Brothers Karamazov characteristics of heroes. Essay “Characters of Dostoevsky’s novel “The Brothers Karamazov. IX. Psychology at full speed. Galloping threesome. Final speech of the prosecutor

Composition

“Dostoevsky’s last, most grandiose novel, The Brothers Karamazov, was conceived as a broad social and philosophical epic about the past, present and future of Russia, refracted through the prism of the “history of one family” and the fate of several of its representatives. Dostoevsky used the story of the tragic discord in the family, which ended with the murder of the old man Karamazov, to depict a picture of the ferment of all layers of post-reform Russian society, to analyze the intellectual quests of the intelligentsia.”
As the epigraph to the novel, Dostoevsky took the words from the Gospel of John: “If a grain of wheat, falling to the ground, does not die, then only one will remain; and if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24).
The novel reflects the age-old struggle between religion and atheistic humanism. Without solving the main question, which is usually formulated “is there a God?”, Dostoevsky’s heroes, like himself, do not know how to live and do not want to live, despite inspired panegyrics in honor of “living life.” Russia is going through a terrible crisis, the Russian people are spiritually and value-disoriented - this problem worried Dostoevsky extremely, and, naturally, that is why it becomes key in The Brothers Karamazov. As the writer noted in the rough drafts for the novel, in the “Karamazov family,” like in a mirror, “many things are depicted that are similar to everything, to the whole, to all of Russia.” “Complete disunity”, “spiritual cynicism”, “greed”, “passion” of the Karamazov family - these are just some of the phenomena we have listed, which, according to Dostoevsky, are the “emblem” of disunity and spiritual trouble in Russia, which is going through troubled times - phenomena , reflected, as the writer specifies, “in a reduced microscopic form.” The Karamazov brothers, each individually and, undoubtedly, each in their own way, symbolize certain phenomena that dominate society.
“As for me,” says Ivan Karamazov, “I have long decided not to think about whether man created God or God created man... All these are questions completely unusual for a mind created with the concept of only three dimensions. So, I accept God, and not only willingly, but... I accept both his wisdom and his purpose, completely unknown to us, I believe in order, in the meaning of life, I believe in eternal harmony, in which we all seem to merge ... Looks like I'm on a good road, huh? Well, just imagine that in the final result I do not accept this world of God... I do not accept God, understand this, I do not accept the world created by him, the world of God, and cannot agree to accept.”
The stumbling block becomes the “tear of a tortured child.” Ivan is able to admit that for purposes unknown to man, God could doom people to hardship and suffering, but he cannot - even assuming future harmony and bliss beyond the grave - come to terms with the thought of the suffering of children.
The rebellious truth-seeker Ivan repeatedly and unequivocally declares the impossibility of “loving your neighbor as yourself”: “It is precisely the neighbors, in my opinion, that are impossible to love, but perhaps only those who are distant. I read once and somewhere about... one saint, that when a hungry and frozen passer-by came to him and asked him to warm him, he lay down in bed with him, hugged him and began to breathe into his festering and fetid his mouth was suffering from some terrible disease. I am convinced that he did this with the strain of lies, because of the love ordered by duty... To love a person, it is necessary for him to hide, and as soon as he shows his face, love is gone.”
At the same time, one should not be literalists, especially if we are talking about the brilliant creation of a brilliant writer who “breaks out” of any theories, including his own.

