In Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Demons, the character Nikolai Vsevolodovich, also referred to as Starvrogin, is characterized as an obnoxious and quick to anger man. He is also capable, smart, and fearless, qualities that could make him a decent leader of a revolution, but because of the political situation of the time, he prefers to focus his efforts on engaging with the pleasures of life over striving toward the change and further freedom that could be found politically. When discussing Nikolai’s penchant for violence, the narrator, Mr. Govorov, points out his similarities to previous “legendary gentlemen” like the exiled Decemberist Lunin who was also famous for his fearlessness and “deliberately courting danger” (Dostoevsky, 204). Mr. Govorov explains that Lunin must have had fear, because if he didn’t there would be no recognition of danger, therefore no desire to interact with it in any way. And so because of that fear, Lunin and other legendary gentlemen’s actions were taken with the purpose of “overcoming their cowardice — that, of course, was what tempted them. A ceaseless reveling in victory and the awareness that no one can be victorious over you – that was what attracted them,” (Dostoevsky, 204). It was that desire for overcoming cowardice and wanting no one being victorious over him that people believe is what led Lunin and others to be Decemberists. Nikolai ends up differentiating from Lunin because his fearlessness comes from a place of anger that makes him quick to act and engage with danger, but then not feel a satisfying sense of victory or enjoyment from winning. All of that culminates to the fact that Nikolai has the potential to be a successful revolutionary leader but his apathy and chosen focus, in part due to his self centeredness as well as the tight control the government has on Russian society at the time, lead him to living a more repetitive and unfulfilling life, instead of doing something greater like those around him hope he would. In a way, Nikolai is a model citizen for the regime in power, because even if he does something illegal (like dueling) his apathy and motivations give him no desires related to revolting, protecting the regime’s power.