This struggle between the generations is most clear when Stepan dies, heartbroken, at the end of the novel, which can be seen as the figurative death of the romantic liberal generation. Peter, however, is a man of his times and is the unspoken leader of a socialist revolutionary group.
He is an old-fashioned romantic, while the novel takes place in the time of the early revolutionary movement, in which ideas like nihilism, utilitarianism, and socialism began to take hold. He speaks French, reads Shakespeare, and discusses Western art with visitors to Varvara Petronova. In the novel, Stepan is said to have been an liberal professor and is renowned for his high-society salon liberalism. One of the major themes in Demons is the struggle between the old generation, personified by Stepan, and the younger generation, personified by his son Peter. Dostoevsky uses the theme of radicalism in the story to expose the potential destruction if radicalism were to win out in Russia. For example, the burning of the town is a direct consequence of the actions of the radicals. The consequences of relying on radicalism and extremism, rather than on gradual liberal social change, are shown in the later chapters of the novel: destruction, murder, and imprisonment. The extremism displayed by Peter, Stavrogin, and the other characters in their "group of five" are eventually their downfall. Dostoevsky contrasts the more romantic, idealistic "Men of the Forties" (Stepan) with the younger socialist revolutionaries (Peter), who seek to destroy the existing social order. One of the major overriding themes of Dostoevsky's Demons is radicalism, which swept Russia in the latter part of the 19th century. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community.
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