Contrary to allegations that Ivan “knew” and almost encouraged Smerdyakov’s intention to kill his father, the elder Karamazov sincerely believed in Dmitry’s guilt. And, having learned the truth, he confessed.
However, let us return to the central theme of The Brothers Karamazov - the struggle between faith and unbelief. A passionate apologist for religion in the novel is another “positively beautiful” character - Alyosha’s spiritual mentor, Elder Zosima. It is to this “folk saint” that Dostoevsky conveys his “very personal” religious consciousness.
All his speeches are imbued with the pathos of Christian love for people; Moreover, they are so replete with biblical quotations that they are perceived as a transposition of the Old and especially the New Testament. In the mouth of Zosima, Dostoevsky puts an important thought for himself about the impossibility of socialism “without Christ.”
“And is it really a dream that in the end a person will find his joys only in feats of enlightenment and mercy, and not in cruel joys, as now - in gluttony, fornication, arrogance, boasting and the envious superiority of one over the other? I firmly believe that it is not and that the time is near. They laugh and ask: when will this time come and does it look like it will come? I think that Christ and I will solve this great matter... and all people will say: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the head of the corner.” And the scoffers should ask themselves: if we have a dream, then when will you erect your building and arrange yourself justly only with your mind, without Christ? blood calls for blood, and the one who draws the sword will die by the sword. And if it were not for the promise of Christ, they would have destroyed each other..."
Zosima's lessons were firmly learned by his favorite student, Alyosha Karamazov.
The need and will to understand other people is highly characteristic of the “positively beautiful” Alyosha. He embodied the idea of ​​a perfect man, to whom, after he believed, it seemed even strange and impossible to live as before. “It is said: “Give everything away and follow me if you want to be perfect.” Alyosha said to himself: “I can’t give two rubles instead of “just”, and instead of “follow me” I can only go to mass.”
Quotes from the Bible sound sincerely and respectfully in the mouths of other characters in the novel. “God, pass this terrible cup past me!” - Dmitry breaks out, suspecting that he accidentally killed the old devoted servant Gregory. The sufferings of Mitya, whom misfortune helps to realize that he lived incorrectly, are called by Dostoevsky “the soul’s journey through ordeals” - by analogy with the name of the apocryphal text “The Virgin Mary’s Walk through Torment” that circulated in the lists.
A special place in The Brothers Karamazov, according to the opinion, belongs to the “boys” - representatives of the future Russia. “Drawing the tragic fate of the loving, selfless and at the same time proud Ilyusha Snegirev, revealing his inherent early painful consciousness of social inequality and injustice, depicting an attractive image of the fourteen-year-old “nihilist”, intelligent, searching and energetic Kolya Krasotkin, Dostoevsky illuminates those complex and varied transformations , which the child’s psychology undergoes in the retort of city life. But the story about the “boys” allows the author not only to add new bright touches to his picture of an uplifted and shocked life.

The “Union,” which now unites Ilyusha’s comrades forever, expresses the writer’s dream about the movement of humanity towards a bright future, towards the “golden age” he envisions, expresses his hope for new generations of Russian youth, who are destined to say a new word in the life of Russia and lead humanity to new , bright paths."
The spiritual evolution of the great Russian writer has ended. And therefore, the logical conclusion of the article will be the parting words of Father Paisiy, addressed to Alyosha Karamazov, and through him to the “boys”:
“Remember, young one, tirelessly,” Father Paisius began so directly and without any preamble, “that worldly science, having united into great power, has dismantled, especially in the last century, everything that was bequeathed to us in the books of the heavenly saints, and after a cruel analysis For the scientists of this world, absolutely nothing remains of all the former shrines. But they took it apart piece by piece, but looked at the whole, and it was even worthy of surprise, how blind it was. Whereas the whole stands unshakably before their eyes, as before, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.”
It seems to me, in particular, that the Karamazov brothers are the embodied ideas that determined the spiritual life of Russia, tirelessly and contradictorily searching for ways to light and the meaning of life. Orthodoxy is Alyosha's destiny. Dmitry is a passion for life with its “flood of feelings.” Ivan is atheism and, naturally, a denial of the laws of God's world. Without Ivan, there would not have been Smerdyakov, who killed their father.
I consider Dostoevsky the most optimistic and bright writer in the world. Fyodor Mikhailovich believed in the resurrection of a person’s soul, even if he had reached the mortal point of permissiveness. Repentance, conscience and faith will not allow a person to perish in a world lying in evil.

Other works on this work

The Brothers Karamazov is Dostoevsky's last novel. The writer died two months after the book was published. The novel contains elements of the detective genre, but the work primarily addresses issues of morality and morality. A detailed analysis of Dostoevsky's "The Brothers Karamazov" is presented in the article.

The story of Fyodor 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 characterizing this hero.

Fyodor Pavlovich in his youth was a poor landowner. However, he managed to make a profitable marriage. After the wedding, he took his wife’s money and left her with nothing. She ran away from him, leaving behind a little son, whom the unreliable father immediately forgot about. A little later, Fyodor Pavlovich married again to an unrequited, quiet girl who bore him two sons. Both the first and second wife died young.

Family conflict

By the time Dmitry, the eldest son, turned twenty-eight, Fyodor 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 based. An analysis of Dostoevsky's work also presupposes a characterization of Grushenka. This is a contradictory heroine, her attitude towards Karamazov’s eldest son changes during the course of the story.

Fyodor Pavlovich and his eldest son are both in love with Grushenka, which exacerbates their conflict. One day Karamazov is found with a broken head. Dmitry is accused of murder.

