Alexey Fyodorovich Karamazov
October 25, 2009
(Alyosha, Alyoshka, Alyoshenka, Alyoshechka, Alxeichick, Lyosha, Lyoshenka)
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Considering Karamazov 
A brief comment on the personality of Alexey:
Alexey is the third son of Fyodor Karamazov. He is quiet without being shy and though he does not speak often, he is by no means simple. Alexey is the most “pure” of the Karamazov boys. For example, as a child he covered his ears when other children said “certain words or [had] certain conversations about women.” As “an early lover of humanity,” Alexey never resented an insult, but would instead sit there and listen to the abuse and would not harbor harsh feelings towards his abuser later. Alexey never tried to show off for other school children and was unaware of his own courage. He is incapable of holding onto money for a long period of time -it seems this quality runs in the family- yet unlike his brothers and father, he would be happy with or without money. In a way, Alexey is the type of person that one would consider an ideal monk, however he only stayed with the monks for a short time because he simply felt like it.
The way you describe Alexey certainly conforms to much of how he is presented. But what should we make of the following interaction with Dmitry at the beginning of 3.4?
Alyosha said suddenly. “I wasn’t blushing at what you were saying or at what you’ve done. I blushed because I am the same as you are.”
“You? Come, that’s going a little too far!”
“No, it’s not too far,” said Alyosha warmly (obviously the idea was not a new one). “The ladder’s the same. I’m at the bottom step, and you’re above, somewhere about the thirteenth. That’s how I see it. But it’s all the same. Absolutely the same in kind. Anyone on the bottom step is bound to go up to the top one.”
“Then one ought not to step on at all.”
“Anyone who can help it had better not.”
“But can you?”
“I think not.”
Since leaving Father Zosima Alexey seems to be scared, scared that he’ll be like the other Karamazov men. When he received a note from Katerina he began to feel uneasy. On the way to visit her it is said, “But at that moment another feeling was stirring in him, of quite another sort and all the more tormenting since he himself was unable to define it: namely, the fear of a woman, and namely, Katerina,” (101). The reson Alexey blushes is because he too feels things the way Dmitri does for her and he’s afraid to feel that way because so his brothers are involved with her and he doesn’t want to behave like them.
We mentioned in class today the theme of “the human heart in conflict with itself”. I think Alexey is the main character in the novel that is faced with this difficulty. His brothers and father and constantly asking him to do this or that or meet them somewhere or fulfill some duty. While Alexey wants to help and do all that he can he cannot help but think of Father Zossima dying. In the back of his mind, Father Zossima’s illness is there and cannot escape, no matter what is going on. Father Zossima told Alexey to leave and take care of his duties at home, but he cannot help but wonder if he is going to make it back for Father Zossima’s last breath. He listens to Father Zossima says and goes to meet those who he promised to meet but his heart wants to be with the Elder. This is proving to be a struggle for him because he loves Zossima with all of his heart. His head is in one place while his heart is in another.
Perhaps we could also contrast the monastery, where one’s heart could be “pure,” with the outside world where the heart might be continually in conflict with itself, e.g., with respect to one different feelings toward members of one’s family.
In Book IV, Father Zossima is growing increasingly more ill by the day. After speaking for one of his last times, he calls Alyosha aside and tells him to leave the monastery and go out and live his life. He tells him to bring goodness to the world but also to marry and experience the world. Alyosha has great love for this man and is rather upset at this. In my opinion, this is some sort of “self-laceration” which Alyosha brought upon himself. He is torn between what he wants to do and what Father Zossima is telling him to do.
I found it interesting how Alyosha was so quick to carry out faithless acts after Father Zossima’s body began to rot. Maybe this relates to his conversation with Dmitri about the ladder of “low”. He says that he is on the first rung while Dmitri is somewhere on the thirteenth. I believe these actions were Alyosha’s way of taking another step up on the ladder. Perhaps he had thoughts to eat sausage, drink, and hang out with promiscuous woman but he could never let go of his self control. This was because Father Zossima was around to guide him. Although these acts seem insignificant to most people, Alyosha is only on the second rung of the ladder and, to a monk, these acts are thought to distance oneself from God. However, once he had his dream he saw that Father Zossima was still there and was still able to guide him in his subconscious. This renewed Alyosha’s faith and self control and when he woke up, he “jumped off the ladder” and began a new life.