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Dostoevsky the Brothers Karamazov
When it comes to classics of world literature, one of the first works that comes to mind will undoubtedly be The Brothers Karamazov. If you remember, we previously published our article about Crime and Punishment, another masterpiece of Dostoyevsky. Accordingly, those who read both works will notice some logical integrity between these works. In line with that, we see similar traces of analytical thinking, especially in the interrogating judge and court scenes. It should not be forgotten that at the time this work was written, our author had just returned from Siberia, where he was sent to penal servitude by the Tsardom.
By the way, it should be remembered that such a valuable writer returned from execution at the last moment just because he opposed the current administration. This information gives us very important clues about the content of the book. Because Dostoevsky showed his sentiments through the characters of the book such as his bad relationship with his father, his deep desire for him to die and the great remorse he felt after his death.
We will give the details of the characters below, but it should be noted that; Dmitry, Ivan and Alexei (Alyosha) each of the Karamazov brothers shows traces of the character, personality and life of the master writer Dostoevsky. In this context, Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky was now in his mastery period and has exhibited all his skills in this work which has a very deep literary value and superior intelligence compared to its time. The author passed away months after publishing this novel in 1880 which took him two years to write. Along with this, novel The Brothers Karamazov, Dostoyevsky’s last masterpiece, has a generally fluent subject, although it is long.
Dostoevsky vs F. Karamazov
For this reason, it will flow smoothly and will not bore the reader while reading. By the way, let us also point out that the novel is approximately a thousand pages. In this masterpiece, our author based the book on a series of events that he fictionalized about a father and his three sons and a great rivalry that resulted in murder. Dostoevsky, who also touched upon the management style of Tsarist Russia of the period in the content of the book, also made an analysis of the Russian people at regular intervals.
He also touched upon the Russian father figure through Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov, one of the heroes of the novel and approached the Russian family structure of the period from a critical perspective.
Religion and Society
As you will understand while reading, in this magnificent masterpiece, our author progresses the story fluently and draws you to the scenes where the events take place with great analogies. At those moments, you will feel as if you are not reading about the event in the story, but living it. At the same time, our author clearly reveals the relations between religion and society, as well as the hypocrisy of people in their relations with God, through the scenes in the monastery and the character of Staretz (clergyman) Zosima. Especially, his criticisms and analyses on the basis of the sentence: “people take great pleasure in seeing good people fall to the ground.” are really important.
As we mentioned before, the author was approaching the last period of his life at that time. In fact, the author who had epilepsy, died months after publishing this book in the 1880s. By the way, it is not a coincidence that Smerdyakov one of the important characters of the book, also suffers from epilepsy and occasionally suffers from seizures. The former active and rebellious spirit of our author, from whom we find traces in almost all of his main characters, just like Dmitry Karamazov, has now become calmer and more mature, like the character of Alyosha. He also reminds us of Dostoevsky’s Ivan with his intellectual level and God-questioning nature.
Plot of The Brothers Karamazov
The subject of the novel The Brothers Karamazov is basically the inconsistent and up-and-down story between a father and his three sons born from his two marriages. There is a murder that occurs after the middle of the book. However, those who read the book will realize that the course of events is heading towards a murder. However, the reader will not fully understand who committed this murder until the end of the book. On the other hand, Dostoevsky actually made great character analyses and psychological analyses within this father-son relationship and the murder incident.
In this context, the author will fascinate the reader with these soul-analysis techniques which were far ahead of his time. Furthermore, the master writer who discusses the social structure in Russia of the period through this family, will occasionally analyse and criticize the church, sometimes nihilism and sometimes man’s own self. However, there are feelings of love and revenge in this novel, as in almost every novel. In fact, the reason for the murder which is the main subject of the novel is shown to be jealousy between father and son, the feeling of being in love with the same woman.
In fact, the emphasis on the definition of father and the importance of being a real father in the speeches made by the lawyer in the court scenes at the end of the book also bears traces of Dostoevsky’s thoughts about his problematic relationship with his father. The author who touches upon the love relations as well as social relations, also touches upon the dimension of the subject of love in an important part of the book.
The Brothers Karamazov Characters
Now we will touch on the main characters of the masterpiece called The Brothers Karamazov. Afterwards, we will try to touch upon a few other important characters, although not all of them. As we mentioned before, the father Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov and his three sons Dmitry, Ivan and Alexei are the main characters in the novel. Apart from these, the character Grushenka, the common love of father and son, the clergy staretz Zosima and Ilyusha characters also have important places in the novel.
Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov: The father Karamazov is one of the most important characters of the novel. He spent a profane youth and is also known for his fondness for drinking and also for pleasure. Although he was not a rich man, he made a good fortune thanks to the dowry income he earned from his first marriage. When his first wife died after a while, he made his second marriage shortly after. He had three sons, Dmitry from his first marriage, and Ivan and Alexei from his second marriage. In terms of its general structure, Fyodor Pavlovich reminds us of Dostoevsky’s own father. The author, who has problems with his father, could not achieve harmony with his father. In the novel, he will compete with his son Dmitry because of his love for the character named Grushenka and the event that causes great pain will proceed in this direction.