When analyzing Dostoevsky’s novel “The Brothers Karamazov,” one should quote the words of one of the characters: “You are not an evil person, but a twisted one.” This phrase belongs to Alexey, who will be discussed later. Visible evil is not always an indicator of the absolute destruction of a person - this is probably the main idea of ​​the author of The Brothers Karamazov.

Analysis of individual scenes of the novel allows us to detect glimpses of morality even in Fyodor Pavlovich. For example, when meeting with Elder Zosima, when Karamazov Sr. tries to look more disgusting, nastier than he really is, and it seems that he is doing this because he has long been labeled a drunkard and a sinner who should live up to. Then Fyodor Pavlovich repents, and a few minutes later he returns to his ways, which infuriates even humble monks.

Characteristics of Fyodor Pavlovich

In an artistic analysis of the novel The Brothers Karamazov, several quotes from critics should be given. Literary critic K. Nakamura, who studied the work of the Russian writer for many years, described Karamazov Sr. as “a cunning, voluptuous and spoiled man.” The image of Fyodor Pavlovich is devoid of purposeful behavior. He doesn't care about the opinions of others. Karamazov does not recognize authorities. He is only interested in money and carnal pleasures.

According to critics, this literary image consists of an “exterior”, behind which there is no interior. However, he is cunning enough to provide himself with money and women. He is not without insight, which allows him to correctly evaluate people.

Dmitry's fate

This is perhaps the most controversial character in The Brothers Karamazov. Analysis of the work includes a brief retelling. Let us remember what the author told about Dmitry’s life. What events influenced his character?

As a child, Mitya, abandoned by his mother, lived without any supervision. The father, who had fallen into fornication, seemed to have forgotten about his young son. The servant Gregory temporarily replaced the boy's parents.

Having matured, Dmitry received a small amount from his father - part of his mother's inheritance. During his years of service, Dmitry quickly spent this money because he led a free life. He could not give up his habits even after his resignation. Karamazov's eldest son was sure that his father still owed him a significant amount, in which he was partly right. However, he stated that he had paid every penny.

Prototypes by Dmitry Karamazov

The prototype of the convicted Mitya is a real person, an inhabitant of the prison, retired lieutenant Dmitry Ilyinsky. In 1848 he was arrested on charges of murdering his father. But this is not the only prototype of the brightest hero of the novel “The Brothers Karamazov”.

In analyzing a work, critics usually cite many facts from the history of its creation. Many articles have been written about Dostoevsky's last novel. Each literary critic puts forward his own versions of the prototypes of the characters. Another alleged prototype of Dmitry is Apollo Grigoriev, one of the admirers of the writer’s works.

Innocently convicted

Karamazov's eldest son has an impetuous and explosive character. This is an extremely emotional person who sometimes commits irrational actions. Dmitry does not know how to wait and endure. His desires are chaotic. The analysis of The Brothers Karamazov can be supplemented with the words of the aforementioned Nakamura: “Dmitry is a stupid, pompous, narrow-minded and scandalous person.” But this is just the opinion of one of the critics.

Dostoevsky's novel is a multi-valued work. Dmitry Karamazov evokes 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, because of Grushenka, frequent public threats... But, as we know, there is no punishment without guilt. Dmitry realizes his mistakes too late - once he finds himself in the dock. When analyzing The Brothers Karamazov, attention should be paid to the changes that occur in the soul of this hero.

Dmitry doesn’t seem to care what will happen to him when he is recognized as a murderer. He strives to prove his innocence, but does not become embittered towards those who do not believe him. Dmitry sees this as punishment for his past dissolute life.

Alexei

The author called this hero a “doer.” Dostoevsky planned to dedicate a separate work to Alexei Karamazov, in which he would no longer be a novice of the monastery, but a revolutionary. “The Third Son Alyosha” is the name of the fourth chapter of The Brothers Karamazov, the analysis of which will allow us 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.

When analyzing The Brothers Karamazov, it is worth quoting Dostoevsky himself. “He could not love passively, but having loved, he immediately began to help,” this is what the author says about Alyosha.

The image of the “doer” is contrasted with the previous images of “dreamers” found in other works of the writer. knows how to love people and return their trust. He is imbued with the suffering of others.

Ivan Karamazov

The middle son of Fyodor Pavlovich is a convinced rationalist. Ivan Karamazov is 23 years old. The author compares him to Goethe's Faust. Ivan is a rebel hero who professes atheistic beliefs and calls for a revision of established moral dogmas.

