The Brothers Karamazov is Dostoevsky’s latest novel. The writer died two months after the publication of the book. The novel contains elements of the detective genre, but the work touches primarily on issues of morality. A detailed analysis of the “Brothers Karamazov” by Dostoevsky is presented in the article.
The Story of Fedor Pavlovich Karamazov
The characters in this book are not divided into negative and positive. Even the “great sinner” —Fyodor Pavlovich — has moments of enlightenment, albeit short-lived. An analysis of the work “The Brothers Karamazov” by F. M. Dostoevsky is impossible without the characterization of this hero.
Fedor Pavlovich in his youth was a poor landowner. However, he managed to conclude a profitable marriage. After the wedding, he took the money from his wife, left her with nothing. She ran away from him, leaving a little son, about whom the unreliable father immediately forgot. A little later, Fedor Pavlovich married again an unrequited, quiet girl who bore him two sons. Both the first and second wife died in their youth.
Family conflict
By the time Dmitry, the eldest son, turned twenty-eight, Fedor Pavlovich had already become a wealthy landowner. However, he did not want to give money - he was a voluptuous man, a drinker and extremely stingy. A conflict arose between father and son, on which the plot of “The Brothers Karamazov” is tied. An analysis of the work of Dostoevsky also implies a characteristic of Grushenka. This is a controversial heroine, her attitude to the eldest son of Karamazov changes during the story.
Fedor Pavlovich and his eldest son are both in love with Grushenka, which exacerbates their conflict. Once Karamazov is found with a broken head. Dmitry is accused of murder.
Making an analysis of Dostoevsky’s novel “The Brothers Karamazov”, one of the heroes should cite the words: “Are you not an evil person - warped”. This phrase belongs to Alexei, which will be discussed later. Apparent evil is not always an indicator of an absolute loss of personality - this is probably the main idea of ​​the author of the work “The Brothers Karamazov”.
An analysis of individual scenes of the novel reveals glimpses of morality even in Fedor Pavlovich. For example, when meeting with the elder Zosima, when Karamazov Sr. tries to look more disgusting, even softer than he really is, and seems to do so, because he has long been labeled as a drunkard and a sinner, which should correspond. Then Fyodor Pavlovich repents, and after a few minutes he again takes on his own, which makes even the humble monks indignant.
Description of Fedor Pavlovich
In an artistic analysis of the novel The Brothers Karamazov, several quotes from critics should be given. Literary critic K. Nakamura, who had studied the work of a Russian writer for many years, described Karamazov Sr. as "a cunning, voluptuous and corrupt man." The image of Fedor Pavlovich lacks purposeful behavior. He does not care about the opinions of others. Karamazov does not recognize authority. He is only interested in money and carnal pleasures.
According to critics, this literary image consists of an “external side”, behind which there is no internal. However, he possesses cunning enough to provide himself with money and women. He is not without insight, which allows him to correctly evaluate people.
The fate of Dmitry
This is perhaps the most controversial hero in The Brothers Karamazov. Analysis of the work includes a brief retelling. Recall that the author told about the life of Dmitry. What events influenced his character?
As a child, Mitya, abandoned by his mother, lived without any supervision. The father, having fornication, seemed to have forgotten about the infant son. Servant Gregory temporarily replaced the boy's parents.
Growing up, Dmitry received a small amount from his father - part of his mother’s inheritance. During the years of service, Dmitry quickly spent this money, because he led a free life. He could not give up his habits even after retirement. The eldest son of Karamazov was sure that his father owed him a considerable amount, which was partly right. However, he said that he paid everything to the penny.
Prototypes of Dmitry Karamazov
The prototype of the convict Mitya is a real person, a resident of the prison, retired lieutenant Dmitry Ilyinsky. In 1848, he was arrested on charges of killing his father. But this is not the only prototype of the brightest hero of the novel "The Brothers Karamazov."
In the analysis of a work of criticism, a lot of facts are usually given from the history of its creation. A lot of articles have been written about Dostoevsky’s last novel. Each literary critic puts forward his own version of the prototypes of the characters. Another alleged prototype of Dmitry is Apollon Grigoriev, one of the admirers of the writer's works.
Innocent convict
The eldest son of Karamazov has an impulsive and explosive character. This is an extremely emotional person, sometimes making irrational acts. Dmitry does not know how to wait and endure. His desires are chaotic. The analysis of the “Brothers Karamazov” can be supplemented by the words of the above-mentioned Nakamura: “Dmitry is a stupid, pompous, short-sighted and scandalous man.” But this is just the opinion of one of the critics.
Dostoevsky’s novel is a multi-valued work. Dmitry Karamazov causes sympathy among many readers, in which the unfair court verdict plays a significant role. He did not kill his father, but it is impossible to prove his innocence: a conflict over money, over Grushenka, frequent public threats ... But, as you know, there is no punishment without guilt. Dmitry realizes his mistakes too late - being in the dock. When analyzing The Brothers Karamazov, attention should be paid to those changes that are taking place in the soul of this hero.
Dmitry does not seem to care what will happen to him when he is recognized as a murderer. He seeks to prove his innocence, but is not embittered by those who do not believe him. Dmitry sees this as a punishment for his past dissolute life.
