The Devils (The Possessed)

“There was nothing Varvara Petrovna feared as much as humor.”

Varvara is an intelligent woman, but she is keenly aware of the role of etiquette in her society. As a widowed woman with a large amount of money, her status is built on a brittle foundation. She is forced to adopt a serious, aloof demeanor at all times because her society will not tolerate something as fickle as humor from a woman as it might do from a man. While Stepan and Stavrogin are permitted to be charming, Varvara abhors and fears humor as a demonstration of her weak position in a patriarchal society.

“I’d prefer you weren’t known as an atheist, I’d prefer it now especially.”

Varvara appreciates Stepan as an intellectual, but her awareness of her social status compels her to curb his intellectual pursuits. She does not care what he actually believes, only the public appearance of his intellectualism. To the characters, atheism is an indicator of radical political beliefs. Varvara does not care whether Stepan actually believes in God, only that the townspeople do not regard one of her close associates as a political radical.

“Mysteries, secrets! Why are there suddenly so many mysteries and secrets?”

Stepan is an intelligent man, but he has spent 20 years indulging his worst habits. He has been separated from reality by living at Varvara’s expense for so long. “Mysteries and secrets” have always been part of society but he has been insulated from their effects by another person’s wealth.