Questions tagged [fyodor-dostoyevsky]
Questions regarding the works of Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821 – 1881), the Russian journalist and author of such works as 'Crime and Punishment' (1866), 'The Idiot' (1868–1869) and 'The Brothers Karamazov' (1879–1880). Use this tag with the tag [russian-literature].
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questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
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Narrator in The Idiot
I'm struggling to understand the narrator in The Idiot. He seems like an omniscient narrator, talking of characters in third person. But, in Chapter I of Part One, while describing know-it-alls, the ...
8
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Was Pyotr Stepanovich in "Demons" really connected to the international?
In the noval Demons (by Dostoyevsky), there was a character, named Pyotr Stepanovich Verkhovensky, who claimed that he was connected to the international.
Did Dostoyevsky mention anywhere in the book ...
7
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What is the significance of the Grand Inquisitor in The Brothers Karamazov?
In The Brothers Karamazov, Ivan tells a long story to Alyosha about the Grand Inquisitor. I have been trying to grasp its meaning for some time, but what is the significance of that story?
6
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What was Max Beerbohm's literary relationship to Dostoevsky?
I'm currently reading Max Beerbohm's Zuleika Dobson.
When the Duke suddenly pours out his soul to Zuleika, his regrets and love so exaggerated that readers can't help but cringe and laugh, I thought ...
4
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What kind of censorship was Dostoevsky avoiding by obscuring place names?
In the opening paragraph of "Crime and Punishment", two locations, S-- Lane and K--n Bridge, are identified only by their first and final letters. My translation has a footnote which says ...
4
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Why did Smerdyakov kill himself in the Brothers Karamazov?
It is being said that he committed suicide out of desperation. the Defense lawyer, Fetyukovich, actually stated Smerdyakov did not kill himself out of guilt and remorse, but because he knew there was ...
3
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Crime and Punishment - what's with the smiles?
In Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment, there is always this repeating motif of "smiling", a facial practice that Raskolnikov does a lot of.
"poisonous smile"
"sardonic smile&...
3
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Dostoevsky's attitude towards Sonya Marmeladova
Note: The question concerns a somewhat touchy topic - prostitution. I am not a native English speaker, therefore, I cannot be sure which terms are suitable for a discussion. I am using words of the ...
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What are the arguments against atheism in Crime and Punishment?
I'm trying to figure out exactly what arguments Dostoevsky tries to make in Crime and Punishment against atheism. I'm talking about the kind of conclusion he wants you to make for yourself when ...
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What is the main idea and the main problem of Dostoyevsky's Demons?
What is the main idea and the main problem of Dostoyevsky's novel Demons? I have tried to identify one main idea and the main problem of the novel, but in the end nothing came out.