The business somewhat

Author: Katarina /

While I am more fond of reading this book now and am happy we are getting more into the story and learning more about the characters (even if it may contradict what we have been told in the beginning), I am still frustrated. Of course, that's not saying much being me. We seem to get some action, but are then put on ice with another character description or very detailed backstory that contains within itself moments where Dostoyevsky gives us a hint, but then says enough about that now we'll get to that later.... Well don't mention it then!


Okay now that that's out of the way...

I think the cause behind much of the action in this book to be questionable. He couldn't possibly go on with Grushenka unless he pays Katerina back? That's some sort of nonsense if you ask me. That makes as much sense as Mikhail the murderer marrying his new young wife because he thought it would make him feel better (398). I mean giving her the money back now after so much time doesn't erase the fact that he did it or the manner in which he did going off with Grushenka like that. One side of me thinks that he really does love Katerina, but then I suppose he just respects her. He is given in to the fact that he is a scoundrel, but just wants to square things off with that one person. He knows Alyosha will love him anyways, but the only other person it seems he does owe anything is to Katerina. Of course, it's ironic that he is going around to all this trouble so he can go with a clear conscience to Grushenka when she's already run off with her old lover. The question of love is kinda thrown out the window when you start to realize through their actions, not their intentions or even words, that they more or less just deserve each other.

Ah the murder has taken place has it? It only took most of the work, but I suppose we have come to the long awaited, "business." Of course this is revealed at the end of the book, so there is more to come. Very good on the part of Dostoyevsky to get you to keep reading. As frustrating as it is, it does work. Let me go on as saying that I don't think Mitya did it. Too easy a plot like for Dostoyevsky. Dmitry is in a tight spot though. I really don't know how to feel about the characters anymore. As much as they are scoundrels, idiots, and frustrating, you know that they are also victims, romantics, and the children of circumstance. I don't know how Dostoyevsky keeps track of it all and keeps going. On to the investigation!

5 comments

Zosima here

Author: Katarina /

Skeleton Angel 2 Pictures, Images and Photos
This picture reminds me of when one of the monks is trying to defend Zosima's stench by saying that in a different monastery they use the color of the bones to determine holiness instead of the smell.

"Oh my dear fellow monks. So many lie, more to themselves than each other. They know the lies for what they are, but they say them anyway. If only they knew. We should all bow to each other! My dear Alyosha, such grief! The tears are good to wash away the sorrow. Soon they will cease and sweet Alyosha will be once again anew. Father Paisy will be a mentor to him as I know he has already discovered Alyosha deep within his heart as he always has been. Not a mentor within the monastery for Alyosha has work to do."

I don't know why I wrote that, but as I started reading the book for this week and finding that my guess at what would happen when Zosima died came true I wondered what Zosima would say about his fellow monks. The sheer number of monks that took up against Zosima in death does surprise me somewhat. I guess fear and superstition has always had a place in human history as it still does.

The other aspect of the book this week that jumped out at me was of course the section on Grushenka. I thought Dostoyevsky was continuing on his theme of completely turning around a character from what was previously described to us about them. I mean she does say herself that she did plan on ruining Alyosha or however she put it about swallowing him whole or something to that affect. She is flawed, as everyone is, but I got the sense before this revelation that she wasn't all that nice of a person, and she was pretty much a nuisance. I mostly based this opinion on the episode with Katerina, because lets face it... she was a classic jerk. Not that it was all one sided, but it didn't do much for my opinion of her. The fact that It was Fyodor and Dmitry who were going after her too said something. After this reading, I find her to be more of the classic Dostoyevsky romantic than a jerk. She can still be a a nuisance though when she wants to be, but shes aware of that and apparently will admit to it.

As I was reading I my attention was distracted by something so I half closed the book with my finger holding the page, so I wouldn't lose my place. As I turned back to the book I realized we are about smack dab in the middle. It makes sense seeing as we are mid-term now, but it gives me mixed emotions about the story. I half can't believe we have been reading for weeks and are only half way through. The other half though is starting to appreciate the story and the characters more. Whereas the random character descriptions were once annoying I find them almost welcome. (Key word "almost"). They give me an insight into a character. It's like Dostoyevsky is teaching us the old saying about not judging a book by its cover even if he is the one that gives us the glimpse of the cover at first and we don't know that we are going to get to read the first chapter later on. Oh Dostoyevsky... your a tricky one, but again you are somewhat growing on me (key word "somewhat").

