Student Essay on Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Idiot

Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Idiot

Summary:   In his classic novel The Idiot, Fyodor Dostoevsky portrayed Prince Lev Nikolayevich Myshkin as a perfect figure who inevitably becomes corrupted by a materialistic society. Throughout Part I of The Idiot, the Prince is a Christ-like figure who projects simple innocence and purity; however, in subsequent parts he becomes a suspicious, corrupted man whose epilepsy worsens and eventually causes his downfall.

Fyodor Dostoevsky's "The Idiot"

Dostoevsky's comment in a letter to his publisher "My idea was to portray the perfect man. It seems to me that nothing could be more difficult, especially in these times...Only sheer desperation has impelled me to come to grips with an idea, which so far has defeated everyone" yet our protagonist, Prince Lev Nikolayevich Myshkin, an epileptic, is drawn as a perfect figure, but the society corrupts him. Dostoevsky's "The Idiot" closely follows the degradation of the Prince Myshkin's noble character, in exposure to the corrupted Russian society, until the final epileptic relapse that destroys him permanently.

Prince Myshkin portrays a Christ-like figure through his simple innocence and automatic assumption of human purity. By just being introduced into a completely new environment, the Prince's perfection is untouched by society, such as a child. The beginning of Part I, his redeeming features are accented by the contrasting Rogozhin's dark, compelling features (both physical and mentally). His openness in the train reveals his innocence and vulnerability in a vicious culture. The Prince stresses his saintly characteristics by his honesty and sincerity with the servant (showing that he does not recognize classes), and compassion displayed through his story of Marie told to the Yepanchin women. His ability to laugh at himself with all also proves his childish mind and attitude towards life. When Gavril Ardalyonovich Ivolgin slaps (nicknamed Ganya) him for protecting Varvara Ardalyonovna Ivolgin (Varya), the Prince's patience and his capability to forgive demonstrates his childlike, optimistic outlook of life. Yet it is clearly in the climax of the part that the Prince's complete adoration and compassion for Anastassya Filippovna Barashkov (Nastassya) truly defines his purity as only he is unconcerned with her wealth and offers her true love instead of shamefully running away with Rogozhin who buys her with 100,000 roubles. Throughout Part I, Dostoevsky portrays his perfect human, which is only Christ, through the Prince, thus revealing his condor, and innocence.

The second part of "The Idiot" begins completely anew, as though a new novel, and already the Prince has been transformed overnight into a paranoiac introvert after a few weeks in Petersburg. Opposite to everyone's immediate adoration for his simplicity, the Prince is continually attacked and his goodness doubted. The contrast between Rogozhin and the Prince deepens at his house where the dark gloomy atmosphere contradicts that of the Prince's. The initial trusting virtue of the Prince has vanished as he doubts Rogozhin and even after being blessed by his mother, and exchanging crosses as a sign of brotherhood, the Prince continually imagines Rogozhin's burning eyes wherever he looks, which proves his doubting behavior. Epilepsy, a thought to be blessed illness that gives the gift of abnormal insight, is first described in this part in thorough detail, not only because Dostoevsky is epileptic, but because this establishes the Prince's change from Part I. At the beginning of the novel, the Prince is cured of his fits, yet suddenly, through pure excitement and Rogozhin's violent attack, the prince falls into his first epileptic fit in the book. Once in Pavlovsk, he Prince even admits to Keller: "'You have confused your motives and ideas, as I need scarcely say too often happens to myself. I can assure you, Keller, I reproach myself bitterly for it sometimes... for a double motive is a thing most difficult to fight against. I have tried, and I know... I fear these double motives more than ever just now..."' which clearly proves the Prince's change.

In Part III and IV, the new Myshkin is still being corrupted by the Russian society and the corrupt people he is surrounded by. Our Prince is divided between "vile, gloomy suspiciousness" and complete confidence in his fellowmen which shows his impatience and mistrust of humanity. Lizaveta Prokofyevna Yepanchin's complete disapproval of the Prince only proves furthermore that his once innocence and complete condor has worn off as at first, he had entertained them and her with his story of Marie. Hippolite Terentyev's dislike of him from the first moment only shows that his once charming effect has left people doubting and suspicious. His stumbling saint-like character falls when he is faced with huge pressures such as the party in which he breaks Lizaveta's precious vase in front of all the high society guests that he was being introduced to and finally falls into an epileptic fit, embarrassing himself and all the guests, simply out of nervousness. Never before was the Prince ever so self-conscience or concerned of what people thought of him. His epilepsy was at the beginning under control and he had never had a fit for a considerable amount of time, yet already this was his second attack. Prince Myshkin is torn between two women- Aglaya Ivanovna Yepanchin, a beautiful, yet childish woman who the Prince truly loves and Nastassya, a desperate woman who the Prince deeply pities and believes is ill. Aglaya, who he is engaged to in Part III, mocks him continually and laughs at his ignorance but still loves him deeply, though as she is still very childish, she laughs and hides and storms into huge tantrums at times. Her consuming jealousy for Nastassya, who she believes the Prince loves (when truly he only pities her) makes Aglaya face Nastassya with her new fiancé. The Prince's inability to cut off Nastassya's advances and attempts only exposes his weakness as he can not control her. Yet the final climax of the all four parts is in the ultimate murder of Nastassya by Rogozhin. Myshkin did not even call anyone, which would be the righteous thing to do, yet was simply found stroking the unconscious Rogozhin hair and skin crying. The last relapse of epilepsy is the final downfall of our hero, Prince Myshkin, as he permanently can not take part in the society he at first tried to fit into. " He is neither willing nor physically able to take on real existence. His being will not permit it. Epilepsy will continue to prevent him from realizing his 'idea' [(from the first epileptic attack)], and likewise from turning into the potential monster that lurks within." (Professor Lord 99)

Dostoevsky shows the changes from the initial innocent, adoring childlike figure into a suspicious, corrupted man by simply exposing the Prince to a materialistic society, filled with awkward people, yet it is the Prince's epilepsy that will never allow him to see his monstrous potentiality. Thus, the perfect man that Dostoevsky portrayed is not incorruptible, being only human, but cannot descend to such a level as the other Russians because of his epilepsy.