Dmitry and Ivan
Dmitry Karamazov: As in almost all Russian classics, you will see that a character is called by more than one name or nickname in this work. In this context, Dmitry, the eldest of Karamazov’s three sons will sometimes appear as Mitenka and sometimes as Mitya. Mitya, the only child from his father’s first marriage graduated from military school and generally draws attention as the character most similar to his father. Dmitry who is a selfish, arrogant and profligate character who loves drinking, thinks that his father had kept a part of his deceased mother’s inheritance. The novel also begins in this context and the events that develop proceed on the axis of this thought. Dmitry, who is in love with the same woman as his father, will endure the disaster he will experience because of his love for Grushenka.
Ivan Karamazov: He is the character with the most intellectual and philosophical depth among the characters and represents the philosophical side of the author. He hates his father like his other siblings and secretly wants him to die but he cannot even admit it to himself. Ivan, who represents the author’s relationship with God, sometimes seems to believe in God but generally expresses himself as a non-believer. In fact, in the novel, he is caught between these dilemmas and questions the relations between religion and society. In addition, in the Grand Inquisitor section, he questions the existence of God with a very religious and deep questioning.
According to him, everything could be explained in some way, but the suffering of children in world could not be explained with the attributes of the concept of God. He gives a long explanation to Alyosha from the point of view that if there is a God, why does He allow children to suffer?
Alyosha and Zosima
Alexei Karamazov (Alyosha): We see the author’s perspective on religion and spirituality in the last periods of his life in the character of Alyosha. Alyosha, the youngest son of father Fyodor Karamazov from his second marriage just as Ivan, reflects a patient, benevolent and fair character throughout the novel. The character who does not love his father but does not want his death, also acts as a bridge between his older brothers Dmitry and Ivan. Alexei who considered Zosima close to him as a father character, left the monastery after his death and pursued kindness and helpfulness in social life.
Staretz Zosima: The clergyman Zosima represents conscience and righteousness in the novel. He is also the character that Alyosha, the youngest child, takes as an example. The clergyman, who turned to religion and spirituality through the memories of his brother who died when he was a child, later devoted himself to the monastery and the good of people. In addition, there is a spiritual bond between Zosima and Alyosha, who compares Alyosha to his older brother who died when he was a child. This cleric also represents Dostoevsky’s spiritual side and sociological analysis.
In fact, the author, who exemplifies the saying “People like good people to fall to the ground” through Zosima, gives messages to the society through the fact that after Zosima’s death, his corpse starts to smell before 24 hours.
Grushenka and Others
Grushenka: Grushenka is at the core of the novel and known as the character who caused the murder. She was deceived by an officer in his youth. She is a character who has not been able to put his life in order afterwards. Both father Karamazov and his eldest son Dmitry are in love with her, and she goes back and forth between the two characters throughout the novel. Grushenka who could not decide whether she was still in love with the officer who was her youth’s sweetheart, later realized that she did not actually love him.
Smerdyakov: Smerdyakov, who is the illegitimate child of his father Fyodor Pavlovich, also works as a servant in his house. This servant, who occasionally tries to increase his intellectual level, is in constant communication with Ivan Karamazov. We mentioned before that Dostoevsky, the author of The Brothers Karamazov, had epilepsy. The servant Smerdyakov, being an epileptic, reflects this aspect of the author in the book. In addition, this character who follows a sneaky, manipulative and cunning streak, will surprise the reader by making a big surprise at the end of the book.
Apart from these, the character of Ilyusha, who represents innocence and childhood, is also important in the book. Towards the end of the novel, what this character experiences will make your conscience ache and you may not be able to hold back your tears. Also, the character of Katerina Ivanova, who is in love with Dmitry, plays an important role in the book. Katerina, who competes with Grushenka from time to time, will surprise the reader by making surprises in the court scenes in the book.
Main Message of the Novel
The novel The Brothers Karamazov is not an ordinary work that only gives a few messages. Everyone who reads this book will receive his own message according to his own character and knowledge. The novel has a wide range as it includes love and innocence as well as philosophy, religion and sociology. On the other hand, the sections where the existence of God is questioned and the events and gossip that took place in the church and society after Zosima’s death also show the reader the weakest and worst points of human beings.
In addition, the relationship between Ilyusha and his friends, especially Kolya, reveals the naivety of childhood. When viewed from these perspectives, this novel which is Dostoyevsky’s last masterpiece, contains many sociological, philosophical and human messages. After reading the first hundred pages of the book, your fluency will gradually increase. So much so that after reading and finishing this book, our suggestion to you is to read this novel again after at least a year has passed.
Believe me, as you change and develop, the message and meaning of this novel will change for you. From this perspective, The Brothers Karamazov appears as a timeless novel. Ultimately, if we evaluate the book, we can say that it is one of the three best books among the world classics. This masterpiece, which has philosophical depth, draws you in with the flow of events and allows you to make personality analysis and analysis through the characters, will challenge and develop your mind while reading. (to buy the book please click)
Especially in the Grand Inquisitor and court scenes the author maximized his performance. On the other hand, Dmitry’s interrogation scenes will give the reader a great reading pleasure just like in the novel Crime and Punishment.
