[karamazovism]

dead or alive? literary fiction and psychology entertainer

an innocent accomplice in the reading of THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV and other literature with an interest for writing and analyzing fiction

[gegengestalt]

Here's a list of some parallels between Sofya Ivanovna (mother of Ivan and Alyosha) and Grushenka. Although they are so different, I've found a surprising amount of them.

Both are daughters of deacons, described as timid orphans.

Both ran off with a superficially charming older man when they were teens, although for different reasons, and both ended up "indebted" to an exploitative and depraved older man, the same man in Sofya's case, a different one in Grushenka's.

Both have allegedly attempted to take their own lives before they were taken in.

Both have a crucial role in Alyosha's spiritual development. Not only that, but the events in question tap into a form of spirituality related to the Earth- mother. The memory of Sofya sobbing is juxtaposed with the image of the Mother of God, and Grushenka's heart- to- heart leads Alyosha to an ecstatic embrace of the Earth itself. Their hysterical tears, while judged as women's nonsense, move Alyosha's heart.

What could all of this truly mean? This amount of consequences can't be coincidental. I've got a bit more on it under the cut but even these alone are intriguing.

This is more of my own analysis, but they both share a Proserpine motif, that of the maiden dragged into the dark world. The reason why I bring up Proserpine is because she is mentioned once in a poem in Book III, in the context of Dmitri's lament about the degradation and vileness in the world. This state of earthly life is later compared to "Sodom", in which "man" keeps remembering and yearning for "the Madonna". This seemingly fruitless search is juxtaposed to Ceres' search for Proserpine. Pious Sofya was driven to the underworld and was lost to madness, but what about Grushenka? It's revealed that there still is something in her that can be brought back into the light, that she was a "treasure, a loving soul" found in the path of baseness.

[hectortamerofhorses]

By far the best moment in the Iliad

Homers Iliad book 14

[homojexual]

[gegengestalt]

“"I exist". In thousands of agonies— I exist. I'm tormented on the rack— but I exist! Though I sit alone on a pillar— I exist! I see a beautiful fat woman, and if I don't see the beautiful fat woman, I know she's there. And there's a whole life in that, in knowing that the beautiful fat woman is there.” —Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

[butchraskolnikov]

i understand Ivan Karamazov very well. which is why i think he pissed me off most of the time he was on page

[pulsingvoid]

i can't do this anymore guys. dostoevsky never wrote this. please. can anyone hear me. if you do proper research the earliest version of this quote is from like a 2010 facebook quote with a magenta flower on it. it's gotten so bad that it's even credited to him on goodreads but nobody can source where he wrote it because he fucking didn't. i can't keep seeing this in your web weaves. dostoevsky the author of crime and punishment did not in fact write "you were destined for me. perhaps as a punishment". that is just simply not true. please nod and tell me you understand

[neriumquill]

Imagine if you will, that you have an older brother.

He's an admirable kind of brother, the same as your parents. He has an interest in the natural sciences and is a bit of a nerd, but he's a great brother. Alongside your older brother, of course you have your parents, a younger brother (who is practically an angel to everyone who has ever known him), a cousin who is sort of your sister (and also your brother's one true love or whatever), your older brother's lifelong best friend, and a servant girl who is practically family.

Life is easy. You live everyday with great pleasure in your native home where the icy-capped mountains are beautiful and the lake serene.

Of course, like any other human being, you experience a great tragedy. One day, your cousin-sister gets sick. In her kindness, your mother takes care of her but gets sick herself and dies. It's tragic... but it happens.

Afterwards, your older brother leaves for university, and you spend your life full of enjoyment. The only thing you wish is that your father would allow you to take leave and become a soldier. Unlike your older brother, you had no fondness for the academia and would rather go out and find glory in battle.

In this time, your older brother's letters begin to slowly dwindle, that almost two years have gone by since his last writing. It bothers you, but as you are just a youth, it doesn't bother you as much as it does your father, your cousin-sister, and your older brother's best friend (who eventually does leave to go to the same university as your older brother).

From your brother's best friend, you're informed that your brother has gotten ill, but at least his best friend is there to care for him. Gradually, your brother begins to write to your family again and all seems well.

One day, you go out with your family to enjoy the nature. You and younger brother go out into the forest to play hide and seek. You seek, but do not find. You return to your family, hoping your brother went back but he didn't. You and your family try to find him for the entire night.

In the morning, you find him murdered.

A part of you blames yourself. After all, you were the last to see him. Maybe you even proposed that game of hide and seek. Maybe if you hadn't lost him he'd still be alive. Your older brother is told to come back home, and while waiting for him, you find out that your family's servant (who your family has loved like their own) was the murderer.

It's all so strange and horrible, but her trial is set, and your older brother has come home. He is visibly shaken when you first meet him after many years apart. He's changed, but he's still your brother. He raves a bit to you about how he knows who the murderer is, but instead of the servant, he mentions some other fiend.

This thought is quickly swept away by the ensuing trial and execution of someone you once held dearly. Your older brother is so distraught. He has decided to stay home, but his misery is palpable and you feel sorry for him, your father, your cousin-sister, and yourself. Although, you try your best to be happy.

