reader2121 wrote:Is Eugene Iretnev and Eugene Ivanich the same person? I'm confused?

Okay, I did some research. Turns out every Russian name consists of three names: a first (given) name, a patronymic name and a surname.

Patronymic name

Russian patronymic name is derived from father's name according to rule:
Russian male patronymic name forms by adding ending -evich, -ovich. (Nikolaevich, Mikhailovich). For example, Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy. Tha name of Lev Tolstoy's father was Nikolay, so the Lev Tolstoy's patronymic name is Nikolaevich.
Russian female patronymic name forms by adding ending -ovna, -evna. (Nikolaevna, Mikhailovna). For example, Raisa Maximovna Gorbacheva. Tha name of Raisa Gorbavheva's father was Maxim, so the Raisa's patronymic name is Maximovna.
Russians used First and Patronymic Name in formal relationships, with unfamiliar people, with doctors, teachers, lecturers, older members of family, directors, leaders and other respected people (ex. Vladimir Vladimirovich, Lev Nikolaevich, Fedor Mikhailovich).

So our protagonist's full name is likely Eugene Ivanich Irtenev.

Tolstoy starts the story with the line: "A brilliant career awaited Eugene Irtenev." And the only other place in the story that this surname "Irtenev" is used is in the last paragraph of the alternative ending: "And indeed, if Eugene Iretnev was mentally deranged when he committed this crime, then everyone is similarly insane."

Elsewhere in the story, the name Eugene Ivanich is used. In fact, "Ivanich" appears five times in the story. This is the case in two different translations I have seen.

For example, here:

"The watchman had been his father's huntsman, and Eugene Ivanich chatted with him, and the man began telling some strange tales of hunting sprees. It occurred to Eugene Ivanich that it would be convenient to arrange matters in this hut, or in the wood, only he did not know how to manage it and whether old Daniel would undertake the arrangement."

Thus, Eugene Ivanich Irtenev's name is shortened for most of the story to given name and patronymic. The narrator refers to Eugene most frequently using the patronymic. And in the alternative ending, as Eugene Ivanich returns from prison, the narrator returns to using Eugene's surname perhaps as a reintroduction to a character who is now an "enfeebled, irresponsible drunkard."

"Phosphates justify".......The phosphates are being spread on the fallow fields to rejuvenate or "justify" them; bring them back to a rich base for planting.

I've added some of the names to Forvo.com. So far, you can hear pronunciation of:

(Stepanida) http://www.forvo.com/word/%D1%81%D1%82% ... 4%D0%B0#ru

FYI: a desyatina is a form of measure. It is approximately 10.925 square meters

A question:

from chapter XIV:
Having received his fee, as usual into the backmost part of his palm, the doctor drove away and the patient was left to lie in bed for a week.

What do you suppose this means? Does he mean it was a "payoff" of some kind. The passage seems sinister.

Which ending do you think is most realistic?

I'm turning this over in my mind, and I'm thinking that Eugene's character wouldn't allow him to kill himself, that he would continue to blame Stepanida.

Suzanne wrote:
Tolstoy seems to be requiring the reader to make a moral choice when he gives us two endings. Which one do we pick? We must pick one. And we have to ask ourselves, why did we choose the the ending that decides Eugene's fate?

"Phosphates justify", hmmm? I have no idea what this means. I do know that if a writer repeats certain words again and again, it must mean something.

This was an intensely personal story for Tolstoy who later in life became very religious and ashamed of the excesses of his youth. I believe this story was intended as a parable of sorts, which is why he quotes scripture at the beginning. Tolstoy may have not meant to publish The Devil at all. It was published posthumously with both endings. He must have not been very satisfied with the first ending because he wrote an alternative ending for it. But in my opinion, the second ending isn't very satisfactory either.

I suggested this story because I have already read it and also because I think it's such an interesting story. (I even wrote my own alternative ending which works pretty well even if I can't come anywhere close to Tolstoy's style and tone.)

The alternate ending begins in Section XX right after the line—"Kill? Yes. There are only two ways out: to kill my wife or her. For it is impossible to live like this." But it seems to me in both of his endings, Tolstoy paints Eugene into a corner where the only possible way out is for someone to die: either Stepanida, Liza, or Eugene himself. But this seems to me something of a false trichotomy, if you will. Tolstoy seems over-committed to ending the tale with violent death. It seems unnecessarily melodramatic.

Yes, I agree when you write: "...was intended as a parable of sorts." It seems so straight forward, like a lesson a child might be taught. I wonder if many of Tolstoy's short stories are like this? I feel Gogol wrote differently, and less in a linear fashion.

So...do we choose another short story? Have we all finished discussing The Devil???

Although I did not like either of the endings, I think the story almost required the death of someone. The Bible passage that is quoted in the beginning speaks of cutting off the offending body part to save the soul from damnation. How do you cut out feelings of lust without causing a death? Of the two endings, I have chosen the first one to decide Eugene’s fate. He considered killing his wife and child at one point, this shows a major mental disorder. How do you cut out a mental disorder without causing death? The “devil” had to be killed, that would be Eugene, as Eugene saw it.

“The most mentally deranged people are certainly those who see in others indications of insanity they do not notice in themselves."

This quote lends itself very well with the second ending. The devil became Stepanida. The devil had to be killed, as Eugene saw it.

geo wrote:I even wrote my own alternative ending which works pretty well even if I can't come anywhere close to Tolstoy's style and tone

You didn't think this would go unnoticed or ignored did you? I would like to read your variation of the ending.

reader2121 wrote:So...do we choose another short story? Have we all finished discussing The Devil???

Reader, why don't you choose the next one.