Of Piety and Loofahs

Author: Katarina /

I'm not fond of Father Ferapont. I don't know what his purpose is really. It was about Father Zosima dying and then we were introduced to Ferapont all of a sudden and just as suddenly we were back to Zosima and Alyosha. In class Ferapont and Zosima were compared and people said which one they thought was more holy or which they liked better. I don't think one is more pious than the other. They just focus on separate aspects of religion. Ferapont focuses on personal salvation whereas Zosima is more focused on the forgiveness of humanity and sharing gods love. Whether either is completely successful I do not know. Zosima is more or less beloved. As everyone, he does have his critics. The big difference is that Ferapont just keeps to himself. Although you have to love Dostoyevsky.... He took a vow of slience... he speaks sometimes... okay let's have him have this really long conversation with this stranger to him... His characters do not seem to be very firm. But maybe that goes back to being Russian like when it said Grigory never struck his wife, but there was that one time.


Loofah anyone?

This new family of characters is very interesting. It almost reminds me of mine a little in the way of their communication. We just kind of say whatever no matter if its a parent to child or the reverse. Not quite as rude as Varvara though. It is interesting that there is something wrong with each of them. The mothers with bad legs, the hunchback sister and the ill boy. Dostoyevsky painted quite a picture of that boy. Biting Alyosha's finger like that and then taking off wailing down the street. It kind of came from left field a bit. Was definitely not expecting that. Ilyusha is a boy that saw his father humiliated and it is eating away at him. He just cares about his father and wants him to be avenged. His father isn't avenging himself so the boy just want to be able to do it, but is too small to battle Dmitry so he just does that in his dreams and battles the school yard children instead. The father is at odds with himself as well. He doesn't like to not defend himself but if he duels with Dmitry then his family will be left with nothing. Of course, Alyosha was fixing all that with the two hundred roubles from Katerina, but then he got all excited. ALyosha is becoming more and more a complex character. He almost seems nothing like the firs description of himself. He still critizices himself and he just turns the other cheek when other people insult him and blushes up a storm, but he doesn't seem as shy around the women and is learning about human interaction more and more. This might just be because of the level of human interaction he is getting as of late as everyone errand boy.


And where oh where is Dmitry?


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Family Drama

Author: Katarina /

It wouldn't be a post of mine if I did not mention my thoughts on Dostoyevsky's writing style. Firstly, I actually laughed when after saying that he had described Grigory sufficiently he then goes on to describe him even more. I think the purpose was to give a grand entrance to the character Smerdyakov. Then of course we are promptly told that our attention must not be averted and details about him will come later. Our attention was already averted to begin with from the happenings at the monastery with this character history. Now that we have gotten into some action and drama is unfolding you would think Dostoyevsky might given in and just say everything as it unfolds instead of just leading us around more. But he just seems to be very content in his lengthy, albeit revealing, descriptions.

It was refreshing to actually go to ALoysha and his thoughts finally. Of course it's only for a moment and then he runs into Dmitry who is kind of baffling. Granted everything we know about him has come from others. This is the first time that he just one on one with Aloysha reveals his feeling. Who would have thought this guy who we were led to believe just wanted money from his father, actually just wanted love? He's a romantic. I think he really does love Katerina, but just doesn't think that he deserves her. In the end if you love somebody you want them to be happy. If you think that in the end she wouldn't be happy with you because you aren't good enough of course that would tear you up. Grushenka in the picture doesn't help. She is just the excuse Dmitry needed. She gave him an opportunity to prove to himself that he isn't good enough for Katerina. She revels in that and when it wasn't enough she went to Katerina and got the better of her too. if there is a them of bugs and animals in this book, then Grushenka is definitely the parasite.

I loved the end of this week's reading. I saw it coming from the previous reading. I think Zosima saw it too and I like to think that it might have something to with with he told Aloysha to leave for while. Aloysha is still a mystery to me. I thought we might get a better look at him, which we did somewhat. I like to see that he is growing. We learn that he thought Katerina was bad for Dmitry, but he sees that he was wrong to think that about her. I do wonder why he laughed at the end. I hope it was just because he was happy, but I don't know.

