Prince Myshkin and Ivan Karamazov parallels: The “idiot” and the “genius.”
At first glance, Myshkin and Ivan may seem very different in character and manner. However, upon further reflection, I believe they share similarities in terms of story arc and character progression. In this post, I’m attempting to break down the parallels and analyze what their character symbolize.
Note: I'm using David McDuff translation for The Idiot (Penguin Classics), and Constance Garnett translation for The Brothers Karamazov (Wordsworth Classics). Also spoilers beware.
Prince Myshkin and Ivan Karamazov are both orphans; they were both abandoned and were taken into other people’s care. Prince Myshkin lost his parents when he was young (around 7-8 years old?) and due to his illness, he had to go abroad for treatment. Because of his illness, his ability to learn proper education is hindered, and he would have to always rely on the care of others; As evident in Pavlischev providing his treatment and basic necessities, including education; with tutors and Professor Schneider.
‘Oh, don’t apologize. No sir, I’m afraid I have neither talents nor special abilities; the contrary even, for I’m an invalid and did not receive a proper education …’ (The Idiot, Part 1 Chapter 3)
The Prince’s parents had died when he was still a young child; he had spent all his life in villages of one kind or another and had grown up there, as his health required country air. (The Idiot, Part 1 Chapter 3)
Ivan lost his mother when he was around 8 years old, and had to go to a gymnasium where he then continued to pursue higher education. The book puts an emphasis on his intelligence and also independence; As evident in him being well known in literary circles, and his propensity to fend for himself (not wanting to rely on others, not even his father).
.. he (Ivan) left the family of Yefim Petrovitch when he was hardly thirteen, entering a Moscow gymnasium and boarding with an experienced and celebrated teacher, an old friend of Yefim Petrovitch. (The Brothers Karamazov, Book 1 Chapter 1)
… and the young man was in great straits for the first two years at the university, as he was forced to keep himself all the time he was studying. It must be noted that he did not even attempt to communicate with his father, perhaps from pride, from contempt for him, or perhaps from his cool common sense, which told him that from such a father he would get no real assistance. (The Brothers Karamazov, Book 1 Chapter 1)
Myshkin is surrounded by children, and Ivan is surrounded by adults growing up. Both had a difficult upbringing, and both suffered from isolation. Maybe not isolation in terms of them not being around people, because they are surrounded by some people (Myshkin: surrounded by village kids, Ivan: surrounded by literary circles; scholars), but rather, the feeling of isolation from alienation. Myshkin is literally a foreigner in a foreign country, with a disability that further limits his ability to speak the language and to learn social conventions. He is often mocked and disrespected, as is often the case with invalids. Ivan is a child who was forced to grow up faster and is wiser beyond his years; having adopted a pragmatic approach in life, he missed out on being a kid. He is well-respected, but his intelligence is what made him disconnected from people, as no one in the book can see the way he thinks (apart from Pavel, but even then he only agreed with his ideas because he puts him on a pedestal; according to him he’s an “intelligent man”). Both liked to be alone, to spend time away from people and often retreat to their own thoughts.
Sometimes he felt like going away somewhere, vanishing completely, and he would really have liked a gloomy, deserted place where he could be alone with his thoughts, and no one would know where he was. (The Idiot, Part 3 Chapter 2)
… when he had broken off with everything that had brought him here, and was preparing that day to make a new start and enter upon a new, unknown future. He would again be as solitary as ever, and though he had great hopes, and great - too great - expectations from life, he could not have given any definite account of his hopes, his expectations, or even his desires. (The Brothers Karamazov, Book 5 Chapter 6)
As a result, both are terrible at expressing themselves verbally, and would struggle to articulate their ideas to the fullest. They are also very aware of this fact, Myshkin would respond with an apology after he speaks, and Ivan would respond with growing vexation and contempt, knowing that his ideas are not reached in the heads of the listener. Myshkin is worried that he might unintentionally offend others, Ivan gets irritated at himself; both are aware that they are very inexperienced in life.
Once more he cast a searching and earnest gaze over his female listeners.
'You're not angry with me about something, are you?' he asked suddenly, as if embarrassed, but looking them all straight in the eye.
‘What for?' all three girls exclaimed in surprise.
‘Well, because it's as if I were lecturing you all the time..?’
They all began to laugh.
