The truth is not in the dace! "Reading The Brothers Karamazov" (18)

The truth is not in the dace! "Reading The Brothers Karamazov" (18)

Book II: An Unfortunate Gathering, Chapter 8: Scandal

At the beginning of this chapter, something noteworthy is written quite casually.

Up until now, I have described Miusov as a pathetic man who is obsessed with Western Europe, but perhaps I owe him an apology. At his core, he was a refined and delicate person.

Now that Fyodor has left, he has completely regained his composure and has even begun to think about trying to get along with the monastery.

And as he continued his long-winded speech, he felt even better, and "he once again loved humanity with all his heart and in all seriousness."

This love for humanity is also quite something, isn't it? Do you all remember Madame Khokhlakova's arrogant love for humanity? That love where the more you love humanity, the thinner your love for individual people becomes.

There is a strong scent that this love of Miusov's is of that same kind. It is a love that would disappear somewhere the moment any trigger occurred.

And in fact, that love vanishes quite easily, and he once again displays his pettiness. Miusov was Miusov after all.

So, what is that trigger?

That's right. Fyodor, who should have gone home, has appeared there once again.

The buffoonery that Fyodor unleashes from here on is exquisite. Let us prepare ourselves to enjoy it. It is a flashy, grand spectacle that decorates the end of Book II.

And the psychological analysis by Dostoevsky is also irresistible. Dostoevsky sees through the inner workings of a buffoon so thoroughly that one wonders, "Why is such a man even alive?" It is a brilliant psychological analysis that makes you involuntarily nod and think, "I see, so that is why this man is playing the buffoon."

Moreover, it is also Dostoevsky's style to hide sharp blades within such buffoonish words, as always. Let us be sure to fully enjoy that as well.

"The truth is not in the dace"

What a powerful phrase!

And he mocked fasting by saying,"It's because you're expecting a reward in heaven," but in a sense, this is also a terribly piercing truth. It is frightening because it cannot be said to be entirely wrong. This is a statement not only for this monastery but for every religion in the entire world.

Dostoevsky is indeed a terrifying man. He himself possesses faith. However, that faith was one that had undergone terrifying self-reflection and logical struggle. In other words, there is a fastidious pursuit of truth there, assuming every criticism of faith and believing that one cannot reach absolute faith without being able to answer them. This also connects to the later "Grand Inquisitor" chapter.

Although Fyodor spoke of "gudgeon and rewards in heaven" in a clownish manner here, Ivan was also someone who worried about this very seriously. He was troubled by the question of "not expecting a reward in heaven," or in other words, "What is the ultimate faith that does not seek a return, and is faith worth it? If it is not worth it, and there is no God to begin with..."

This is the ultimate problem in faith, but the motifs of the Bible are indeed strongly reflected in "The Brothers Karamazov." In particular, the Old Testament's "Book of Job" serves as a major hint in this section. The "Book of Job" explains what faith without seeking a reward is, and how one should think about suffering a miserable fate in this world despite having faith.

Dostoevsky was a lifelong avid reader of the "Book of Job."

In particular, during his stay in Bad Ems, Germany, in 1875, shortly before writing "The Brothers Karamazov," he wrote in a letter to his wife Anna:"I am reading the Book of Job, and this book evokes a morbid excitement in me. (...) Anya, it is a strange story, but this is one of the first books in my life that made a deep impression on me (dated June 10)."The existence of the "Book of Job" was that immense to Dostoevsky.

It is thought that this work feels difficult for Japanese people because it is heavily based on religious thought centered on the Bible.

It is easy to be misled by Fyodor's eccentric clowning, but a brilliant point of "The Brothers Karamazov" is that questions that strike right at the essence are scattered within his words. And I feel something "King Lear"-esque in having a clown speak the truth. I cannot help but feel that Dostoevsky is indeed Shakespearean.

And now this second part is coming to an end, but it is worth noting that Ivan was in a bad mood when they withdrew from the monastery.

Ivan had indeed come to this monastery with serious intentions. As we already saw in the article"Is Ivan an atheist? What lies behind his mysterious words? 'Reading The Brothers Karamazov' (14)"Ivan treated Elder Zosima with solemnity. Contrary to Alyosha's expectations, Ivan faced Zosima with great sincerity. Ivan must have been angry at his father for ruining that solemn scene. Or perhaps he had begun to feel something happening within himself from talking to Zosima.

However, Dostoevsky does not reveal it. He only records his outward bad mood here.

Dostoevsky has this side to him! He could perform psychological analysis as much as he wanted if he chose to, but he dares to say nothing at the crucial moments! This creates room for us readers to imagine "this or that," and the story naturally expands.

As expected of Dostoevsky. This is the work of a master.

This concludes the second part.

Continued

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For the list of articles in the series"Reading 'The Brothers Karamazov'", please see this magazine.

The following articles summarize recommended commentaries to help you enjoy Dostoevsky's novels even more. Please refer to these as well.

Click here for a list of recommended Dostoevsky books
"List of recommended Dostoevsky biographies"
"List of recommended Dostoevsky commentaries"
"List of recommended commentaries on Dostoevsky and Christianity"

Click here for the Dostoevsky chronology

Click here for "Dostoevsky's Journey"

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