The image of Karamazov's middle son is surrounded by mystery. Ivan grew up in a foster family and was a sullen boy as a child. 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 wrote articles for magazines. Dmitry, hinting at his brother’s taciturnity and his ability to keep other people’s secrets, says: “Ivan is a grave.” Alyosha calls him a mysterious man.

Everything is allowed

Shortly before the events shown in the novel, Ivan returns to his father and lives in his house for some time. At first the reader does not pay attention to such a nondescript character as Smerdyakov. Analysis of The Brothers Karamazov assumes a good knowledge of the content of the book. It is worth remembering the scene in which Ivan makes a long speech. The uneducated, evil, hypocritical Smerdyakov is imbued with his words. The lackey concludes: everything is allowed.

Who is the killer?

Chapter VIII of the fourth part shows the last meeting of Ivan with Smerdyakov. Here the reader learns who the criminal is. The former lackey tells Karamazov: “You killed, but Dmitry is innocent.” During a long conversation, Ivan understands that his ideas, far from Christianity, gave rise to confidence in impunity in this pathetic and disgusting man. Smerdyakov claims that Fyodor Pavlovich was killed by Ivan, but with his own hands. After all, it was he who, shortly before his death, said that he was not against murder, and then hastily left his parents’ house.

The lackey misunderstood Ivan's words, of course. Karamazov's middle son is far from Rodion Raskolnikov, who committed murder with his own hands. But these heroes have common features, and above all this is cold-blooded rationalism.

In the same chapter, which talks about the last conversation with Smerdyakov, you can see how different the brothers are from each other. Dmitry does evil as if thoughtlessly, and then regrets it. Alexey is ready to help everyone. Ivan commands respect from those around him. But he cannot be called good. Going to Smerdyakov, Ivan meets a drunk man. He irritates him greatly, and he is ready to hit him. A man is belting out the song “Oh, Vanka has gone to St. Petersburg!” and comes close to Ivan. And he, in a fit of anger, pushes him. The man falls backwards. “He’ll freeze,” Ivan thinks and calmly leaves. And only Smerdyakov remembers the words “Oh, Vanka went to St. Petersburg!” and begins to analyze his actions.

After meeting with the killer lackey, Ivan changes. He is going to go to the police and tell them who the real criminal is. On the way back, he saves that drunken peasant for whom he had no pity the day before. Smerdyakov dies. It is impossible to prove Dmitry's innocence. And Ivan’s words that he is to blame for his father’s murder are not taken seriously at the trial.

Smerdyakov

In the draft version of the novel, the killer is not the lackey, but Ivan. Dostoevsky introduced this character into the plot under the impression of one of Victor Hugo’s heroes and a visit to an orphanage for illegitimate children.

Smerdyakov is the son of a holy fool. Once upon a time in the city there lived a fool Lizaveta, whom no one dared to offend. But Karamazov amazed everyone here with his cruelty and cynicism. Lizaveta gave birth to a son from him. The boy was taken in by the servant Gregory, who had recently lost his own child.

Smerdyakov grew up cruel, angry, and envious. He hated people, hated Russia. Reflecting on the events of 1812, he fantasizes: how good it would be 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 and is not interested in art. Smerdyakov is imbued with Ivan’s speeches, 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 pronounced in the presence of stupid, narrow-minded, embittered people.

But after Smerdyakov realized that Ivan had not even thought about murder, the illusion of greatness and permissiveness that arose in him and prompted him to commit a crime collapsed. He committed suicide.

Other images in the novel

One of the chapters of the novel is dedicated to Elder Zosima, a former officer who spent forty years in the monastery. The meeting of this man with Dmitry is symbolic. Seeing Karamazov's eldest son, he falls to his knees in front of him. The elder, not without the gift of foresight, already knows about the fate of this quarrelsome and hot-tempered man.

Grushenka is a bright female character, who critics often compare with She, too, was once the kept woman of a wealthy man. She is humiliated and insulted, but not humble. Contrasted with this heroine is Katerina, who, unlike Grushenka, is well-behaved and enjoys the respect of others.

The image of Fyodor Karamazov - an egoist, libertine and cynic - is associated with the idea of ​​Karamazovism as a typical phenomenon characteristic of a world dominated by deception, lies and violence. Traits of Karamazovism in different versions and modifications appear in Ivan, Fedor, Smerdyakov. Children's hatred of their father, reflecting the process of disintegration of old, patriarchal foundations and family ties, at the same time acquires an inhuman character, indicating the destruction of the most normal, natural, human feelings.

