Kabod 5 , no. 1 2018 (2018) Accessed [Month x, xxxx]. Liberty University Digital Commons.