James Baquet

    The Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881) wrote short stories and essays, but he is best known for three of his many novels: “Crime and Punishment” (1866), “The Idiot” (1869), and “The Brothers Karamazov,” as well as the novella, “Notes From Underground” (1864). His works are highly respected for the depth of psychological understanding they portray.

    Although he called himself a “child of unbelief and doubt” and “certain that [he should] remain so to the grave,” he also wrote that “even if someone were to prove to [him] that the truth lay outside Christ, [he] should choose to remain with Christ rather than with the truth.” It seems, then, that he was devoted to the figure of Christ, but not otherwise religious.

    This is interesting because he came from a long line of priests. His father was the first to break with the family tradition, becoming a military physician, which led to his attaining a minor noble rank, and some financial success.

    His beliefs are perhaps best understood by examining his works. In “Crime and Punishment,” a student murders an old lady for her money, and achieves spiritual renewal partly through spending time in prison in Siberia. In “The Idiot,” a pure-hearted prince is taken advantage of in general society, making it seem that an asylum is the only safe place for a holy person. And in his largest work, “The Brothers Karamazov” — often considered his magnum opus — the titular brothers reflect various views of religion, and the book includes long discussions on philosophy and religion.

    In 1849, he was arrested for joining a book discussion group that had political intentions. At the moment of the group’s execution, a note arrived from the Tsar changing the sentence to hard labor instead of death. Following his release from prison, he was forced to be a soldier. All of this seriously affected his health — and his writing.

    He traveled in Western Europe, gambled away a fortune, and ultimately became one of the greatest of all Russian writers. His books have appeared in more than 170 languages, and many modern writers, including Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, and Franz Kafka, considered him a major influence.

    Vocabulary:

    Which word above means:

    1. of the title

    2. rebirth, revival

    3. hospital for people with mental illness

    4. high position in society

    5. king or emperor of Russia

    6. until one dies

    7. from father to son for many generations