Skip to main content
Chaptra
Cover of The Bedbug [1934]

The Bedbug [1934]

Written by C. L. Marlatt

Not rated yet — tap a star to review it
Bedbugs

Chaptra reads alongside you — AI insights, chapter breakdowns and reader discussions for every book. Join free

About this book

"The Bedbug [1934] by C. L. Marlatt" is an informative agricultural publication that falls within the category of entomological research, specifically focusing on household pests. Written during the early 20th century, this bulletin addresses the pervasive and troublesome issue of bedbugs, outlining their habits, life cycle, and control methods to assist homeowners in managing these blood-sucking parasites. The content of the book details the biology and behavior of the common bedbug ("Cimex lectularius"), highlighting its ability to invade homes, often through luggage or laundry. Marlatt discusses the insect's physical characteristics, lifecycle, and the conditions that favor its reproduction, emphasizing the necessity of vigilance for pest control. The text provides various remedies, from fumigation techniques using hydrocyanic acid gas to the use of household treatments like kerosene and superheating methods, aimed at eradicating these pests while also considering their resilience and environmental adaptability.

Read it with a club

Small groups reading the same books and talking as they go.

All clubs
A curved balcony of library shelves

News

  • 4 members
  • 1,813 discussions
  • Active Sep 11

Read The Bedbug [1934] alongside people who are reading it too.

Open the club

Also here: News Bulletin, Just Joking....

Chaptra Prime — paid clubs, every club feature, and unlimited reading support, for $5 a month or $60 once.

See Prime

Reading guide

Themes, characters and key ideas in The Bedbug [1934], written by Chaptra AI.

  • about 3 hours
  • intermediate
  • satirical
  • humorous
  • absurdist

Vladimir Mayakovsky's "The Bedbug" is a biting satirical play in two acts, first performed in 1929, that critiques both the decadent bourgeois elements of the New Economic Policy (NEP) era and the potential sterile, dehumanizing aspects of a future communist utopia. The protagonist, Ivan Prisypkin, a former worker turned philistine, is accidentally frozen in 1929 and resurrected fifty years later in a perfectly organized, emotionless communist society. His reappearance, along with a persistent bedbug, throws the future into disarray, forcing society to confront the enduring nature of human flaws and desires.

“Comrades! Citizens! Brothers! My blood brothers! Whence come ye? Are there not bedbugs among you? Listen, citizens! My dear children! Why are you here? Why have you been separated from me? Let them come to me, they are my own, I am a human being after all!”

Key themes

Philistinism and Bourgeois Decadence
The play savagely critiques 'meshchanstvo' (philistinism) – the shallow, materialistic, and culturally backward aspirations of the emerging bourgeois class during the NEP period. Prisypkin embodies this theme, abandoning revolutionary ideals for superficial comforts, showing how these values persist even after a revolution.
The Persistence of Human Nature
Despite radical societal changes and the passage of time, fundamental human desires, flaws, and irrationalities persist. Prisypkin and his bedbug serve as living proof that certain aspects of human nature are resistant to ideological or technological eradication.
Utopianism and its Discontents
Mayakovsky explores the dark side of utopian aspirations. The future society, while technologically advanced and free of traditional ills, is sterile, emotionless, and lacking in individuality. It suggests that a 'perfect' society might come at the cost of essential human qualities.

Worth discussing

To what extent does 'The Bedbug' critique communism, and to what extent does it critique human nature itself?

Chapter-by-chapter breakdowns, character arcs and the full thematic analysis come with a free account.

Sign up freeLog in

Discussions

No one has started one yet

Join

Questions this book opens up

No discussions yet

Be the first to start a discussion about this book!

Sign up to start the discussion

Reviews

No reviews yet

Be the first to review this book!