Alexei
The author called this hero a "figure." Dostoevsky planned to devote a separate work to Alexei Karamazov, in which he would no longer be a novice of the monastery, but a revolutionary. “The third son of Alyosha” is the name of the fourth chapter of the “Brothers Karamazov”, the analysis of which will allow to characterize this hero. It is noteworthy that in the draft version the author calls him an idiot, which indicates the similarity of this character with Prince Myshkin.
Making an analysis of The Brothers Karamazov, it is worth quoting Dostoevsky himself. “He could not passively love, but after loving, he immediately began to help,” - so the author says about Alyosha.
The image of the "leader" is contrasted with the previous images of "dreamers" found in other works of the writer. Alexey Karamazov knows how to love people and respond to their trust. He is imbued with the suffering of others.
Ivan Karamazov
The middle son of Fedor Pavlovich is a staunch rationalist. Ivan Karamazov is 23 years old. The author compares it with Faust Goethe. Ivan is a rebel hero who professes atheistic beliefs and calls for a review of established moral dogmas.
The image of the middle son Karamazov is surrounded by mystery. Ivan grew up in a foster family, in childhood he was a gloomy boy. But even then he demonstrated rare abilities. Unlike his older brother, Ivan worked from an early age and did not depend on anyone. At first he gave lessons, then he wrote articles for magazines. Dmitry, alluding to his brother’s laconicism and his ability to keep other people's secrets, says: “Ivan is a grave.” Alyosha calls him a mysterious man.
Ivan is shown by the author as a thinking person who is trying to find answers to "eternal" questions. Something this hero resembles Raskolnikov.
Everything is allowed
Shortly before the events shown in the novel, Ivan returns to his father, lives in his house for some time. At first, the reader does not pay attention to such a nondescript character as Smerdyakov. The analysis of The Brothers Karamazov suggests a good knowledge of the contents of the book. It is worth recalling the scene in which Ivan gives a long speech. The uneducated, vicious, hypocritical Smerdyakov is imbued with his words. The footman concludes: everything is allowed.
Who is the killer?
VIII chapter of the fourth part shows the last meeting of Ivan with Smerdyakov. Here the reader will find out who the criminal is. The former lackey says to Karamazov: “You killed, but Dmitry is innocent.” In the course of a long conversation, Ivan realizes that his ideas, far from Christianity, and generated in this miserable and disgusting person a confidence in impunity. Smerdyakov claims that Fyodor Pavlovich was killed by Ivan, but with his hands. After all, he said shortly before his death that he was not against the murder, and then hastily left his parental home.
The footman of Ivan understood, of course, wrongly. The middle son of Karamazov is far from Rodion Raskolnikov, who committed the murder with his own hands. But there are common features in these heroes, and above all, this is cold-blooded rationalism.
In the same chapter, which tells about the last conversation with Smerdyakov, you can see how different the brothers are from each other. Dmitry does evil as if meaninglessly, and then regrets it. Alex is ready to help everyone. Ivan causes respect among others. But you cannot call him good. Going to Smerdyakov, Ivan meets a drunk man. He annoys him greatly, and he is ready to hit him. A man bawls the song “Ah, Vanka went to St. Petersburg!” and comes close to Ivan. And he in a fit of anger pushes him. A man falls back. “It will freeze,” Ivan thinks and calmly leaves. And only Smerdyakov recalls the words "Ah, Vanka went to St. Petersburg!" and begins to analyze his actions.
After meeting with the lackey killer, Ivan changes. He is going to go to the police and talk about who the criminal really is. On the way back, he saves that drunk peasant to whom he had no pity the day before. Smerdyakov is dying. It is impossible to prove Dmitry’s innocence. And the words of Ivan that he was to blame for the murder of his father are not taken seriously in court.
Smerdyakov
In the draft version of the novel, the killer is not a footman, but Ivan. Dostoevsky introduced this character into the plot under the impression of one of the heroes of Victor Hugo and visiting a shelter for illegitimate children.
Smerdyakov is the son of a holy fool. Once in the city lived the fool Lizaveta, whom no one dared to offend. But here Karamazov amazed everyone with his cruelty, cynicism. Lizaveta gave birth to a son from him. The boy was taken up by a servant Gregory, who had recently lost his own child.
Smerdyakov grew cruel, angry, envious. He hated people, hated Russia. Talking about the events of 1812, he fantasizes: it would be nice if the French defeated the Russians. After all, these are smart, cultured people ...
Smerdyakov carefully monitors his appearance. He learned this in Moscow. However, he does not read books, is not interested in art. Smerdyakov is imbued with the speeches of Ivan, after which he kills his master and takes the money. Dostoevsky showed how dangerous the speeches of an educated atheist and rationalist can be if they are made in the presence of stupid, limited, embittered people.
But after Smerdyakov realized that Ivan had not thought about the murder, the illusion of grandeur and permissiveness that arose in him and prompted the crime collapsed. He committed suicide.
Other images in the novel
One of the chapters of the novel is dedicated to the elder Zosima - a former officer who spent forty years in the monastery. The meeting of this man with Dmitry is symbolic. Seeing the eldest son of Karamazov, he falls to his knees in front of him. The elder, not without a gift of foresight, already knows about the fate of this absurd and fiery person.
Grushenka is a bright female character, which critics often compare with Nastasya Filippovna. She, too, was once a kept woman of a wealthy man. She is humiliated and insulted, but not humble. Opposed to this heroine is Katerina, who, unlike Grushenka, is well-disposed and respected by others.