Oblomov, Part One, Chapter 7
He belonged to two traditions and both had left their marks on him.
Chapter 7 gives us some of Zakhar’s background and what makes him tick. He’s actually quite a complex character and Goncharov does a good job of presenting his complexities. On the one hand, he’s as loyal to Oblomov as the day is long:
For all this … the fact remained that he was a servant deeply devoted to his master.
And on the other, he’s devious and has questionable morals:
A certain sophistication and a loosening of moral standards.
As I was reading this chapter, I found myself wondering whether knowing Zakhar more deeply was relevant to the plot, but as I got into the next chapter, it soon became clear that our understanding of the relationship between these two characters would be all the poorer without knowing at least a bit about Zakhar.
It’s a short chapter, but an important one.
Video discussion
Questions
Do you think it was important for Goncharov to include this background on Zakhar?