All Questions
Tagged with fyodor-dostoyevsky russian-language
39
questions
39
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Is there anything that definitely confirms that Svidrigailov actually committed murder in "Crime and Punishment?"
Is there any proof that Svidrigailov actually committed murder in Crime and Punishment, of either Philip (his servant) or Marfa Petrovna (his wife)?
By proof, I mean either a nuanced passage I might ...
JNat♦
- 749
24
votes
1
answer
2k
views
What was a "prince" in Dostoevsky's times, i.e. mid-late 19th century?
In Dostoevsky's The Idiot, the main character is Prince Lev Nikolayevich Myshkin. Sometimes the word "prince" almost seems an honorary title, e.g.
"Here you all are now," the prince began, "looking ...
- 1,005
15
votes
1
answer
418
views
Is there evidence of anti-Semitism in Dostoyevsky's books?
It's well known that Dostoyevsky as a person didn't like Jews.
But is there clear evidence of that in his books?
Ideally, I'd prefer evidence of things that arise above things that were commonplace ...
- 4,635
13
votes
2
answers
8k
views
What does the last sentence in chapter 2 of Crime and Punishment really mean?
The sentence I'm referring to is this one.
‘And what if I am wrong,’ he cried suddenly after a
moment’s thought. ‘What if man is not really a scoundrel,
man in general, I mean, the whole race ...
- 452
13
votes
1
answer
837
views
Original Russian text of this review of Crime and Punishment
In the introduction to Constance Garnett's translation of Crime and Punishment, she quotes this Russian critic:
In the words of a Russian critic, who seeks to explain the feeling
inspired by ...
- 233
13
votes
1
answer
625
views
What does Dostoyevsky mean by 'propaganda' in Crime and Punishment?
I am wondering about what Dostoyevsky means by the word 'propaganda' in part six, chapter four of Crime and Punishment. None of the meanings that I understand make sense in the context of the book. ...
- 461
13
votes
2
answers
1k
views
What is the significance of the "suffocation scene" at Tchermashnya in Brothers Karamazov?
I'm re-reading The Brothers Karamazov and was struck again by a strange scene whose meaning isn't immediately clear to me.
In "Lyagavy", Part 3, Book 8, Chapter 2 of The Brothers Karamazov, ...
- 336
13
votes
1
answer
546
views
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 ...
- 131
11
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Use of "pounds" instead of "roubles" in passage of "The Idiot"
In the 1st Chapter, Part I of Dostoevsky's The Idiot (Eva Martin's translation) you can find the following passage:
These men generally have about a hundred pounds a year to live on (...)
In this ...
- 541
11
votes
2
answers
8k
views
Was Dostoyevsky atheist or Christian?
We see atheist and Christian heroes in Dostoyevsky's books. In many cases the works of an author reflect elements of their own life. However, the extent to which this occurs vary by author. Especially,...
- 431
11
votes
1
answer
716
views
How was Crime and Punishment originally published?
I know that Crime and Punishment was originally published in "The Russian Messenger". I read that it was a Monthly journal. But how exactly was Crime and Punishment formatted in its initial release? ...
- 452
9
votes
1
answer
416
views
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 that Dostoevsky ...
- 235
8
votes
0
answers
378
views
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?
- 143
8
votes
0
answers
589
views
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 ...
- 431
7
votes
1
answer
544
views
Use of the word 'aesthetic(s)' in this passage from Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment
I am reading Crime and Punishment, and as you might expect am really enjoying it. Fascinating book. But there is one passage that is a little confusing to me, in particular the use of the word '...
- 461