Study Help Essay Questions

1. Compare the basic differences in the personalities and philosophies of Alyosha, Ivan, and Dmitri. 2. State briefly Fyodor Karamazov’s personality and indicate his relationship with each of his three sons. 3. How does Fyodor’s relationship with Smerdyakov differ from his relationship with his legitimate sons? 4. What influence does […]

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Fyodor Dostoevsky Biography

Dostoevsky’s early education was in an army engineering school, where he was apparently bored with the dull routine and the unimaginative student life. He spent most of his time, therefore, dabbling in literary matters and reading the latest authors; the penchant for literature was obsessive. And, almost as obsessive was […]

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Character Analysis Ivan

By nature Ivan is a very studious person who has strong intellectual inclinations, qualities that later dominate his personality. As a result, we come to know Ivan through his thoughts rather than through his actions; in other words, his intellect defines his essential nature. As an adult, Ivan seldom speaks, […]

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Character Analysis Dmitri

Dmitri does not have the intellectual pretensions of Ivan and cannot understand his brother’s metaphysical concerns, nor is Dmitri as spiritual as his brother Alyosha, although he basically accepts God and immortality. He is, in fact, best represented as being caught midway between a sort of “Madonna-Sodom” opposition; he fluctuates […]

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