Paper Summary:

Prince Lyov Myshkin is the main character of Dostoevsky's "The Idiot". In terms of redemption, he is often characterized in ways reminiscent of Christ, who, on account of the way in which he spoke and thought, was obliged to live among hostile neighbors who did not understand him. He was thus obliged to live alone, not understanding the hostility. The paper shows that, furthermore, there appears to be in this character a timid purity that reminds the reader of the same trait in Christ. This appears to denote a fear of sex and procreation, which was part of Christ's and, indeed, of Myshkin's mission in the world. The paper shows that Myshkin's interactions with other characters and his characterization throughout the novel then reflect the main theme of the novel, which is redemption or the lack and impossibility thereof.

From the Paper:

"Nastasya represents one of the sufferers in the novel, as she has been abused as an adolescent. This once again is a complicated issue of apparent redemption that is in truth a trap. The savior was Totsky, who took in Nastasya as an orphan. He was also however the obstacle towards salvation, in that he sexually abused the young Nastasya. For this, Myshkin observes that Nastasya suffers not only for the wrongs committed against her, but also for the pride and self-contempt that she carries within herself. Nastasya thus, in emancipating herself from Totsky, nonetheless remains her own prisoner. This is already clear when Myshkin sees her photograph for the first time. Nastasya is beautiful, but her life and attitude appear in her face:
"...her expression was passionate, and, as it were disdainful. She was rather thin in the face and perhaps pale." (p. 27)."

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