The Idiot

In Russia, practicality is respected. A quiet, sensible general is more respected and valued than "inventors and geniuses" (250), for example. While the Epanchin family are "highly-regarded" (252) in Saint Petersburg, they have a reputation for being eccentric. Madame Epanchin is aware of this reputation, and she closely guards herself against eccentricity. She worries, however, about her daughters and their marriage prospects. In recent times, the thought of Adelaida marrying Prince Shch. and Aglaya marrying Evgeny have eased her anxieties. The past few days have brought her anxieties flooding back, however. Aglaya is distraught after her mother received a "cursed anonymous letter" (254) which revealed that Aglaya corresponded with Nastasya. Madame Epanchin regrets bringing Myshkin to her house to make him discuss the matter. The concern about the uncontrollable Aglaya lingers in Madame Epanchin's mind as a group of people gather in the Epanchin's "luxurious" (255) dacha. The group begins to discuss literature and politics. Evgeny Pavlovich and Myshkin talk about liberalism in Russia, which they believe is not suited to the country as it is "an attack on the existing order of things" (257). Evgeny uses the example of the nihilists which visited Myshkin to point out the ways in which morality is perverted among the young liberals.