“The devil take you, Uncle. Die!”

Eugene Onegin is the hero and protagonist of the story, yet the narrator chooses to introduce him through one of his most unsympathetic moments. Onegin is bored of caring for his sickly uncle and wishes that the old man would die. After this introductory verse, the narrator lists Onegin’s most estimable qualities. For all his intellect and charm, however, the first impression of Onegin suggests that the version of himself that he presents to the world is a carefully calibrated construction.

“He who can feel is always fleeing / The ghost of days beyond recall.”

The ability to “feel” (1.46.3) is presented as a curse in Eugene Onegin as it serves only as a reminder of what might be lost. The “days beyond recall” (1.46.4) are the memories that have slipped away from the consciousness, leaving behind only a vague emotional impression. The person who can feel is fleeing the impressions that these days leave behind, as the feeling lingers long after the memory itself. Onegin has the capacity to feel, and it weighs down on him like a burden compared to his less intelligent, less empathetic peers.

“I’ll grant the censor’s right to shine / And send these fruits of inspiration / To feed the critics’ hungry pen.”

The narrator acknowledges the existence of Russia’s network of critics and censors by asserting his lack of fear. His