The Idiot

A profound exploration of innocence, morality, and the complexities of human nature, written by Fyodor Dostoevsky. The novel follows Prince Myshkin, a young man who returns to Russia after a long stay in a Swiss sanatorium. Myshkin, the titular "idiot," is a character defined by his profound goodness, naivety, and honesty. His innocence and purity often make him appear foolish, yet Dostoevsky portrays him as a Christ-like figure whose untainted compassion challenges the darker and more cynical sides of human nature. It's set in a 19th-century Russian society, a society with social, political, and moral corruption. Myshkin's arrival in St. Petersburg throws him into a world of intrigue, class conflict, and complex personal relationships. He becomes entangled with a variety of characters, including the beautiful but troubled Nastasya, the virtuous Aglaya, and the cynical Rogozhin, whose passion for Nastasya leads to tragedy. Myshkin's innocence expose the hypocrisy and moral ambiguity of the people around him. While Myshkin represents a kind of idealized purity, his actions and perspectives often put him at odds with the people he encounters, who view him as naive, weak, or even "an idiot." In contrast to Myshkin, the characters around him display all the flaws of human nature—greed, jealousy, manipulation, and passion—which make them appear more "realistic" but also more tragic.