The Brothers Karamazov

This section covers the following chapters: “Father Ferapont,” “At His Father’s,” “He Gets Involved with Schoolboys,” “At the Khokhlakovs’,” “Strain in the Drawing Room,” “Strain in the Cottage,” and “And in the Fresh Air.”

Father Zosima’s illness is worse, and he nears death. His friends from the monastery, including Alyosha, gather around him. He speaks to them at length, and though his speech is mostly incoherent due to his weakness, he reminds them to love one another; to not be prideful; to not look down on nonbelievers; that monks are not morally superior to others; and that all humans share in the responsibility for the sin of the world.

Later, Alyosha thinks of how the religious community is expecting something miraculous to follow Zosima’s death; because the elder is so holy, people assume this holiness will somehow spectacularly manifest. The monastery’s Father Ferapont, however, does not even visit Zosima’s bedside. Ferapont has never liked Zosima; while Zosima believes faith is about finding God in the world and embracing that living divine presence, Ferapont believes faith should be centered on a fear of Satan. He claims that he sees devils and that he is visited by the Holy Spirit. Alyosha later returns to Zosima’s bedside, and Zosima tells him to go to his family, so Alyosha returns home.

When Alyosha arrives, Fyodor is in a bad mood and starts complaining about Ivan. He tells Alyosha that the only reason Ivan is hanging around the home is because Katerina lives nearby. Fyodor then briefly remarks that even if Ivan were home because he wanted to finagle money out of Fyodor, Fyodor wouldn’t give him this money; he says that he himself needs this money because, without money, an older man like himself could never procure sexual engagements. He remarks that “wickedness is sweet” (173) and that he intends to indulge his sensual urges until his last day. Returning to grousing about Ivan, a livid Fyodor thinks that Ivan might push Dmitri and Grushenka to marry; then, Ivan would be able to marry Katerina.

Alyosha later leaves the house to visit Madame Khokhlakov’s where Lise lives. On the way, he runs into a group of schoolboys throwing rocks at each other. Alyosha defends one of the boys, but the boy throws a rock right at Alyosha and bites his finger.

When Alyosha arrives at Lise’s, she asks for the love letter that she sent him, and Alyosha tells her that he left it at the monastery. Alyosha tells her that he will marry her once they are legally able. Lise is happy.

Alyosha is also surprised that both Ivan and Katerina are also visitors at the house, and they sit conversing in the drawing room. As Alyosha joins them, Katerina tells Ivan that even if Dmitri and Grushenka marry, she will remain devoted to Dmitri. Alyosha realizes that Katerina is straining to love Dmitri out of gratitude. Katerina asks for Alyosha’s advice, and Alyosha erupts, saying that Katerina loves Ivan, not Dmitri, and that she is torturing Ivan and martyring herself by still pursuing Dmitri. Ivan leaves, saying that he will never see Katerina again. He plans to leave for Moscow soon.

Katerina gives Alyosha money to take to Snegiryov, a poor man whom Dmitri beat up outside of a bar. Alyosha goes to Snegiryov, who lives in poverty with his large family. Alyosha apologizes for Dmitri’s actions. The little boy who bit Alyosha’s finger earlier is Snegiryov’s son, Ilyusha. Snegiryov sarcastically asks Alyosha if he would like him to whip his son “to [his] full satisfaction” (200).

Snegiryov tells Alyosha the story of the brawl at the tavern. Alyosha insists that Dmitri will do whatever Snegiryov wants him to do to be forgiven. Snegiryov tells Alyosha that his son is being teased by his classmates and getting into fights at school in defense of his father’s honor. Alyosha tries to give Snegiryov the money from Katerina, saying that they are brother and sister because they have “both been offended by one and the same man” (208). Snegiryov is overjoyed by the 200 roubles from Katerina, but at the last second, he refuses the gift and throws the money on the ground.