(29) The connection between the sudden death of his beloved child Alyosha and "The Brothers Karamazov" - Dostoevsky as the father of his children.

(29) The connection between the sudden death of his beloved child Alyosha and "The Brothers Karamazov" - Dostoevsky as the father of his children.

Previous Article(28) Visiting the German spa resort of Bad Ems, a place associated with Dostoevsky - Dostoevsky still sends ardent love letters to his wife 10 years after their marriage."In the following section, we introduced you to Dostoevsky, the loving wife.

And in this article I would like to conclude my travelogue by introducing Dostoevsky as a father.

Dostoevsky, the loving wife, Dostoevsky, the father of a child.

I will now share with you an episode that is absolutely essential to know Dostoevsky as he walked with his wife.

(18) The birth and untimely death of Sonya, the long-awaited first child of Mr. and Mrs. Dostoevsky: Heaven and Hell in Geneva."As I told you in the article "The Dostoevskys' long-awaited first child, Sonya, was born in Geneva in 1868.

Sonya, however, died suddenly within three months, and the couple was left devastated.

However, his second daughter, Lyubovy, eldest son Fyodor, and second son Alyosha, grew up safely and well. Dostoevsky loved his children deeply and played with them as if they were his own children, according to Anna's wife.

In the letter from Ems, which I discussed in the previous article, he was often seen not only as a father who loved his wife Anna, but also as a father who was constantly worried about his children. In his later years, Dostoevsky was living the happy family life he had dreamed of.

However, tragedy suddenly strikes such a happy family life.

Her beloved child Alyosha died suddenly at the age of three. Then, Mrs. Anna'sRecollections."Let's take a look.

Sudden death of Dostoevsky's beloved child Alyosha

On May 6, 1876, a terrible misfortune befell our family. Our younger son, Alyosha, passed away. There were no signs of sadness that we had experienced. Our child was always in good health and good mood. On the morning of his death, Alyosha was chatting with his grandmother Prokhorovna, who had been visiting us for a while before we left for Stara Raya Russa, in a language she could barely understand, and laughing out loud. Suddenly, the child's tiny face began to twitch faintly. Grandmother thought it might be the twitching sometimes seen in children around the time of teething. Indeed, the child was beginning to erupt molars at that time. I was astonished and immediately called our family pediatrician, Dr. Chosin. He lived nearby, so he came right away. He probably didn't think I was very sick, so he prescribed something and said the seizures would soon subside. However, the convulsions continued. I woke up Fyodor Mikhailovich, and my husband was very worried. We decided to see a neurologist, and I went to see Professor Uspenski. He was in the middle of his examination, and about 20 patients were waiting in the waiting room. He met with me and told me that he would make a house call as soon as his examination was completed. He then prescribed some kind of sedative and ordered him to take an oxygen inhaler, which he sometimes put on children. When I returned home, the poor boy was still in the same condition. He was unconscious, and sometimes his little body would convulse. He did not seem to be in any pain, as he did not moan or scream. We did not leave the little sufferer's side and waited impatiently for the doctor to come. Finally, at about two o'clock, the doctor arrived, examined the child, and said to me, "Don't cry. Don't cry, don't worry. It will be over soon. My husband left the doctor, but he came back in a very pale state and knelt down on the sofa where he had moved the child to make it easier for the doctor to examine him. I knelt alongside my husband, eager to ask him what the doctor had said (I was later told that the doctor had told my husband that he was already beginning his final agony), but he motioned to me not to speak. After about an hour, the cramps became noticeably weaker. I was so encouraged by what the doctor had said that I was even rejoicing, thinking that the cramps were turning into a quiet sleep, which might be a sign that he was going to get better. Suddenly, the boy's breathing stopped, and that was the end of it. That was the end of my despair! My husband kissed the boy on the mouth, cut the cross three times, and began to sob. I also began to cry aloud. My older children, who had loved my sweet Alyosha so much, were also crying and sad.

Misuzu Shobo, Anna Dostoevskaya, translated by Hiroshi MatsushitaDostoevsky in Recollection 2."p151-152

I always can't help but water my eyes when I read about this sad event...I can't help but feel sad for Mr. and Mrs. Dostoevsky....

Deep sorrow of Mr. and Mrs. Dostovsky for the loss of their child.

Fyodor Mikhailovich was deeply shocked by the death. For some reason, he was especially fond of Alyosha, and his morbid fondness for her was as if he had foreseen her imminent loss. My husband was particularly distressed by the death of his little boy due to epilepsy - a disease he inherited from himself. He appeared calm and seemed to be bearing the blows of fate like a man.

Misuzu Shobo, Anna Dostoevskaya, translated by Hiroshi MatsushitaDostoevsky in Recollection 2."p152

Modern medicine knows that the heritability of epilepsy is low.

