Oblomov, Part One, Chapter 6
The volcanic workings of his fevered imagination
I loved that Oblomov’s capacity for passion is revealed in this chapter as it gives me hope. Why is his passion being smothered? What is preventing him from action? That line about the volcanic workings of his fevered mind was just delightful!
Every detail of his abilities, of the volcanic workings of his fevered imagination and the kindness of his heart were well known to and could be attested to by Stolz
And earlier on I asked the question about why Oblomov took a job in the civil service when he didn’t really need to. Learning about his upbringing in this chapter answered that for me. Oblomov did feel a societal obligation to contribute:
He understood […] it was the duty of every citizen to sustain the welfare of society as a whole by honest labour.
And then we learn about his fear of being judged; that’s something I think we can all relate to. But when that fear is given too much attention, as it is on Oblomov’s case, it can cause us to freeze, to seek safety. Where do we find the courage to act anyway, despite our fears? I think that’s what Oblomov is facing here. Perhaps if Stolz had been a bit more present, but then again, as with raising a family, there comes a point when you have to let your children act on their own. I’m facing that situation now particularly with our somewhat Oblomovian son and it’s difficult to know when to step in and when to step back. And it’s specifically real-life situations like these that make reading literature so useful for posing questions differently, even if they don’t give us answers as such.
As he reflected on the meaning and purpose of his life he began to realize that the horizons of his day-to-day existence lay within himself.
It’s saying that we all have it within ourselves to define our own meaning and purpose in life. Oblomov is a thinker; he puts the work in to defining his purpose so much so that his thoughts become volcanic. But somehow, he doesn’t get to the action stage. Is that something you can relate to? I know I can! I sit out on the porch with my books and my notepad, with all kinds of thoughts firing in my brain that I think would be good to discuss here or in my videos. But still it takes effort to find the courage to do it. Hiding away in front of Netflix or doomscrolling Instagram reels can really deflate that feeling of passion. We’re all navigating that in some way in our modern age.
Video discussion
Questions
Do you have any real life situations that you’ve found help in dealing with through literature?
Thank you! This is a really fun book.