▁promoted ▁to ▁government al ▁inspect or ▁of ▁his ▁province . ▁The ▁om nis cient ▁third - person ▁narr ative ▁allowed ▁S olog ub ▁to ▁combine ▁his ▁Symbol ist ▁t endencies ▁and ▁the ▁tradition ▁of ▁Russian ▁Real ism ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁engaged ▁throughout ▁his ▁earlier ▁nov els , ▁a ▁style ▁similar ▁to ▁Mau pass ant ' s ▁fant astic ▁real ism . ▁ ▁Real istic ▁elements ▁of ▁The ▁Pet ty ▁Dem on ▁include ▁a ▁v ivid ▁description ▁of ▁ 1 9 th - century ▁rural ▁every day ▁life , ▁while ▁a ▁fant astic ▁element ▁is ▁the ▁presentation ▁of ▁Per ed on ov ' s ▁hall uc in ations ▁on ▁equal ▁terms ▁with ▁external ▁events . ▁While ▁the ▁book ▁was ▁received ▁as ▁an ▁ind ict ment ▁of ▁Russian ▁society , ▁it ▁is ▁a ▁very ▁met aph ys ical ▁novel ▁and ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁major ▁pro se ▁works ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁Symbol ist ▁movement . ▁James ▁H . ▁Bill ington ▁said ▁of ▁it : ▁The ▁book ▁puts ▁on ▁display ▁a ▁Fre ud ian ▁tre asure ▁ch est ▁of ▁per versions ▁with ▁subt le ty ▁and ▁cred ibility . ▁The ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁novel ' s ▁hero , ▁Per ed on ov , ▁became ▁a ▁symbol ▁of ▁calculating ▁conc up isc ence ▁for ▁an ▁entire ▁generation ... ▁He ▁tor ments ▁his ▁students , ▁der ives ▁er otic ▁satisfaction ▁from ▁watching ▁them ▁kne el ▁to ▁pray , ▁and ▁system atically ▁bef ou ls ▁his ▁a partment ▁before ▁leaving ▁it ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁his ▁generalized ▁spite ▁against ▁the ▁universe