Karamazov’s evil force is reflected in other characters in the novel, ruining their lives, giving rise to embitterment, internal pain and despair. For Staff Captain Snegirev, Grushenka, Katerina Ivanovna, the combination of love and hatred, revenge for outraged human dignity and the willingness to forgive all insults and humiliation, characteristic of many of Dostoevsky’s heroes and heroines, is inherent.

One of the main characters of the novel, Dmitry Karamazov, a man of uncontrollable passions and spontaneous impulses, carries within himself the principles of good and evil. For all his spiritual brokenness, sinfulness and depravity, he is endowed with nobility and generosity. Dostoevsky is attracted by many things in this man; he sees in him the expression of a passionate Russian soul, ready to purify itself through suffering.

Dmitry is accused of killing his father. In reality, he is not guilty of this terrible crime, it was a miscarriage of justice. However, Dmitry readily accepts the upcoming suffering, because he wanted to kill, he could have killed, therefore, according to the moral law, he considers himself guilty. He feels guilty for all the crimes happening on earth, his responsibility for universal suffering, and decides to suffer for everyone. After the judicial interrogation, he dreamed of burnt-out village huts, exhausted peasant women and a hungry child crying on his mother’s chest. And in a dream, Dmitry passionately wanted to “do something so that the child would not cry, and the black, withered mother would not cry, so that no one would have tears at all from this moment, and to do it right now, right now, not deferring and despite everything...” Remembering this dream that struck him, Dmitry said to Alyosha after the trial: “I’ll go for the “child.” Everything is “child”. I will go for everyone... because someone needs to go for everyone.”

Alexei Karamazov is a key character in F. M. Dostoevsky's last novel, The Brothers Karamazov. This hero does not seem to be the main one, since the main events are connected with the figure of his older brother, but this is only the first impression. From the very beginning, the writer prepared a great future for Alyosha. Unfortunately, the reader was supposed to learn about him from the continuation of the novel, but the second part was never written due to the unexpected death of the author.

A little about the work

The Brothers Karamazov is considered the pinnacle of Dostoevsky's writing. We can say that the author has been working towards writing this work all his life. It took two years to create the masterpiece; the work was completed in 1980.

The novel touches on very serious topics - morality, freedom, faith in God, human essence. Dostoevsky had raised all these questions in his works before, but never before had they sounded on such a large scale.

Alexey Karamazov is not just the hero of the novel, he is the same ideal character that the author dreamed of creating all his life. Fyodor Mikhailovich decided to show his formation. And in the first part of “The Brothers Karamazov” he is at the beginning of his path, he has not yet experienced anything, he has not yet achieved spiritual perfection, he has only taken the first step towards it. But the second part of the novel was never destined to appear.

Prototype

Alexey Karamazov had a real prototype. This is the writer’s youngest son, the hero’s namesake, who died at the age of ten from epilepsy, which was passed on to him from his father.

In addition, literary critic L. Grossman suggested that this character’s roots go back to the hero of George Sand’s novel “Spiridon,” who was a monk and bore the name Alexey. Among real persons they also point to Alexei Khrapovitsky, who became a metropolitan.

The hero's life before the beginning of the novel

So, if Alexey Fedorovich Karamazov is declared the main character, then why doesn’t he look very much like him? The writer himself answers this question in the preface, saying that Alexey is still “an uncertain figure.” His role will manifest itself with all its force in the second part of the novel, which will be the main one. Therefore, the character remained somewhat unfinished.

But let's return to the origin of our hero. He is the youngest of the three Karamazovs and is Ivan's half-brother. His mother, Sofya Ivanovna, was a “meek” clique. It was from her that the young man inherited his religiosity. The hero of the novel by F. M. Dostoevsky remembered one episode from his childhood very well. It was a quiet summer evening; the setting sun's rays entered the room through the open window. In the corner there was an image with a lit lamp, in front of which a sobbing mother was kneeling. She holds little Alyosha in her arms and prayerfully holds him out to the face of the Mother of God. This scene contains great sacred meaning. Sofya Ivanovna gives her son under the protection of the Mother of God. From that moment on, he became an initiate, under the blessing of higher powers.

Strangers raised him because his mother died early. Without finishing his high school course, Alyosha returned to his hometown to find his mother’s grave. Old man Karamazov was greatly struck by the reason for the appearance of his youngest son in his house. Fyodor Pavlovich generally treated Alyosha in a special way, singling him out among his offspring.

Soon after returning home, our hero went to the monastery as a novice to Elder Zosima, who was known as a sage and healer.

