Smerdyakov

Smerdyakov obviously seems to have some Karamozov blood in him. It’s pretty clear that Fyodor is his father. He has something in common with all all of them in the way he acts.

He is similar to Ivan because they both share the mindset of not wanting other people’s help. Smerdyakov confides to Maria Kondratievna that he would be long gone to Moscow to start a restaurant if he had the money (225). He’s very independent. And like Ivan as well, he asks very philosophical questions about his faith and about God as well. I also think they’re both ashamed of where they came from and who their parents are. Smerdyakov goes as far as to say he wishes he wouldn’t have been born. Although Ivan didn’t go that far; he despises his father and never talks about his mother.

The Dmitry and Fyodor characteristics are present in his anger. Smerdyakov is a very angry and violent person. On page 224 he says “ I’d have killed a man in a duel with a pistol for calling me a low-born.” Killing, tends to show up as a Karamozov trait. Even though no one has killed yet, Dmitry has talked about it. Smerdyakov is also quite the ladies man, like Dmitry and Ivan.

Smerdyakov also doesn’t like to take responsibility for his actions or his status in society. This is present in most of the Karamozovs except for Alyosha. He thinks he was born into this life and can never change or advance himself because of who his mother was. He’s blaming his mother for something she had no control over. He could better himself if he wanted to, he chooses not to.

I don’t really think that he’s that similar to Alyosha, but I haven’t really seen many Karamozov traits in Alyosha. Maybe in later chapters there will be more similarities.