'If you're angry, then don't be,' he said. I mean, I myself know that I have lived less than others and have less understanding of life. It's possible that I sometimes talk very strangely..’ And he decidedly lost his composure. (The Idiot, Part 1 Chapter 3)
‘Is it the parting with Alyosha and the conversation I had with him? For so many years I’ve been silent with the whole world and not deigned to speak, and all of a sudden I reel off a rigamarole like that.’ It certainly might have been the youthful vexation of youthful inexperience and vanity - vexation at having failed to express himself, especially with such a being as Alyosha, on whom his heart had certainly been reckoning. (The Brothers Karamazov, Book 5 Chapter 6)
Also, another interesting parallel is that Myshkin is surrounded by sisters (the Yepanchin daughters), while Ivan is surrounded by brothers. Myshkin is very involved and intertwined with the Yepanchin family, Ivan is very withdrawn and apathetic towards his own family affairs. Their relationship with women is also similar; Aglaya treats Myshkin like a confidant but also torments him with her outbursts, similar to how Katerina Ivanovna treats Ivan.
fig. 1 Prince Myshkin with the Yepanchin daughters (The Idiot (1958))
fig. 2 Ivan with his brothers and other relations in the monastery (The Brothers Karamazov (1968))
2. Philosophy: On love for humanity
Ivan: Love through rebellion
Despite their rough upbringing and feeling of intense disconnection from the world, Myshkin and Ivan carried the same sentiment regarding humanity and the world; that is, that they deeply loved the world and the people around them. Ivan is an interesting case, because while he openly stated that he rejects the world, he cannot help but still assist others in need, even willing to sacrifice himself to maintain peace. As much as Ivan wanted to believe that he did not care for others, his actions say otherwise. This is evident in him blaming himself for the actions of Smerdyakov and defend his older brother Mitya for the murder of Fyodor Pavlovitch. He even helped a passed-out drunk man out on the cold. His act of service for humanity hinges between a sense of duty (very much cause-and-effect; “If I help others, I will get _ in return”, or “If I do _, I won’t be inconvenienced.”) and genuine care for others.
Ivan is stoic, cold, and sharp-tongued, but we glimpse his genuine love for humanity (most prominently) in his interactions with his favorite person; his little brother Alyosha. During the tavern scene, we see him talking so affectionately with Alyosha, not wanting to offend him or to seem like he’s derailing him from his faith. Even later on, when he declared that he wanted to break off all relations with Alyosha, he still ached to see his face, and when Alyosha did visit him, he was glad and even worried about him being out in the cold. He’s the only person Ivan can truly open up to, and it’s because Alyosha is a symbol of hope and all that is good in humanity. Through loving Alyosha, he loves humanity; with this fact, his love is quite "abstract".
"Though I may not believe in the order of the universe, yet I love the sticky little leaves as they open in spring. I love the blue sky, I love some people, whom one loves, you know, sometimes without knowing why. I love some great deeds done by men, though I've long ceased perhaps to have faith in them ..." (The Brothers Karamazov, Book 5 Chapter 3)
“I said that yesterday at dinner to tease you and I saw your eyes glow. But now I’ve no objection to discussing with you, Alyosha, for I have no friends and want to try it. Well, only fancy, perhaps I too accept God” (The Brothers Karamazov, Book 5 Chapter 3)
“... Dear little brother, I don’t want to corrupt you or to turn you from your stronghold, perhaps I want to be healed by you.” Ivan smiled suddenly quite like a gentle child. Alyosha had never seen such a smile on his face before. (The Brothers Karamazov, Book 5 Chapter 3)
“.. Alyosha, you are cold. You’ve been in the snow. Would you like some tea? What? Is it cold? Shall I tell her to bring some? C’est à ne pas mettre un chien dehors …” (The Brothers Karamazov, Book 10 Chapter 10)
“.. You did drive him away; he disappeared when you arrived. I love your face, Alyosha. Did you know I loved your face?” (The Brothers Karamazov, Book 10 Chapter 10)
Myshkin: Love through embrace
In contrast, Myshkin is shy, meek, and soft-spoken. He doesn't bear contempt or hold anything against the people who try to offend him, and even laughs alongside them. Unlike Ivan, who's unable to open up to people, Myshkin is very open towards everyone. He showed genuine care for others, and he's not scared to show his emotions. He cried when he saw others in pain/suffering, he laughed heartily when someone was joyous, and he always comforts others (evident in him cradling and wiping the tears of Nastasya and Rogozhin while they're in an agitated state of mind). Because he loved and valued everyone equally, just like Ivan, he is also described as having loved "abstractly".
