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Questions for Writing about Brothers Karamazov
The following writing questions were generated by students in Professor
Gocsik's English 2-3 class over the years. Please note that the
following questions are designed to prompt you towards your paper
topic. You should NOT try in your paper to answer any of these questions
completely; they are far too broadly conceived. Instead, pick an
aspect of one of these questions and use it to guide your paper's
thesis and structure. Good luck.
- In his author's note, Dostoevsky tells us that Alyosha is the
hero of the book. This declaration sparks some interesting questions.
For example, why does Dostoevsky feel compelled to make this sort
of announcement? Is it really, as he claims, that Alyosha has
not quite come into his role as hero, but is really a hero-in-training?
Or is it that Dostoevsky wants to raise the question "What
makes a hero?" in his reader's mind? The question, "Who
is the hero of the book?" is intriguing. If you decide to
take this question on, you will first have to define the idea
of "hero" as Dostoevsky understands it. Does Dostoevsky
use the word "hero" in the classical sense? In the Christian
sense? In the epic sense? Once you have this definition in mind,
your paper might take many turns, including a consideration of
who best fits the criteria for hero; why Alyosha is or is not
the hero; and so on. You can also think about how a misunderstood
notion of heroism plays itself out in the novel in destructive
ways: consider, for example, how Ivan is a hero to Smerdyakov;
how Kolya is a hero to Ilyusha; and so on.
- Many readers are interested in the idea "Everyone is guilty
for all." If this idea intrigues you, you might want to explore
its implications. You may wish to take a practical look at the
book, showing how everyone is responsible for a particular event:
Fyodor's death, Ilyusha's death, even Smerdyakov's death. Or you
may investigate how this idea interacts with other ideas in the
book. For example, how does the idea of shared guilt relate to
the notion of Christian love? How does the idea of shared guilt
answer Ivan's rebellion and his feelings about suffering? In what
ways does it confront the idea that "If there is no immortality,
then everything is permissible?" (Don't feel that you need
to consider ALL the ideas in the book. An in-depth look at one
will do.)
- One of the most important themes in Brothers Karamazov
is the nature and the role of suffering. You might write a paper
in which you explore Dostoevsky's debate concerning the value
of suffering. To give your paper broader context, look to other
Christian doctrines on suffering. Consider what the church has
said over the years about the role of suffering in the Christian
world, and examine how Dostoevsky's ideas fit into that ongoing
debate.
- The novel begins with the book, "A Nice Little Family."
Of course, the Karamazov family is not nice at all. But what is
the root of their problem? And why does Dostoevsky find them so
interesting? Is he making some larger point about families? About
the state of Russia? If so, then what? You'll also want to note
that Dostoevsky includes Zosima in his "nice little family,"
raising questions about who is, or is not, an "authentic
father." We might also ask who is, or is not, an authentic
brother, or an authentic son. These questions, raised in Book
One, resonate throughout the novel, but are explored extensively
during Dmitri's trial. Trace the idea, and then try to articulate
what larger point Dostoevsky is trying to make. Remember: Dostoevsky
preceded Freud - who in fact wrote a commentary on Brothers
Karamazov. So don't make the mistake of contributing Dostoevksy's
parricide to Freudian notions about the Oedipus Complex.
- As early in the book as page one (in his reference to the girl
who imitates Ophelia), Dostoevsky talks about people who are carried
away by role-playing. We've seen how everyone in the book - even
the "wise" characters like Alyosha and Zosima, and children
like Kolya and Lise - play roles that distort their true selves.
In another book, Demons, Dostoevsky argues that the real
demons are the ideas that we attempt to live by, for those ideas
distort us, leading us to lose our humanity. Consider the various
roles that are being played in Brothers Karamazov. Why
are these roles dangerous? How do they contribute to the book's
tragedy? And how do these roles illustrate the truth in Zosima's
advice, "not to lie - for that is the start of everything?"
