Radicalism/Extremism
One of the major overriding themes of Dostoevsky's Demons is radicalism, which swept Russia in the latter part of the 19th century. Dostoevsky contrasts the more romantic, idealistic "Men of the Forties" (Stepan) with the younger socialist revolutionaries (Peter), who seek to destroy the existing social order. The extremism displayed by Peter, Stavrogin, and the other characters in their "group of five" are eventually their downfall. The consequences of relying on radicalism and extremism, rather than on gradual liberal social change, are shown in the later chapters of the novel: destruction, murder, and imprisonment. For example, the burning of the town is a direct consequence of the actions of the radicals. Dostoevsky uses the theme of radicalism in the story to expose the potential destruction if radicalism were to win out in Russia.
Generational Change
One of the major themes in Demons is the struggle between the old generation, personified by Stepan, and the younger generation, personified by his son Peter. In the novel, Stepan is said to have been an liberal professor and is renowned for his high-society salon liberalism. He speaks French, reads Shakespeare, and discusses Western art with visitors to Varvara Petronova. He is an old-fashioned romantic, while the novel takes place in the time of the early revolutionary movement, in which ideas like nihilism, utilitarianism, and socialism began to take hold. Peter, however, is a man of his times and is the unspoken leader of a socialist revolutionary group. This struggle between the generations is most clear when Stepan dies, heartbroken, at the end of the novel, which can be seen as the figurative death of the romantic liberal generation.
Social Class
The theme of social class is a specter over the entire storyline of Demons, as characters defy, reaffirm, and change the norms of their social classes, as well as their attempt at a socialist revolution aimed at destroying the class system. The novel's central character, Nikolai Stavrogin, has caused a great scandal prior to the opening of the story due to his wild antics in St. Petersburg. His mother Varvara wants him to behave as a young nobleman, yet he defies this expectation through several actions, such as marrying Marya, carrying on an affair with Liza, and dragging the governor around by his nose.
Social class is also important in the novel's major scenes, such as Julia von Lembke's gala, and the meeting of the group at Virginsky's house. At the gala, characters violate the norms of upper-class behavior through their pranks and mean antics, and embarrass the hostess by creating chaos in the town. Later, at the meeting, Stavrogin reaffirms expected behavior of his class by becoming the "leader" of the group due to his noble background, at the urging of Peter. Overall, social class is the unspoken guide of much of the behavior in the novel and affects each character in a different way.