it’s a novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky, one of my favourite writers. (you should probably stop now if you don’t want spoilers.)
it’s about three distinct and uniquely interesting brothers - Dmitriy, Ivan and Alexei - and their never-ending conflict with their father, Fyodor. the conflict continues until Fyodor is eventually murdered. everyone believes Dmitriy killed his father. why? they were fighting over the same woman. and in the novel, it’s very easy to dislike Fyodor. he’s carnal, vulgar and perverse. unkind. Dmitriy took after his father in some ways too. he was given to passion, rage and emotion. Dmitriy was found of indulging his flesh. but he did not kill Fyodor. Smerdyakov did.
Smerdyakov is Fyodor’s illegitimate son. (like i said, perverse.) he remained a side character, in the shadows, until he hears his own brother’s, Ivan’s, philosophical words, “if we remove God, what happens to man.” you take away morals, everyone acts in their own best perceived rationality. well, even when they discover this truth, Dmitriy is still sent to 20 years of prison hard labour. something about Ivan running mad from his guilt over unintentionally inspiring his own father’s murderer with words of wisdom lol. that sealed Dmitriy’s fate.
Alexei? he’s the calm, kind and morally sound one. his mentor said something in the book that still rings in the deepest parts of my being - “For the mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for.”
Many people believe this to be Dostoevsky’s greatest work. i share in that sentiment too. and if you haven’t already picked up on it, Dostoevsky tells a story of how man (Fyodor representing desire, appetite) is a summation of his chief drivers: the body (Dmitriy representing emotion), the mind (Ivan representing reason) and the soul (Alexei representing faith). Dostoevsky tells a beautiful literal story on how these drivers directly influence the outcome of man’s life. it is the chief driver you give control the most that truly makes or breaks man.
you can tell which driver Dostoevsky pleads we give the most control over man. do i share his sentiment? hm. i believe in Jesus Christ.