One last note: The narrator, who I heard to be Dostoyevsky during this reading, mentions again the fact that Alyosha is the hero. Actually the wording he uses on page 426, "the principal, though also future, hero of my tale," got me thinking. He used the word "principal." I've been, perhaps unfairly, focusing on the fact that Alyosha is supposed to be the hero. He doesn't have to be the only one in this story. I don't think he is either. I wonder what will happen next.

4 comments

Duels, bows, and kisses oh my!

Author: Katarina /

Just want to note that we should always end class by learning something Russian like a song or something. It's good to end on a good note. Not that anything about class is bad, but you know the subject matter in the book is sometimes intense with murders and duels and such.

Speaking of the duel. The way Zosima explained his reasoning to his friends about the duel reminded me of the way Alyosha explained the incident with the second captain and the money to Lise. They both seem to take responsibility for the events and interpret the actions of the other party involved. They seem to believe they can read the other party well enough to know how they would react even though they barely know them at all. I mean because they are important and well though of should they be allowed to act like they know what will happen? I'm not sure if there is anything here and I know the similarities with Ivan are more prominent, but when I read this I actually thought of Alyosha first.

Normally I get somewhat annoyed when we divert from the present happenings to go into a character description several sections long. This time I actually didn't mind so much. I'm still unsure of what the true purpose of Zosima is in this story other than being so high in the heart of Alyosha, but I was glad to get to know him better. I can't tell you how happy i am that we were told why Zosima bowed to Dmitry. Well we don't know what this terrible future for him is, but that was always at the back of my mind. Just one of those symbolic things that you are supposed to delve deep into and then slowly the realization develops. But no I couldn't figure it out. There is all this bowing going on anyways. Bowing and kissing.

People getting frisky in this book. Fiances kissing, brothers kissing, monks kissing floors... you name it it's getting kissed. It's almost acting as a connection of sorts. Like the brothers kissing. I know that Alyosha stole it from the Grand Inquisitor, but I kinda see it as Alyosha making a connection with a brother that was previously out of his reach. As if to seal that moment, that conversation they shared. It could not be denied. The same thing with Zosima. He kneeled and kissed the floor almost to seal his existence in this world. To make that final connection so that even if the people didn't know, the world God created knew. Not to make it trivial, but it's like when people write on desks or bathroom walls, "I was here," or, "so-and-so was here," only deeper. People want to be remembered.

3 comments

To the Business!

Author: Katarina /

Sorry I had to title this in favor of a fellow classmate's frustrations, because I know where he is coming from. It is kind of annoying to have read this far and not come to the business of the story yet. I do not really give up on things. It usually doesn't matter how bad a movie or book is, because I'll usually finish it just to see how it ends. I think the only time i did give up on something it was the movie Valkyrie... enough said. Anyways, the discussion in class got me thinking whether or not if I had not been reading this for a class would I still be reading it now? I'm not really sure.

I don't really have much to say about the betrothal. We did talk about whether Lise was actually ill or not. Perhaps it is just her mothers wish for attention from the community or her wish to always have someone to take care of that has Lise in the chair. We don't know. I mentioned that it reminded me of The Secret Garden. I just wanted to explain what I meant. There is this boy in the story and his mother died and his father was so distraught that he has neglected his son and left him in the care of his housekeeper. He was deemed sickly and has been bedridden his whole life so now lacks the strength to walk. In the end the girl and her friend help the boy to walk and the father sees the error of his ways and whatnot. It isn't the only other book that this story reminds me of. Mrs. Khokhlakova and Lise really remind me of Mrs. Bennet and Lydia from Pride and Prejudice. They kinda get at each other, but then Mrs. Bennet always wants to identify with Lydia, because she seemingly wants to be young again.

The whole Ivan and his creating this image of God and Devil led me to think they were the same being in his mind. That reminded me of the whole Jekyll and Hyde story. What a weird picture though. God and the Devil as the same person, just different personalities, but that is what it seemed to me what Ivan was kind of leading towards. It makes more sense then about the world being the way it is for him. The world is good and terrible because the is created by the God personality and the terrible by the devil personality. I wonder what he would go on to say if he thought about it like that. It might have helped him, because he wasn't really asking if god exist, but how could god possibly exist if such atrocities simultaneously exist? Children are miracles are they not? How could a miracle be tortured? Think about that long enough and you might start ranting too.

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