Character Synthesis

Dostoevsky’s characters are extremely complex; just when one thinks they have the character down solid, new information is supplied, revealing new attributes to their personality. I think that the characters are intertwined making one main personality. Dmitry, Ivan, Alyosha, Zosima, Fyodor, Grushenka, Madame Khokhlakov, and Smerdyakov all have things in common; the similarities between the eight characters mentioned are so uncanny it’s hard not to notice them. Although there are exceptions, majority of them have struggled with their faith, are money hungry, and are sensualists.

Time and time again the word sensualist has been used to describe many of the characters. “She (Grushenka) is noted for sensual activity with men, and her tempting behavior (Kpeters).” There is no doubt that Dmitry and Fyodor are sensualists as well. Both have also been called sensualists repeatedly in the book. “She [Stinking Lizaveta] is suspected to have been seduced by Fyodor, the only man in the city who would be evil enough to make sexual advances on such a woman and leave her to herself afterwards (98-99) (Schwemmer).” Kaubry brings up more evidence supporting this about Dmitry: “You’re [Dmitry] a sensualist after your father. (67)” Surprisingly enough Zosima was also sensualist in his early life and acted very much like Dmitry, both having squandered away large sums of money on women.

Dmitry, Ivan, Zosima, Alyosha, Khokhlakov, Smerdyakov, and even Fyodor have all struggled with their faith. Ivan believes in the word of God but does not accept it. While having lunch with Alyosha one day he explained his beliefs, forcing Alyosha to question his faith. Jdehart brings up the almighty question in his blog when Ivan asks Alyosha: “Imagine that you are creating a fabric of human destiny with the object of making men happy in the end, giving them peace and rest at last, but that it was essential and inevitable to torture to death only one tiny creature- that baby beating its breast with its fist, for instance- and to found that edifice on its unavenged tears, would you consent to be the architect on those conditions?” Alyosha immediately responds no. Alyosha again questions his faith after Zosima dies. He repeats what Ivan told him to Rakatin. But when Alyosha reaches his lowest point, he has a conversion similar to Zosima’s. The idea that Ivan might have a conversion hasn’t been ruled out yet either; he’s still questioning his faith. Ivan and Smerdyakov seem to share some of the same beliefs when it comes to religion as well. “The grown up Smerdyakov is introduced as having elements that strongly resemble Ivan, because Smerdyakov shows that his doubts in God and the bible even from the age of ten, when Gregory reads him the Creation in Genesis and Smerdyakov asks "Where did the light come from" (121). (Schwemmer)” Dmitry also seems to be confused on where he stands in his faith. Kabury pulls this quote out of the book: “after your mother- a holy fool.” Dmitry obviously has faith but right now it’s just being covered up by his addiction to sensualism. Kaubry describes him as “being at a cross roads, he could turn out to be just like Zosima, he could gone down a path towards Christ; or he could kill his dad, steal the money and run off with Grushenka.” Madame Khokhlakov was the “woman of little faith” in the book. She described how she wanted to be more holy but wasn’t sure how. After speaking with Zosima she said in tears she would actively love and try to change her ways. But after Zosima died she seemed to have changed her mindset. “’I’m all for realism now, I’ve been taught a good lesson about miracles (384)’”. And on page 385 she says, “Oh, I’m a realist now, Dmitri Fyodorovich. From this day on, after all that story in the monastery, which upset me so, I’m a complete realist, and want to throw myself into practical activity. I am cured. Enough! as Turgenev said.” Fyodor says he is an atheist but has an understanding of the bible that contradicts his beliefs. “There is an eternal struggle in Fyodor. He struggles with the question of God. His knowledge of the bible and of Diderot shows this. It seems that he has chosen not to believe in God. This struggle is shown since he always misinterprets the Bible and gives the text a twisted meaning. (Krause)” Even Grushenka, the wicked woman who uses men, has a bit of a conversion. When Alyosha comes to visit her she had planned to seduce him but instead realizes her wicked ways and had a change of heart. She has another change of heart when she professes her love and dedication to Dmitry.

Grushenka, Fyodor, Dmitry, and Zosima (at one point) are all very attached to money and materialistic items. “Grushenka is a money driven beast, who is attractive to the males perspective and with this exterior superiority she is able to manipulate a man’s love for her own benefit. (KPeters)” KPeters also states that, “she is drawn to money, and essentially seeks that in all of her relationships.” Dmitry is described in the beginning of the novel to have “led a wild life, and spent comparatively, a great deal of money.” (11) Fyodor, being the stingy man that he is, mooches and doesn’t even want to give money to his own children. Before Zosima’s had a conversion, he too, threw his money away on pointless things.

Although Dostoevsky seems to have added small differences in each character, overall he has created one main personality that all of the characters share. It takes a lot of study of the book to see all of the resemblances, but they are definitely evident.