Appearance

After such a past, Alexei Karamazov may seem like a fanatic and an exalted eccentric. The description of appearance, however, tells a different story. Dostoevsky specifically endows his hero with health so that the reader does not have the wrong opinion. Alexey is completely different from Prince Myshkin, with whom he was often compared by readers and critics.

Karamazov Jr. is distinguished by his physical and spiritual health: “stately, red-cheeked, bursting with health, with a bright gaze... a nineteen-year-old teenager.” The young man is very handsome, of average height, slender, with dark brown hair, dark gray shiny eyes, and regular facial features. Often he could be seen thinking about something.

Alexey Karamazov from The Brothers Karamazov has a special gift - he easily wins people over. The young man is friendly, kind to everyone, does not remember insults, is not greedy, very chaste and bashful. Despite the fact that he does not take an active part in the main events, his image stands out strongly from the background of other characters.

Alexey Karamazov: characteristics

Alyosha is Dostoevsky's new ideal hero. Before this, the author chose the sick and suffering. In Karamazov there is no sign of illness. This is where his strength lies. He is spiritually and physically perfect. At the same time, he is a realist, standing firmly on the ground, he has Karamazov’s power. And if she destroys his brothers and father, then our hero uses her only for good.

Alexey Karamazov is a character-activist. In the novel, he acts as an assistant, other heroes trust him, and he does not disappoint their expectations. This is how the author writes about it: “He was always active... he could not love passively... having fallen in love, he immediately began to help.” In this he is not similar to Dostoevsky’s previous heroes, who were dreamers, wanted to do something, but could not.

Enoch

The image of Alyosha Karamazov is associated with a new type of Christian spirituality for the 19th century - monastic service in the world. To do this, a person undergoes monastic asceticism, but instead of staying in the monastery, he leaves and lives among ordinary people. Zosima predicts this path for the hero before his death: “He will come out of these walls... he will be in the world like a monk...”. The elder also predicts many trials and misfortunes for Alyosha along the way, but they will bring him happiness and allow him to find out what is most important in life. This is precisely the fate Dostoevsky prepared for the character, but it was to be realized in the second part of the novel. The first one acts as a preface.

Alyosha's relationship with his brothers

The Karamazov brothers are very different, but at the same time they have something in common. This is an incredible force that comes from the earth and pushes them to recklessness. Dmitry has the most of it, which is why he comes into conflict with his father. For Ivan it manifests itself differently - in his atheistic ideas and doubts. Only Alexey can cope with it and direct it in a peaceful direction.

Dmitry, like Fyodor Pavlovich, patronizes the hero, but they clash with Ivan. The reason for this is faith, and in this matter neither of them can yield. The brothers have different approaches to perceiving the world. Alyosha, thanks to his faith in God, loves both people and the surrounding reality. Ivan first needs to understand and comprehend it. He cannot take anything for granted; he needs to provide evidence. Here the author demonstrates the clash of cold reason and Christian love.

But Alexey is not yet firm enough to have no doubts. Dostoevsky always approached the psychological description of his heroes very subtly, and The Brothers Karamazov was no exception. Dmitry, Alexey and Ivan face spiritual trials in their lives. The younger one has to doubt the highest justice. This happens after the death of Zosima. Everyone expected that the elder’s body would not be subject to decay, thus a miracle would be revealed. But that did not happen. Alexey begins to doubt what Zosima told him. The hero does not understand where is the transformation of nature and the highest justice? He even begins to think that maybe Ivan was right in his statements. The hero begins to feel spiritual closeness with his atheist brother. He remembers their conversation more and more often.

However, Alyosha's rebellion, like Ivan's, ends. And if the elder Karamazov denies God and plunges into madness, then the younger one comes to a vision of resurrection.

Grushenka

The image of Alyosha Karamazov is also connected with Grushenka, who became the cause of the conflict between Dmitry and his father. Our hero gets to her by accident - he is brought by Rakitin, presented by Dostoevsky as a real Mephistopheles.

As soon as Alexey saw the girl, Karamazov’s voluptuousness awakened in him. Grushenka piques his interest by sitting on his lap and offering him champagne. But as soon as the beauty learns about Zosima’s death, she immediately transforms. Grushenka, frightened, jumps off Alyosha’s lap and begins to cross himself. At this moment, the hero sees the true essence of the girl. He exclaims, pointing at her: “I found a treasure - a loving soul.” Grushenka's compassion helped Alexei's soul heal. And his sympathy for her supported the girl. This is what the heroine says about Karamazov Jr.: “He changed my soul... he was the first to take pity on me... all my life I’ve been waiting for someone like you... who would take pity on me.”

