Ревшин. Ну, я вижу, вы развили энергию...
Может быть, зря и Барбашин не так уж страшен: видите, даже в
рифму.
(Revshin: May be, Barbashin is not so
terrible after all. "The Event," Act One)
Cf. Не так страшен
чёрт как его малюют ("the devil is not so terrible as
he is painted").
The private detective Barboshin ("the guardian angel" hired by
Troshcheykin to protect his and his wife's lives from the killer
Barbashin) doesn't look terrible at all. Troshcheykin finds that he is
"a great expert in his profession, terribly original and cosy" (Act
Three). But the painter forgets that devil can assume various
disguises and, when he meets devil face to face, fails to
recognize him. He doesn't notice that, Barbashin's alter ego,
Barboshin is more terrible than all the guests at Antonina Pavlavna's birthday
party, including Lyubov''s former midwife, Eleonora Schnapp (страшная женщина, "a terrible woman," according to
Lyubov'), whom the Troshcheykins last saw three years ago,
when their little son was buried.
According to Schnapp, it was Barbashin's, not
Troshcheykin's, child:
Элеонора Шнап (к Вагабундовой). Между нами
говоря, я совершенно убеждена теперь, что это был его
ребёночек...
Вагабундова. Никакого
сомненья!
Но я рада услышать профессиональное мненье. (Act
Two)
In "The Luzhin Defense" (chapter X) the father of
Luzhin's bride puns: "Не так страшен чёрт как его
малютки. Я сказал "малютки", - ты слышишь, душенька?" ("the
devil [Luzhin] is not as terrible as are his babies"). Lyubov' can not
forget the loss of her little son, nor can she forgive her husband for having
forgotten it.
Babies are also mentioned by Barboshin:
Барбошин. Да-да... Дивные планы! О, вы увидите!
Жизнь будет прекрасна. Жизнь будет вкусна. Птицы будут петь среди клейких
листочков, слепцы услышат, прозреют глухонемые. Молодые женщины будут поднимать
к солнцу своих малиновых младенцев. Вчерашние
враги будут обмнимать друг друга. И врагов
своих врагов. И врагов их детей. И детей
врагов. Надо только верить... Теперь ответьте мне прямо и
просто: у вас есть оружье? (Act Three)
As has been pointed out before, this monologue followed
by a question is a parody of the story and question Ivan
Karamazov asks his brother Alyosha in Dostoevsky's "The Brothers
Karamazov." The author of "The Legend of the Grand Inquisitor," Ivan
Karamazov ends up seeing the devil at court during Dmitri's trial.
On the other hand, враг ("enemy," Barboshin repeats this
word five times) used to be an euphemism of Дьявол, Сатана
(the Fiend, Devil).
Also, "Враги" ("The Enemies," 1906) is a play by
Troshcheykin's namesake, A. M. Peshkov (M. Gorky). It ends with Levshin's words:
"you won't suppress us with any fear, no, you won't."
Alexey Sklyarenko