Another theme I've seen is who the boys take after. Someone in class said that they didn't believe Smerdyakov was Fyodor's son because Smerdyakov was nothing like him. The only problem I has with that is none of the sons really act like the father. They all remind me of the descriptions of the mother. Obviously Aloysha with the same religious aspect and he even burst out into the description that Fyodor was relating about an episode with his second wife. On a side note I love that Ivan reminds his father that it was his mother too. That relationship is barely ever mentioned, but even Ivan takes the religious theme with his book. Dmitry most people probably just relate to his father, but if we remember his mother was a firecracker herself and more or less a romantic I think. She just chose the wrong guy. Smerdyakov is like his mother as well. You could trust him not to steal a thing, but in the end not interested in anyone in particular and just content with their own thoughts. This leads me to think that he probably is Fyodor's son.

6 comments

Humanity one at a time

Author: Katarina /

For the first half of the reading we go through everything with Miusov. The Fyodor goes on his ramblings, from which we then follow the Elder around as he visits different female visitors. It was around here that I remembered this book was supposed to be about the hero Aleksey. I suppose I'm just being impatient, but after learning about all these characters and the different sides we see, it's being to drive me nuts. I almost wish we didn't read the forward, so that we wouldn't know this is supposed to be about Aleksey.


Something did occur to me though. Part of who you are is learned in a way. You gather little quirks and thoughts that you pick up from others as you grow and learn. You end up changing these little quirks to fit your own nature and perhaps you forget where they originated from. Perhaps if it for this purpose that we go through such descriptions and antics of the other characters instead of focusing on Aleksey right away. By learning about those he is in contact with and their nature, perhaps we can learn more about Aleksey's. This also goes along with my opinion on Dostoyevsky's intentionally leading writing style.

The story about the medical man that the Elder tells on pages 78-79 was very intriguing. This book is really about humanity and it's relationships. For someone to love humanity, but not be able to stand individuals is a confusing, but not uncommon concept. I suppose it doesn't help to have people like Fyodor Pavlovich around. Although I will say this about him: at least his character hasn't changed much from the beginning. We keep getting some mixed messages about the characters particularly the brothers, but their father has pretty much always been the buffoon. He knows it too. While I still don't care for him at all I can see what others, like Maksimov, want from him. He's that friend you can only take in stages. They don't care about anything really, which in short bursts can be fun, but in the end their nature catches up with you. The whole concept though is saying that it is possible to believe in the people. To believe that they are inherently good and shall improve what they are given. As you meet people one by one, however, you are shown things that go against your belief, such as greed, ignorance, and violence. Your belief is tested and you dislike that person for doing it.

5 comments

Enter the Karamazovs

Author: Katarina /

I must say that I am pretty excited about this course. I was a little intimidated when I received the book in the mail. Not by it's size, I actually love tackling large books, but by the fact that we are dedicating an entire course to this material. I've never gone into a book so far and I suppose it'll be interesting to see how I come out of it...


Meeting the Karamazovs for the first time was... actually it started with meeting Fyodor Mikhailovich and his writing style. He seemed think prefaces were unnecessary, but he said this in a preface. He went on to ask a bunch of questions people might have about his peculiar choice of hero, but then never really answered any of the questions in a way that would satisfy anybody. I suppose it did do the job he intended as you are left with a curiosity about this Aleksey Ivanovich that you may not have had otherwise.

I feel that the writing style is too over the place to not be strategic. He leads you into a "corner" of a subject just to halt you there, say that we can't address this yet, and lead you away again. Character studies aren't exactly the most exciting things, so this is actually a great way to keep a reader on his or her toes and interested in the tale.

I don't ever remember reading such a descriptive description as Dostoyevsky's about Fyodor. The physiognomy reminds me about stuff I have read regarding phrenology about facial structures and skulls that were thought to belong to those of criminal nature. By looking at a person's facial structure, you would supposedly been able to determine whether they has criminal tendencies.

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I'm not too sure about what to make of the brothers yet. One is fast, one is smart, and the other is... Well Aleksey is... angelic? Other worldly? A dreamer? Again, I am not sure what to make of them yet. I will most definitely keep you posted about their characters and about the trouble brewing between Dmitry and Fyodor, and the other brothers involvement. Can it really be all about the money?

5 comments

The beginning?

Author: Katarina /

This is where I will post my take on the Brothers Karamazov. As our first gathering to discuss these interesting brothers was tonight and it is now after 10, I will wait until the morning to post my take on this class and the beginning of this "pop-up" adventure (as Isham put it).


(I feel as if I should have something here similar to Dostoyevsky's "And now to business.")...

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