Talk:What Is to Be Done? (novel)

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This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 18 January 2022 and 9 May 2022. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Aboardm1 (article contribs).

False interpretations

The statement "Within the framework of a story of a privilegied couple who decide to work for the revolution, and ruthlessly subordinate everything in their lives to the cause, the work furnished a blueprint for the asceticism and dedication unto death which became an ideal of the early socialist underground of the Russian Empire." is at least highly controversial. In no way do the main characters of the book, i.e. Vera Pavlovna and Lopukhov, work for the revolution - in fact, all Vera Pavlovna does is establishing co-operative society for seamstresses. The novel praised the marriage with equal rights for a husband and a wife - although it was considered "nihilist" by some retrograds at the time, in no way can it be named "revolutionary". The character who really "subordinated everything in his life to the cause", Rakhmetov, is not the one who personifies Chernyshevsky's ideals - that's a common view of contemporary critics. However, this character did influence Lenin a lot. Kollfan 20:41, 11 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If that's not what the novel is about, then what is it about? You seem to know better than whoever wrote this. Please tell us.Ileanadu (talk) 02:35, 2 April 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Multiple Problems

The "Plot Outline" isn't a plot outline.
Based on the information given, you can't call it a "guidebook to revolution".
The influence on Lenin seems to be wildly overstated. The only factual points is that he liked the book when he was young and later used the title (and only the title) in his own book. Really, so what? In recent times, Michael Moore has referenced Dude, Where's My Car?, Tariq Ali has referenced Pirates of the Caribbean! Chernyshevsky was a Narodnik (Populist), and his political heirs at the time of the Russian Revolution were the SRs, not the Bolsheviks.--Jack Upland (talk) 01:53, 22 May 2011 (UTC)[reply]

What is the plot? You seem to know. Tell us.

Can you fix the other problems with this section? Ileanadu (talk) 02:44, 2 April 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Land and Liberty was formed in 1860-1861 and Chernyshevsky started the book after his imprisonment in 1862

How a Response to Fathers & Sons?

The article's introduction states that this novel is a "response to Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev." How so? What in Fathers & Sons is this novel responding to? Or is it just a personal response by the author to Turgenev's work? Ileanadu (talk) 02:40, 2 April 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Is title a biblical reference?

Is the title a Biblical reference - to Luke 3:10-14? Shto delat'? ("What is to be done?" or "What Shall We Do?")

Luke: 10 And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” 11 And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics[a] is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” 12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” 14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”

At least according to the article What Is to Be Done? (Tolstoy) this is an intentional reference. Since Chernyshevsky's work came first, did he intend the reference? Ileanadu (talk) 03:14, 2 April 2014 (UTC)[reply]

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