Liza Katerinovna Khoklakhov
October 25, 2009
(Lise)
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thinking about Brothers K
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Considering Karamazov 
Liza is also another character which is have to keep track of throughout the novel. Some background information on her includes:
She is a 14 year old girl who suffers from paralysis of her legs, and therefore, cannot walk. There is something mischievous about her however. She is first introduced in the novel when she sees Zossima for a second time. After the first time of seeing him, her condition has greatly improved, so her mother thinks is he gives her one more blessing she will be fully recovered in little time.
She laughs when she sees Alyosha. She is constantly trying to catch his attention or steal quick glanced at him. She cannot contain her laughter. Eventually, we as readers become informed that her and Alyosha were childhood friends. She is upset that he does not come to visit anymore.
Do you think that Alyosha will start to make an attempt to see her more or talk to her? I think something will come of the relationship between the two of them. There is something mysterious about their relationship, so I am curious as to what is going to happen.
Thoughts?
It’s nice that – quite by chance – you ended up with both Lise and Father Zossima, since Dostoevsky chooses to present them to us, for the first time, together. This might suggest that each reveals something about the other. However that might be, we do see how their connection appears to others – as “proving,” to Lise’s mother, that the Father has the power to heal, just as that assumption appears almost blasphemous to the monk from the distant province.
In both cases, Zosimma’s reaction suggests his deeper wisdom: he notes to the mother that Lise is still lying in her chair (and doesn’t comment on the mother’s claims of Lise’s otherwise significant recovery); and to the monk’s criticism of alleged “healing,” he says simply that “It’s too early, of course, to speak of that. Relief is not a complete cure, and may proceed from different causes.” And he goes on to say that “if there has been any healing, it is by no power but God’s will. It’s all from God.”
(This last perspective, by the way, can be seen to relate to earlier discussion in the text about how miracles might appear to a “realist” like Alexey.)
What we should make at this point of Lise’s relationship with Alexey seems unclear for a number of reasons, including Lise’s age (Is she simply acting childishly? One remembers Alexey’s mother was only two years older when she married Fyodor) and her handicap (How might this affect her need for attention and his care for those who suffer?)
But independent of age, handicap, and vocation, it does appear that we might well continue to be interested in what will go on between these two!
I believe that Lise is on her way to become a madwoman. It is apparent that she has picked up her mother’s sneaky habits, and the way in which she switches between sweet and frivolous, and serious and tense suggests that she is rather flighty or at least inconsistent in nature.
I think eventually she will break down, because the way she acts seems dangerous in some way. I’m not sure how yet, but it does. Alyosha seems too calm to really be in love with her, and I’m not sure their relationship will survive the novel. Perhaps Lise’s mother has a valid point…
I can’t believe I was right about Lise. I knew there was something strange about her behaviour. I would go so far as to say there was something dangerous about her.
She is just like Ivan, except somehow the exact opposite. Where Ivan is deadly serious, she is frivolous. Where Ivan is confused about Alyosha’s unyielding piety, Lise is impressed beyond words.
But then Ivan went and poisoned her mind, which was, I would say, a bit weaker than Ivan’s. And now, lo and behold, the both of them have lost their minds. But Lise in particular at least has some time to change her life. I just hope she doesn’t implore Alyosha to help her. Those are my final thoughts on Lise.