In "An Upheaval," external pressures force the main character, Mashenka Pavletsky, to undergo a decisive alteration in "personality" or "consciousness," an alteration which sets her apart from other women in the story. The focus of this essay is Mashenka's differences from her peers, her differences from her superior, Fedosya, and the ultimate expression of this difference. Mashenka, and Liza, her fellow sevant, have conflicting views, treatment and reactions concerning the search for the brooch. Through …showed first 75 words of 677 total…

…showed last 75 words of 677 total…which Mashenka rose to the top. Mashenka never changed over the course of the story, she only revealed different parts of herself as the situation dictated. She had always been the "only human face" in the house, though the imposing nature of the search is what revealed it. The search itself was only brought on by Nikolay's avarice. The nature of the half-man revealed the half-people. It is only life experience that exposes those traits.