An act of hope? Maybe in his warped world; but it's an act of stupdity in mine. Along with all those other self inflicted floggings and other odd things people do in the name of religion. Do they really think that God wants them to mutilate a body that he made in his own image? Does he want them in a position that they become "soft" and unable to defend themselves or stand up for what is right. They cannot crawl under a rock and hide like they want...because chances are "life" is going to stroll through that garden and kick the rock over and they will be exposed like writhing worms.

Samarin sees this sacrifice as moving toward a goal no matter what the cost and it gives him hope for his own cause. A cause to be achieved at any cost - the end justifies the means - he will go to any extreme to achieve his goal. He sees this sacrifice as "hope" that his acts of terror are justified. It is such an extreme action, the Skoptsy show no hope that God will help them. I would call it an act of despair, that man is incapable of rising above temptation by any other means.

Charlene, I think that is the key as I see it. Considering the chaos of the times with war, famine and political upheaval the order of the day, maybe he saw anyone that would scarifice for the good of others to be ray of hope. Just as he believed he was doing. (Not that I agree with their ideas of going about it!) EDIT: Linda Lee!, It does appear to be more of an act of despair from our point of view.

Did you see their "sacrifice" as being for others? I saw it as being for one's self, to become an angel and share in the paradise created here on earth.


Charlene, the picture you paint of them is how I see them also.

Samarin is talking to Anna about the castrates and he tells her, “It shows there’s hope. Hope to think that modern man will make such sacrifices for something they believe in, for more than something they can reach out and touch. That not everything is a transaction.” Is Balashov’s sacrifice an act of hope?
Yes, Balashov did believe in a higher cause and a better world. His methods of sacrifice seem a bit mislead but even he realizes that in the end.
Samarin is comparing the castrates sacrifice to his own sacrifice of love, family, even his humanity for his cause of a better world.

DITHOT, Ok, I can see that, I was thinking only of the individual's castration, not about "helping" others in this way.

Liz, I did think he saw it as a sacrifice for God. Even though, as Charlene said, I will never understand how mutilating that which was made in the image of God would bring them closer to God. I also agree Samarin thought he was making the world a better place.

Charlene, well put. They'd put themselves above God, hadn't they. But perhaps that's the key point in extremism of any sort, the hope that you can change something no matter how absurd or unkind the method.

Are the miscalculations , in physical inches, or in light years, or both?

One opinion might be that he was right on track, did what he wanted to do, and died a happy man.

He didn't seem happy, though, with the direction he had gone when he said this: "You know, when you're no longer a man, and no longer an angel, life can be very tiresome." This also does not sound like a man who is totally happy with what he is about to do: "If an angel falls so as to save someone, it must please God, though never so greatly that God can save the angel." I think he was ambivalent about his path.