So there was no need for Dostoevsky to blame himself, but the time was 1878. How could he have known that? And even if he did, what would be the point?

Dostoevsky suffered because of himself. His beloved child Alyosha died because of him. Why should this happen to my child? What on earth has he done to deserve this?

Dostoevsky's suffering was unusual.

However, I was terribly worried that he might get physically ill as a result of this deep sadness that he was enduring. Hoping for some comfort and relief, I asked Vladimir Solovyov, who had often visited me during this sad period, to invite my husband to go with me to the Optina monastery, where he was planning to go this summer. Vladimir Solovyov was going to visit the monastery this summer. It had been a dream of her husband's for many years to visit the Optina monastery, but it was a challenge to make it happen. Solovyov agreed and tried to persuade my husband to go with him. I strongly recommended it, so he decided to go to Moscow in mid-June (he had already planned to go there to discuss his next novel with Katkov) and use the opportunity to visit the Optina Monastery with Solovyov. If I had been alone, I would not have made such a distant and, at that time, difficult trip. Solovyov, too, was, in my opinion, an "out-of-this-world" person, but he would have taken care of my husband if he had an epileptic seizure or something.

My heart was shaken by the death of my sweet boy. I was so distraught by the death of my sweet boy that everyone mistook me for someone else, and all I could do was grieve and cry. I lost my usual vivacity and energy, and instead became unfeeling about everything. I had no interest in anything, and I was so uninterested in housework, work, or even my children that I could only dwell on the memories of the past three years. My husband describes my many troubles, thoughts, and even what I did to Ro in the chapter "Women of Faith" in "The Brothers Karamazov," where a woman who has lost a child describes her grief to Elder Zosima.

My husband was terribly distressed when he saw my condition. He urged me to obey God's will, to accept this misfortune that God had given me, to feel sorry for myself and my children for whom I had become, in his words, "indifferent. Moved by his exhortations, I restrained myself lest my immediate outward grief cause more pain to my poor husband.

Misuzu Shobo, Anna Dostoevskaya, translated by Hiroshi MatsushitaDostoevsky in Recollection 2."p153-154

Those of you who read this passage may be surprised. TheThe Brothers Karamazov.was also a work born out of the grief of Mr. and Mrs. Dostoevsky.

The fate of children born into this world. Dostoevsky had strong feelings about this. And it was alreadyDiary of a Writer."The death of Alyosha may have further strengthened his feelings, which were expressed many times in "The Brothers Karamazov" with a gentle gaze. Children play a tremendous role in "The Brothers Karamazov. Children are portrayed as the salvation of the world from the bloody and foolish world of adults.

Dostoevsky visits the Optina monastery, the model for the monastery in The Brothers Karamazov

Soon after burying Alyosha (we buried him in the Bolshaya Ovta cemetery), we moved to Staraya Russa, and then on June 20, my husband had already arrived in Moscow. There he was able to put together a new novel ("The Brothers Ramazov") in a very short time through discussions with the editorial staff. After finishing this work, he went to the Optina monastery. The circumstances of the trip, or rather his "wanderings" with Solovyov, are described in a letter my husband gave me dated June 29, 1878.

Fyodor Mihailovich returned from the Optina monastery visibly calmed, as if his mind had been soothed. He told us about the traditions of the monastery where he had spent two full days. I met Father Ambrosie, a well-known "elder" at the time, three times. Once in the crowd and the other two times across from him, he was deeply and sincerely moved by the stories he exchanged with the priest. When my husband told the elder about their misfortune and my extreme grief, the elder asked if I was religious. When my husband nodded, the elder told him to share his blessing with me. The same words were later spoken by Elder Zosima to his grieving mother in the novel. From my husband's story, I could see what an insightful and prescient man this much respected elder was.

Misuzu Shobo, Anna Dostoevskaya, translated by Hiroshi MatsushitaDostoevsky in Recollection 2."p154

In order to heal his grief over the loss of Alyosha, Dostoevsky came all the way to the Optina monastery.

It is one of the most prestigious monasteries in the Russian Orthodox Church and a holy place that has produced many famous elders. It is also famous for having been visited by Gogol and Tolstoy, two of Russia's most famous writers.

Dostoevsky was greatly impressed by Ambrosie the Elder, whom he met here.

It is said that Elder Ambrosie had a great influence on the modeling of Elder Zosima in "The Brothers Karamazov. Of course, Elder Zosima does not = Elder Ambrosie. Dostoevsky created Elder Zosima by superimposing the figures of various elders in history. However, without this experience, the rich description and story of "The Brothers Karamazov" might not have been created. The experience here was so significant for Dostoevsky.

