Among the many themes of Dostoevsky's The Idiot, one of the most important is the theme of suffering. Arguably, suffering is one of the most important themes in all of Dostoyevsky's works, especially because of the difficulties and trials Dostoyevsky experienced in his own life. In The Idiot, suffering takes on a greater meaning when it is considered as “a journey, a continuous exodus from the closed and withdrawn self towards its liberation through the gift of self, and therefore towards an authentic discovery of oneself and even of God. » (Deus Caritas Est 6). To understand the importance of suffering in this work, we must consider it in the light of salvation history. Before the passion, death and resurrection of Christ, suffering could only be a form of punishment for sin; however, through the death and resurrection of Christ, he transforms suffering into a means of sanctification and redemption. Rather than seeing pain as an evil, Pope John Paul the Great explains in his 1984 encyclical, Salvifici Doloris, that pain is something "that man suffers because of a good in which he does not participate » (Salvifici Doloris 7). His encyclical reflects the words of Saint Paul: “[now] I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I thus have my part, in the name of his body, which is the Church, to fill this who lacks the afflictions of Christ” (Colossians 1:24). It is through the death of Christ that man can understand his suffering by adding it to that of Christ: man's suffering can become redemptive. Looking at The Idiot through this understanding, one can see many of the triumphs and failures of the characters in the work and subsequently understand how their actions cause an effect beyond themselves. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayWhen Dostoyevsky first introduces the subject of suffering, it is in a discussion between Myshkin and a valet at the light of capital punishment and a man who “cried as he mounted the scaffold” (Dostoyevsky 22). The key point is noted when the valet suggests that there is not much suffering when the head is cut off; Myshkin responds that this form of death arouses immeasurable horror because it completely lacks hope. Dostoyevsky asks the reader to consider two examples: the first, that of a man attacked by thieves, and the second, that of a soldier in front of a firing cannon – doubtless, both will keep hope until the last moment when they can be saved, and it is this hope that makes it “ten times easier to die” (Dostoyevsky Dostoyevsky 23). In contrast, there is the mention of the condemned man whose "all torment lies in the certainty that there is no escape" (Dostoyevsky 23) and dying after contemplating, whether with or without the Christ – he claims that having to contemplate impending death is enough to drive any strong man crazy. Myshkin ends by saying: “Christ spoke of this suffering and horror” (Dostoevsky 23), which recalls Christ's suffering in Gethsemane when he spoke: “My soul is very sad even to death… My Father, if it is possible, let the cup pass from me” (Matthew 26:38-39). Dostoyevsky held Christ in high esteem, and this example of psychological suffering due to fear of death must have resonated with Dostoyevsky, given that he also had a near-death experience. As Dostoyevsky's Russian Orthodox religion assures that Christ suffered more than any other man in existence, he would understand that the suffering of the spirit and psychewas the ultimate form. However, one may wonder how goodness arises from suffering, and one even wonders where the love of God can be found in what seems to be complete abandonment, especially in this type of suffering; however, it must be remembered that God only allows suffering proportionate to what the individual can bear. A heart turned towards God will remember that divine mercy leads us to revere suffering as redemptive, and in it there is a hope of salvation. In his encyclical Salvifici Doloris, Pope John Paul the Great explores the meaning of human suffering as something explicitly for man, saying: "What we express by the word 'suffering' seems to be particularly essential to the nature of the man. It is as deep as man himself, precisely because it manifests in its own way this depth which is proper to man and goes beyond it in its own way. Suffering seems to belong to the transcendence of man” (Salvifici Doloris 4). That is, the nature of human suffering is so linked to the spiritual self that it allows one to become stronger in relation to God. With this theological understanding of suffering in mind, one might wonder why the novel's most innocent character, Myshkin, seems to suffer the most public ridicule and internal turmoil while characters, such as Rogozhin, do not. not. Sam McCoubrey says that there is “a particularly poignant example of undeserved and perhaps irremediable suffering” regarding Myshkin (McCoubrey 15). Throughout the novel, Myshkin experiences many forms of suffering, the two greatest being Maria's story and Nastasya's death. Although his suffering appears to stem from his social awkwardness and epilepsy, Myshkin dismisses his own pain and assumes that of others. McCoubrey comments that "the pain and suffering in this world was too much for him" and, at the end of the novel, Myshkin must return to