"Dear Prince," Prince SchCh. interjected somewhat cautiously, exchanging glances with some of those present, "Paradise on earth is not attained easily; but you rely on paradise a little too much; paradise is a difficult thing. Prince, far more difficult than it seems to your splendid heart. Let's stop this, for otherwise I think we shall indeed all get embarrassed again, and then ..." (The Idiot, Part 3 Chapter 2)
"No, Prince, she won't understand! Aglaya Ivanovna loved like a woman, like a human being, and not like ... an abstract spirit. Do you know what, my poor Prince? It's highly likely that you've never loved either the one or the other!" (Yevgeny Pavlevich in The Idiot, Part 4 Chapter 10)
The main differentiating factor in their outlook and philosophy is that Myshkin embraces the world, while Ivan rejects it. Both are aware of injustices and suffering, and, because of their love for humanity, they hold their convictions to the extreme; Myshkin wanted to believe in the goodness of others despite their flaws to the point of naivete, while Ivan cannot accept the injustices people inflict on each other, leading him to reject the world altogether to the point of nihilism (Myshkin: rooted in idealism, Ivan: rooted in rationalism). I think the reason why Ivan said "Without immortality, everything would be lawful" is just a way for him to understand the chaos unfolding in the world and make sense of why people behave so basely - Much like how Myshkin thinks "Beauty will save the world", he's trying to make sense of why people are still holding onto life. They are both asking, "In a world so chaotic and unjust, on what basis do people strive to keep on living?"
The conclusion to their respective stories ends with them both succumbing to madness/illness. Myshkin reverted to his state of idiocy, inevitably sent back to Switzerland for treatment, yet it's implied that he will never recover. Ivan suffered brain fever, unconscious and with high fever, and although the doctors couldn't give a positive hope of recovery, it's implied that Ivan may recover. Opposites even until the end, but suffered the same fate; their excessive conviction points them to their demise. With The Brothers Karamazov, the brothers are supposed to represent the "body" (Dmitri), the "mind" (Ivan), and the "soul" (Alyosha). Ivan is flawed because he is unable to see from other people’s perspective, and heavily relies on logic and knowledge alone to rationalize everything (even human emotions). This results in him constantly ruminating with no tangible answer, thus creating no impact on other people aside from abstract ideas. With this in mind, what's Myshkin supposed to represent? I think Myshkin represents the "heart", as in pure emotions, genuine love and care for another; as his character symbolizes unconditional love. A direct opposite of Ivan’s character; his flaw is that he is unable to adhere to logic or intellectualize his concepts or ideas, dooming him to be never taken seriously and infantilized by the people he encounter; he also unable to create an impact or change in the society he threw himself in.
“Here is my answer: the essence of religious feeling has nothing to do with any reasoning, or misdemeanors, or crimes, or atheism; it’s something different, and it will always be different; it’s not that, it’s something atheists will always avoid talking about, as they’ll always be talking about something else..” (Prince Myshkin in The Idiot, Part 2 Chapter 4)
From the very beginning, it’s easy to label Myshkin as an “idiot” and Ivan as a “genius” because we believed that’s what Dostoyevsky wants us to believe. But from what we’ve gathered in this breakdown, isn’t Myshkin technically a “genius”? There is not one character in The Idiot or even TBK that represents the "heart" quite like Myshkin, and I think Dostoyevsky is implying that only by unifying the three (body, mind, soul), the truest form (or expression?) of love/existence can be achieved. Myshkin is the “heart”, because he embodies all three, and everyone around him senses this, and feels reverent towards him, yet they still disliked him anyway because he’s too different from them.
As @nastasyafilipovna11 pointed out in my previous post: “Myshkin is religious, intelligent, and very in touch with his body (considering how his epilepsy affects his daily life). Meanwhile, everyone who hates Myshkin is lacking in one of these in some way, and he tries to help them achieve it.”
“None of them, none of them here are worthy of your little finger, nor your heart! You are more honourable than them all, nobler than them all, better than them all, kinder than them all, cleverer than them all! There are people here who are unworthy to bend down and pick up the handkerchief you’ve dropped … Why do you humiliate yourself and make yourself lower than them all? Why have you twisted everything in yourself, why is there no pride in you?” (Aglaya Ivanovna Yepanchina in The Idiot, Part 3 Chapter 2)
To take it further, Ivan can also be considered an “idiot” because his inability to connect with people emotionally. Fully relying on intelligence alone while ignoring human emotions is like intentionally blinding yourself from the bigger picture, and ironically, closing off the opportunity to learn more about the world. He looks down on people and he holds resentment, unable to turn it into something more meaningful. The parallels between these two characters shows how love (for humanity) is truly an intrinsic motivator in life, and without that understanding (in other words losing faith in humanity), it doesn’t matter how rational or idealistic you are, it can lead you to ruin or despair.
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