Nekhludoff and Fanarin

Nekhludoff and Fanarin is the professional relationship between Prince Dmitri Ivanovitch Nekhludoff and the celebrated Moscow advocate Fanarin, formed in the immediate aftermath of Katerina Maslova's unjust conviction for poisoning. Fanarin, a shrewd and expensive lawyer, becomes Nekhludoff's primary legal agent, drafting the appeal to the Senate and handling the Menshoffs' case, while their interactions reveal the gulf between Nekhludoff's moral awakening and the cynical, self-interested world of the legal profession.

First Contact and the Appeal

Immediately after the trial, Nekhludoff, overwhelmed by the verdict, seeks out Fanarin in the corridors of the Law Courts. He asks the advocate to take Maslova's case, insisting on secrecy and stating he will cover all costs. Fanarin, who knows Nekhludoff by sight and name, agrees to look into the matter, scheduling a meeting for Thursday. Nekhludoff's inexperience in legal matters is evident; Fanarin corrects him, noting that an appeal goes to the Senate, not a higher court. The advocate's condescending smile at Nekhludoff's naivete sets the tone for their relationship. Later, at Fanarin's splendid house, decorated with huge palms and expensive curtains, the advocate reads the petition he has drafted. He identifies four grounds for appeal, including the president's interruption of the medical report and the omission of the crucial instruction to the jury about the possibility of a verdict of guilty without intent to cause death. Fanarin is frank about the slim chances of success, stating that it all depends on which senators are present. He also mentions that if Nekhludoff has influence, he should use it. The fees for the Senate business and the commission come to 1,000 roubles, a sum Fanarin's assistant explains is a favor, as the advocate does not usually undertake such work.

The Advocate's Worldview and Nekhludoff's Discomfort

Fanarin embodies the cynical, self-satisfied legal elite that Nekhludoff is beginning to despise. During their first meeting, Fanarin cannot resist boasting about a profitable but dishonest transaction with a wealthy merchant, calling the man a "rogue" and a "scoundrel" while laughing unnaturally. Nekhludoff is repulsed by the advocate's attempt to establish a bond of shared superiority over other clients. Later, when Nekhludoff visits Fanarin's office again, the advocate is in high spirits after another successful deal. He dismisses the case of the peasant who read the Gospels to his friends, stating that the prosecutors and judges are merely officials concerned with their salaries, and that they could easily send anyone to the mines. When Nekhludoff questions the very purpose of trials if the law can be applied arbitrarily, Fanarin laughs and calls it "philosophy," inviting Nekhludoff to a literary evening at his home. Nekhludoff feels that the distance between himself and Fanarin's circle is even greater than that between himself and his former aristocratic companions. The advocate's ironic tone and his view of Nekhludoff's moral questions as amusing eccentricities highlight the fundamental incompatibility of their worldviews.

The Senate Hearing and Its Aftermath

Fanarin accompanies Nekhludoff to the Senate for the hearing of Maslova's appeal. In the Senate chamber, Fanarin, in his swallow-tail coat and white tie, presents the case with wonderful exactness and persuasiveness, his tone one of apology to the learned senators. After his speech, he looks around with a smile of triumph, but Nekhludoff sees that the senators are merely weary. The appeal is dismissed. As they leave, Fanarin confirms that the case was spoiled in the Criminal Court and advises Nekhludoff to appeal to the Emperor, offering to write the petition. The advocate's professional competence is undeniable, but his emotional detachment from the human tragedy at the heart of the case is complete. For Fanarin, Maslova's fate is a legal problem to be solved, not a moral crisis. This instrumental relationship, born of Nekhludoff's desperate need for legal help, serves as a constant reminder of the corrupt and indifferent system he is trying to fight.