The devils 1/2

The Devil's novel is a theatrical story of the potentially disastrous consequences of political and moral nihilism, which was prevalent in Russia. A fictional city has slipped into chaos after it became a central point for a revolution attempted by; under the leadership of the main conspirator Pyotr Verkhovensky. The mysterious aristocratic character played by Nikolai Stavrogin—counterpart to Verkhovensky in the moral realm—dominates the story, exerting an extraordinary influence on the hearts and minds of almost all the other characters. The ideal Western-influenced generation of the 1840s, embodied in the character of Stefan Verkhovensky (Pyotr Verkhovensky's father and Nikolai Stavrogin's childhood teacher), is presented as a negligent and miserable accomplice to the "devilish" forces that take over the city.