In criticism, the episode of their meeting is considered the mystical betrothal of the earthly bride to the groom. Here Dostoevsky demonstrates the victory of resurrecting, highly spiritual love over voluptuousness and earthly feelings. The souls of the heroes realize their kinship and mystical unity. They take each other’s blame upon themselves - “everyone is to blame for everyone else.” It is sin that unites people, making the whole world brothers and sisters.

After this, Grushenka becomes ready to share his redemptive feat with Mitya, and Alexei opens up to a mystical vision.

Just one meeting with this girl changes Karamazov Jr.’s state of mind. All protest in him disappears, he no longer blames higher powers for anything and does not demand an answer. Leaving Grushenka’s house, the young man humbly returns to the monastery, where he stands at the elder’s tomb and begins to pray.

Insight into someone else's soul

In how quickly Alyosha managed to understand the essence of the girl, whom everyone considered an evil libertine, the hero’s similarity with Myshkina, his original predecessor, can be traced. One glance was enough for the prince to comprehend her suffering.

It is not for nothing that Dostoevsky gives his main characters the gift of seeing human souls. This feature tells readers that these characters are able to see the truth where no one else can recognize it. Hence their religiosity - they do not need evidence to know the truth, which is that God exists.

Alyosha's monologues in The Brothers Karamazov

As we learned, Alexey is the central character of the novel, so all his speeches and reasoning are extremely important for understanding Dostoevsky’s plan. The character pays most attention to issues of faith and attitude towards life and the world. The main thing for him is love: “Everyone must first of all love life... love before logic.” He says these words when arguing with Ivan. This refers to spiritual, higher love, and not physical love.

Another famous speech of his is about children, in which he says that they are the purest and most innocent creatures. It is no coincidence that the hero becomes close to schoolchildren.

Alexey is the mouthpiece of Dostoevsky himself, proclaiming the principles and ideals of the writer.

Divine Illumination

“The Brothers Karamazov” was conceived as a description of Alexei’s spiritual formation. Therefore, the most striking scene of the novel is the hero’s enlightenment. This happens after a divine vision descends on him.

After this, he leaves his cell, falls to the ground and kisses her. At that moment, he felt like “the threads of all God’s worlds came together in his soul,” he wanted to forgive everyone and ask for forgiveness himself. Alexey comprehends the “world harmony” that all Dostoevsky’s heroes strive for. The writer himself calls him “the new Adam,” who, sobbing and crying, kisses Mother Earth, desecrated by his fall.

Alyosha's Karamazov power is transformed into divine power. He finds the answer to the question “how can one forgive the death of a child,” which so tormented Ivan. It's simple - in a perfect world everyone will be forgiven.

A new mystical experience transforms not only the hero, but also the world that surrounds him. In the novel, we can see only the beginning of this - Alexey establishes a “universal brotherhood” at Ilyusha’s grave, which so far only includes children. As opposed to social anthills, the new community is built on love and personal freedom. Sincere affection for the dead boy united his friends and marked the beginning of their brotherhood.

The novel, despite the fact that Dmitry is innocently accused of killing his father, ends with the triumph of faith in the resurrection.

A little about other characters

Dostoevsky conceived The Brothers Karamazov as the first part of the cycle. The main characters had to go through the path of spiritual improvement or degradation. The author shows us the revival of Grushinka and Alexei, and we also see how Ivan dies, overcome by madness, and chooses the path of suicide Smerdyakov. But Dmitry’s fate is not entirely clear. The author gives him hope for transformation - he will have to experience his catharsis in hard labor.

The fates of Alexei, Mitya and Grusha are clear to the reader; only Ivan’s future remains hidden. So it remains unknown whether Dostoevsky wanted to give his hero a second chance or doomed him to final self-destruction.

What awaited Alexey in the second part

In conclusion, let's talk a little about what future awaited the main character. The second novel was supposed to begin at a time when Alexey was already 33 years old. This figure further assures us that Karamazov Jr. is a Christ-like character. If we connect the hero’s life with the events of the Gospel, then the description of his youth can be correlated with the temptation of faith.

A. S. Suvorin, a friend of the writer, in his memoirs said that Dostoevsky planned to execute Alyosha. The hero's search for truth was supposed to bring him to the scaffold. However, not all critics agree with this and believe that many of the author’s own remarks exclude such an ending. Literary scholars in general for a long time treated the image of Alyosha without due attention, captivated by such bright heroes as Dmitry and Ivan.