As Mrs. Anna describes, the scene of Elder Zosima gently speaking to a mother who has lost a child. This is precisely because of the real-life experience here.

And I must say one more thing. As some of you may have noticed, the name of the main character in "The Brothers Karamazov" is Alyosha. Zosima and Alyosha are master and apprentice. Alyosha is a good monk's apprentice who is loved by the kind Elder Zosima.

Dostoevsky, who lost his beloved child Alyosha, chose Alyosha as the name of the protagonist of his last great work, and it is Elder Zosima who gently teaches and guides him. This composition may be extremely important. I will not go into the theory of the work here, but I would like to tell you that "The Brothers Karamazov" has a great connection with Dostoevsky as a father.

Optina monastery turned into a Soviet gulag

And there is one last thing I would like to tell you about the Optina Monastery.

In fact, the Optina Monastery was used as a concentration camp during the Soviet era...

The Soviet Union banned religion. It closed Russian Orthodox churches and monasteries and confiscated their property. The Optina monastery was also closed and had to wait for the perestroika of 1987 to be restored.

Also, have you ever heard of the "Katyn Forest Incident" during World War II, which was made into a movie in 2007?

The massacre of Polish officers by the Soviet Union. It.Katyn Forest IncidentI cannot go into details here, but one of the places used as an internment camp was the Optina Monastery. I cannot go into details here, but one of the places used as an internment camp at that time was the Optina Monastery.

The Optina Monastery was once a spiritual home for many people. However, during the Soviet era, that very place became the scene of crimes.

If you would like to know more about this case, please refer to the book written by Victor Zaslavsky and translated by Takao Negishi, published by Misuzu Shobo.The Kachin Forest: The Elimination of the Polish Leadership Class.is highly recommended, and I urge you to read it. It is a shocking book.

The Soviet Union's suppression of religion and ideological control is also discussed in this travelogue.(17) Dostoevsky, who criticized communism and socialist revolutionaries: the reality of the International Peace Conference in Geneva."mentioned in the article.

This very Optina monastery was like an enemy of the Soviet Union.

But it is also a place of decisive importance in Dostoevsky's view of religion. It is impossible to exclude this place from the discussion of Dostoevsky's spirituality and thought.

But the Soviet Union had to speak of this Optina monastery and Dostoevsky under Soviet ideology. This was a very difficult problem. The Brothers Karamazov is not a religious work. In fact, Dostoevsky was an atheist and a revolutionary.

Now you can imagine how the Soviet Union, which was crushing monasteries and using them as slaughterhouses, would interpret Dostoevsky.

But this applies not only to Dostoevsky, but to all writers, thinkers, and artists.

Moreover, this is not just a problem for the Soviet Union, but is true in all parts of the world and in all times.

The Nazis also enforced interpretations in line with Nazi ideology. Even if not forced, what is favorable and what is unfavorable differs from time to time and place to place. When researching someone, one should always pay attention to the author's point of view.

Dostoevsky under Soviet ideology and the one not under Soviet ideology have very different images of human beings. I am not trying to say that Dostoevsky under Soviet ideology is totally wrong. However, if we do not make it clear from what standpoint we are speaking, we will end up with a montage of Dostoevsky that is convenient for the side that makes the claim.

As I have said many times, this is not just a Dostoevsky issue, nor is it just a Soviet issue. In all situations, "from what standpoint is it written" is a major issue. It is precisely because we live in an age where information is easily accessible via the Internet and smartphones that we need to be more careful. What if the answers we can easily obtain are written from a fake perspective? Would you be able to recognize it? Can we trust something we don't know who wrote it or what it was written in reference to?

I think Dostoevsky is the best training for these things. He is a complicated man. It is difficult to say simply, "Dostoevsky is a 00! It is not easy to say, "Dostoevsky is a 00! I have written about this in the past.What Should I Read in the Dostoevsky Materials? - "Who is Dostoevsky after all?"I also talked about this in my article on

It may feel good to know the answer quickly. Especially if it is exciting and sensational gossip. But people, and indeed the world, is not that simple.

The complex and bizarre world that transcends reason and logic is where we live. Dostoevsky's novels teach us this. And he himself was just such a being, wasn't he?

I know this is a long way off from the Optina Monastery, but I think it is important to think about these things.

I introduced Dostoevsky as a father who loves his children in this article because I wanted people to know this side of Dostoevsky. I believe that if you read "The Brothers Karamazov" with the knowledge of Dostoevsky's love for his children, something different will surely sprout in your mind.

be unbroken

Next Article.

Click here to read the previous article.

Click here for a list of Dostoevsky's recommended books.
List of recommended Dostoevsky biographies."
List of recommended Dostoevsky commentaries.
A list of recommended commentaries on "Dostoevsky and Christianity."

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