Switzerland because he cannot cope with Nastasya's death. Before his final mental breakdown, Myshkin can be examined as always giving of himself, which is reminiscent of the way Christ lived his life; although he had to die on the cross, there is still hope that he will resurrect and redeem all humanity. Likewise, if we read The Idiot in the same way, we would be left with a greater sense of hope; However, one cannot help but recognize Myshkin's limitations since he is not Divine, one may wonder if the meritorious value of his suffering is enough to bring redemption to those who affected him the most, namely Rogozhin and Nastasya. Nastasya Filippovna is a proud, beautiful and arguably the most wounded character in The Idiot. At a young age, Totsky, an older man, took her under his wing, educated her, gave her a lavish lifestyle, and raised her to be his mistress. Having her innocence taken away from her at such a young age left lasting and clear effects on Nastasya. Through this, she has become a very emotional person, motivated only by her pride and revenge; However, his high level of passion and ever-changing moods make it difficult to follow his development, or lack thereof, as a character. Richard Chapple addresses the state that Nastasya seems unable to escape, saying that she flees what is good because she believes she is incapable of repentance, of being forgiven, and that she " suffers from the proximity of good and atonement due to lasting and severe suffering.” self-judgment” (Chapple 97). Nastasya's lack of motivation – her determination to remain in acedia – is the very reason why her suffering brings her no life-giving reward. Although everyone can be saved by offering their sufferings, itYou have to make a conscious decision to turn to God and actively seek forgiveness in order to be saved. Nastasya Fillipnova seems incapable of committing to her life, and this is evident. seen in his inner dialogues and manifests in his actions with Myshkin and Rogozhin. Mikhail Bakhtin, in his Problems of Dostoyevsky's Poets, says that "Nastasya Filippovna's voice is divided between the voice that declares her guilty as a 'fallen woman' and the voice that justifies and accepts her" (Bakhtin 257). Myshkin represents the second voice and continually asserts Nastasya's innocence even when she is fully immersed in her destructive role as a corrupt woman. Although she recognized that Myshkin could help by growing in virtue and goodness, she repeatedly rejects his outstretched hand through her conviction to view herself as nothing more than a doomed woman. From the beginning of the novel, Nastasya finds comfort in Myshkin, saying: "I believe in him as the first truly devoted man in my entire life." He believed in me from the first sight and I trust him” (Dostoyevsky 154); However, Myshkin's first opinion of Nastasya was that "her fate was not ordinary." It’s a gay face, but she suffered terribly” (Dostoyevsky, 36), a suffering that she tries to hide. Regardless of her desire to be more than a femme fatale character, she retains the identifier, allowing men like Rogozhin to bid on her. Myshkin was correct in his assessment regarding Nastasya's suffering, but before Nastasya could truly give herself to Myshkin, she had to understand that suffering is not only this seemingly unattainable means of sanctification, but also a means of repenting of one's own inequities. In the Gospel of Matthew, Christ says: “If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). Christ invites each individual to participate in humiliation, physical pain, and even death to follow him into the kingdom of heaven. However, Nastasya is too absorbed in herself - in her own self-hatred, pity and pride - that she believes there is no hope. Christ calls: “all who work and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” but we must be receptive (Matthew 11:28). Nastasya's evident rejection of Christ's forgiveness through her rejection of Myshkin in marriage was the cause of her ultimate downfall and death. However, Nastasya isn't the only broken character in The Idiot. Each character brings a different element of rejection or acceptance of the suffering inflicted on them: some are content with their mediocre lifestyle, and still others are broken because they are unwilling to turn to Christ for help them carry their cross. Among the latter, Rogozhin is one of these characters. When we introduce Rogozhin, we may have the impression that there is nothing extraordinary about him. He longs for Nastasya, but is not satisfied when he succeeds in reaching her. Dostoyevsky knew that he would ultimately experience his greatest downfall by murdering Nastasia. Unfortunately, Rogozhin rejects Christianity even though, of all the characters in the novel, he is offered the most tangible opportunities to turn to Christ. The two clearest Christian symbols given in Rogozhin are Holbein's Christ and the exchange of crosses in chapter four. Part two – both of which can be seen as opportune times for him to turn to God. In the Acts of the Apostles, Saint Luke writes: “Therefore be penitent and convert, that your sins may be forgiven” (Acts of the Apostle, 3:19), a message to sinners that can always be given. the house of the Father. The first symbol seen, the painting of Christ from 2015.