“The Brothers Karamazov” by Dostoevsky is a masterpiece of world literature. In addition, this work repeated in a new way the motifs and images of the writer’s previous works. Dostoevsky worked towards creating the novel all his life. Here he raised the most important problems of humanity: the moral and spiritual foundations of human existence, the question of the meaning of life.

History of the novel

The author developed the idea for the novel long before writing it - after Dostoevsky met D. Ilyinsky, who was serving a sentence for the murder of his father. But this man was convicted for someone else's crime. In the fall of 1874, Dostoevsky decided to write a psychological drama about a crime based on this tragic story, but gradually the writer’s plan grew into a full-fledged novel.

The novel was created over three years and published in Russian Bulletin. Dostoevsky began sketching The Brothers Karamazov in the fall of 1878, and finished the novel in November 1880.

The author took a very serious approach to depicting what was happening in the novel, consulted with lawyers in order to describe the judicial procedure as realistically as possible, and consulted with doctors about the character’s illness. The location of the action reproduces Staraya Russa, where the author worked on his novel, and where both the writer’s house (in the novel Karamazov’s house) and the house of Agrippina Menshova (Grushenka’s house) have been preserved. Dostoevsky strove for realism not only in the everyday life of the characters, but also in the spiritual appearance of the heroes.

Purpose and main theme

Dostoevsky, in A Writer's Diary, detailed his intentions for The Brothers Karamazov. The author raised many problems in the work: the spiritual and moral development of Russia and society, the social role of the court, the relationship between fathers and children. Reflecting on people's Russia in the novel, I could not ignore the question of Orthodoxy. The author filled the novel with pressing issues of that time - there are many responses to events in public life. But the main component of the novel is the past, present and future of Russia.

Using the example of the heroes of the work “The Brothers Karamazov”, F. M. Dostoevsky showed the milestones of Russian history. The past of Russia is the passing generation: old man Karamazov, Polenov, Mrs. Khokhlakova, old man Zosima. The author contrasts them with representatives of the “present” time - the Karamazov brothers, Grushenka, Smerdyakov, Rakitin. Liza Khokhlakova, Smurov, Kolya Krasotkin are representatives of the younger generation, the “future” of the country.

And, of course, the Gospel plays an important role in the moral content of the novel: abundant quoting of texts from the Bible, constant debates and conversations of the characters about the Gospel texts, an epigraph that gives hope for the revival of Russia after decomposition.

Main characters

Dostoevsky in “The Brothers Karamazov” reveals to the reader the relationships in a family where the father does not care about how his sons grow up, that they find shelter in other families while he walks and lives for his own pleasure. The elder Dmitry “moved” from guardian to guardian and met his father at eighteen years old. He grew up eccentric, creating the appearance of a prosperous life, Dmitry mercilessly borrows money.

The average Ivan grew up observant from childhood, but withdrawn and unsociable. He studied well, graduated from school and gymnasium, and earned his own living by writing articles and publishing them in various publications.

The younger Alyosha is a kind, shy person. Everyone loved him and treated him with respect. Even in the gymnasium, when he was teased, he remained calm and called on everyone to be understanding of human weaknesses and troubles. Alyosha always wanted to serve in the church, but he was blessed to live with his father and brothers, saying that he was much more needed there.

The characters in The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky, father and Dmitry, are in love with the same woman, Grushenka, but she did not reciprocate either of them. As a result, father and son quarreled, and the eldest son repeatedly threatened to kill his father.

When Karamazov Sr. was found with a broken head in his own house, no one doubted that this was the work of his eldest son. Moreover, the rejected Ekaterina Ivanovna, most likely out of revenge, presents a letter in which Dmitry writes about his intention to kill his father. The middle brother tried to prove his brother's innocence, since he had evidence that the killer was none other than their father's illegitimate son. Nobody believed Ivan, Dmitry was sentenced to 12 years of hard labor.

The work ends with Alyosha attending the funeral of Ilya Snegirev and calling on everyone to be kind and take care of each other - life is beautiful, and this is the best thing we have.

conclusions

Dostoevsky's novel "The Brothers Karamazov" teaches the reader to be more tolerant of each other, to listen to the grief of others, to show sympathy, to love one's neighbor. Sometimes everything that a person does not attach importance to - a look, a sigh, thoughts - can cause harm. And not only for yourself, but also for those who are nearby. A person is responsible for his words and actions, because sooner or later he will have to answer for them, even if they were thrown in anger.