The Devils (The Possessed)

The events in Devils take place almost entirely in the town of Skvoreshniki. In the context of the novel, the town functions as a symbolic microcosm for Russian society as a whole. The wealthy elites of the town live in lavish comfort at the expense of the more impoverished townspeople. This inequality is rampant and barely acknowledged by the wealthy people like Varvara or Yulia. Instead of addressing the inequality, they would rather throw lavish literary events to raise money for the same governesses who they underpay. The structural and institutional inequalities of Russian society are visible in the makeup of the town, explaining why people such as Peter can whip up revolutionary fervor with ease.

The people of Skvoreshniki are also symbolic of the attitudes and actions that were prevalent at the time in Russian society. The inequality and the lack of social mobility were recognized issues among younger generations, but the inaction of the older generation created a constant sense of social friction. This friction is embodied in the man who governs Skvoreshniki, Von Lembke, as well as the area’s wealthiest landowner, Varvara. Von Lembke is a man who is reluctant to govern. He is cowed by his ambitious wife and driven to the point of collapse by the younger generations and their insistence on change.