Months past, your older brother has returned from a trip to some neighboring cities. Your father has been casually mentioning the possible marriage between your older brother and your cousin-sister. Instead of agreeing immediately, as you thought he would, your older brother instead decides to go to England with his best friend. Which is really strange to you, but hopefully he comes back better.

A year nearly passes... your older brother's best friend is dead and your brother has been accused of his murder. Your father has to travel all the way to Ireland to save him. Eventually they return, and your brother is a wreck - though that's to be expected after the murder of his best friend. Still, he decides to go on with the marriage - and there is happiness in your household once again.

Though somehow, your ever unlucky brother sails away with his new wife... and comes back stating that she has been murdered. The news literally kills your father, leaving you and your brother alone.

The next few months are torture as you watch your brother turn into a shell of himself, further falling into the miseries that you have both suffered. However, somehow a part of you can tell that there's something deeper in his despair, though you can't exactly know what.

Then you hear from a magistrate about your older brother's ravings about that fiend... the murderer he'd once mentioned a long time ago. The talks of a madman.

Your older brother leaves, promising to kill whoever enemy he had conjured up in his mind.

He's gone for months... maybe even years.

He comes back dead, though not alone. His body escorted by a ship captain.

He has a tale to tell you.

Oh, btw, your name is Ernest Frankenstein.

[aloneandforsakenbyfateandbyman]

Mala Sinha as Ophelia in Hamlet (1954)

[nicolenick]

Victor enjoying exercise is so important to me. He likes going on walks, he enjoys nature and getting to challenge himself physically. It’s a lovely character trait, and it makes his debilitating illness so much more tragic.

[vwwni]

the chudlings karamazov

[deideioftroy]

Am I the hottest of my brothers? 😍

yes 🤩

yes diva 💋

of course you are 💜

no 😇 (I will find you.)

Voting ended onApr 30

[hekioftroy]

Are you lying and am I actually the hottest?

Yes, you defend our city so bravely, we love you.

No, you are both equally hot (are you sure?)

Yes, neither of you is hot (why would you say that?)

Yes, dearest Hektor you are clearly the superior choice

Voting ended onApr 30

I am jesting Dei, you are obviously the most handsome among us.❤️

[hekioftroy]

is it hypocritical that I love both you and achilles

Hypocritical? No… simply baffling.🫩

To hold me and Achilles in equal regard is like praising both the shield and the spear that seeks to break it. One of us stands for something. The other merely wishes to be remembered. Please tell me...do you also admire storms for destroying homes, simply because they are impressive to watch?

[karamazovism]

I wish more people talked about this book:

— Mrs. Vernon to Mr. De Courcy | LADY SUSAN (6)

[karamazovism]

ALEXEI AS A HUSBAND | THEORY: All according to the novel, how would this man be as a husband? (highly requested)

DISCLAIMER: I apologize for taking a long time to make this, it was out of my hands as I was very busy, and couldn’t do much else on this blog than re-blogging my favorite pieces of literature. Regardless, I collected as much as I could to put together how Alyosha would be as a husband, this will not diverge from what the novel already includes. Please note that pronouns or stereotypes used are not to harm anyone but to provide a perspective from the 19th century.

Traits:

1. FAITH:

As we all know, the book revolves around his religiousness a lot. With this, we can see that he would include God in his marriage. His devotion to the Church might also create a sense of hierarchy in the marriage, where he would place a high value on morality and faithfulness. This can also mean that he would be seeking a God-fearing wife but he wouldn’t mind helping his wife, if she has a religious crisis.

2. COMPASSION:

One of Alexei’s defining traits is his compassion for others. He is able to see and understand the pain in people, which makes him a deeply empathetic figure. He would be an active listener, always ready to offer support and advice, but perhaps with a touch of idealism that might seem naïve or unrealistic to others.

3. LOVE:

Alexei is not as overtly passionate or sensual as his older brother, Dmitri, but there is a subtle intensity to his feelings, particularly when it comes to his deep love for others (humanity). As a husband, he would likely show affection through acts of kindness, patience, and understanding. There would be less of the raw, passionate physicality one might expect from a more temperamental character like Dmitri, and more of a tender, steady, and emotionally intimate bond.

Quirks:

1. FINANCIALLY INEPT

And this concludes that his would have to take on the role of the practical one—managing the finances, making sure the rent gets paid, and balancing out his relentless desire to give everything away (“1.4”).

2. QUIETNESS:

While this does speak for the peace in itself, in the context of a disagreement, Alexei’s refusal to engage in traditional conflict (evidenced by his response to Ivan’s "Rebellion") would likely result in the feeling ignored rather than heard. His immediate leap to forgiveness functions as a spiritual view of the valid human anger, leading to a unique form of intellectual and emotional isolation within the marriage.

3. AFFECTION:

Since we know Alyosha is not quite passionate (or at least tries not to be), if his wife would be someone who sought more passionate or intense emotional expression, there might be moments of tension. He could be too self-effacing, or not as attuned to his wife’s emotional needs (romance), which could cause some distance in the relationship (“5.1,”).

[galaxy-with-googly-eyes]

Happy Chairs Against Milverton Day!!

[sethefrog]