- What does it mean to be a Karamazov? What is the essence of
"Karamazovshina"? Three brothers claim to be a Karamazov,
so it's important to understand what is meant by the "Karamazov
trait." After all, these three men are very different: one
represents the body, one the mind, and one the soul. Does being
a Karamazov influence the brothers in the same way? And does the
idea of "Karamazov" remain static throughout the book,
or does it change? Also, you might consider to what extent the
illegitimate son, Smerdyakov, is, or is not, a real Karamazov.
- The women in Brothers Karamazov - Katya, Grusha, Lise
(and even Madame K.) - are interesting to consider. Each of the
women swings back and forth between one brother and another, trying
to determine whom they love. Why? Also, while these women are
powerfully interested in matters of suffering and redemption,
they don't seem to be able to overcome their baser instincts -
specifically, they seem unable to overcome their jealousy or their
pettiness. Could it be that Dostoevsky's attitude towards women
is that they are inferior beings? Could it be that the women are
misunderstanding Zosima's principles about love and suffering,
mistakenly applying these ideas to romantic (rather than to spiritual)
love? Or is there some other answer?
- Brothers Karamazov is a book of ideas. The novel concerns
itself with the eternal questions, organizing itself as a debate
between Christian faith and atheistic nihilism (pro and contra).
Within this debate, many questions are raised and answered. But
which of the book's many questions is the most important? In other
words, which idea is the "hero" of the book? In your
paper you might choose one idea as the book's central idea and
argue why that idea is dominant or important. Investigate how
this idea has played out in history, or how it was played out
in Russia and/or Europe during the nineteenth century.
- In "Rebellion" and "The Grand Inquisitor,"
Ivan outlines his reasons for disbelieving in God. What are these
reasons? Lay them out systematically. Then consider how Ivan's
ideas play out in other chapters. OR compare Ivan's ideas to those
raised in 'The Life of the Elder Zosima.' Try to arrange the ideas
of both books so that they create a very clear pro and contra.
Then show how Dostoevsky answers this debate between Ivan and
Zosima via the fates of his characters.
- Ivan is perhaps the most intriguing character in Brothers
Karamazov, in that his intelligence is consumed by the unbearable
strain between belief and disbelief. This "strain" is
illustrated most fully in his conversation with the devil. What
is at stake in Ivan's conversation with the devil? Is the devil
real, or is he a creation? Why is this question so important to
Ivan? Also consider the devil's more sympathetic characteristics:
he wants to sing Hosanna, but he can't, for if he does, then history
stops, suffering stops, and man loses the beautiful possibility
of redemption. In a way, the devil is like the suffering child
in Ivan's rebellion chapter: he is the suffering soul upon which
God's entire system of salvation depends. Do you find the devil
sympathetic, or is he indeed sinister? Dostoevsky provides lots
of questions to consider here.
- In the novel, each brother has a dream in which he faces his
spiritual dilemma and attempts a conversion. Examine each of the
three dreams, describing the spiritual crisis that each brother
faces. Do the dreams succeed in transforming each of the brothers?
How, or how not? Why, or why not?
- Consider the end of the book. Dostoevsky chooses to leave the
fate of his characters unresolved. We don't know if Dmitri will
escape, if Ivan will die, if Katya will marry Ivan or follow Dmitri,
if Lise will get well and marry Alyosha, and so on. Why does Dostoevsky
leave the fate of the characters unresolved? Also, many critics
have expressed dissatisfaction with the thematic end of the novel,
saying that Alyosha's final message (that we should all remember
some one good thing about childhood) is weak. Do you agree? In
other words, does Dostoevsky answer his eternal questions? Some?
All? Why, or why not?
- Consider the time and place in which this book is written.
What historical events influence the various characters and their
fates? Find some aspect of the book that interests you - the Prosecutor's
speech on the fate of Russia, for example - and examine it in
the context of Dostoevsky's times.
- Dostoevsky is clearly interested in crime. All of his major
novels - Brothers Karamazov, Crime and Punishment,
Demons -- revolve around a crime. Even more specific, they
revolve around a murder. Do a little digging in Dostoevsky's journals
and other writings. See if you can determine why he is so interested
in crime, and what he is trying to say about the human condition
through the crimes in his novel(s).
- Other ideas: If you have a good idea for a paper on Brother
Karamazov, please submit it to Professor
Gocsik.
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