Who is alyosha karamazov

His every action reflects the qualities that he learned from his elder. For example, he refuses to condemn, he has an unusual ability to love all, and he has great faith in the basic goodness of man. Alyosha, however, did not come to this faith easily. His credibility as a character is equated with his struggles to keep from losing his belief in God's justice.

Particularly after Zossima dies, he questions a God who would allow such a holy man as Zossima to be disgraced by a rotting corpse, putrid and repulsive to his mourners. He rejects a justice that dishonors a noble man for no logical reason.

Then, after Alyosha begins his questionings, he is tempted away from his monastic vows by eating forbidden food, drinking vodka, and being induced to visit Grushenka, reputedly a sensuous, loose-moraled young woman.

After the visit, however, Alyosha discovers the great power of all that Zossima has preached. He feels deep compassion for Grushenka, and because he refuses to condemn her, he restores her belief in herself and in others.

And, more important, Alyosha rediscovers his own faith in all its encompassing magnitude. Adding to Alyosha's credibility is his failure to convince adults of Zossima's message. Interests… religion, family, and young children. In addition to trying to mend his fractured family, Alyosha enjoys helping children in need. Relationship Status… single. Even if he weren't an aspiring monk, Alyosha doesn't share Dmitri's or their father's desire for women.

Challenge… instigating love in the family of Karamazov. With Ivan apathetic towards his family and Dmitri absolutely furious at their father, Alyosha is the only hope of keeping the family from completely self-destructing.

Personality… pious, meek, and compassionate. And to shelter him would be no burden, but, on the contrary, would probably be looked on as a pleasure. Ryevsk, Russia, Tensions abound in the Karamazov family. Fyodor is a wealthy libertine who holds his purse strings tightly.

His four grown sons include Dmitri, the eldest, an elegant officer, always broke and at odds with his father, betrothed to Katya, herself lovely and rich.

Conveniently, this makes Alyosha a great character to knit the various storylines together. Instead of abruptly moving from scene to scene, Dostoevsky has us follow Alyosha around town, where everyone seems to want to unburden their deepest, darkest secrets and desires to him. The novel has a different feel, a frantic pace, when Dostoevsky has us follow Dmitri around in Book 8. When Alyosha does speak, he speaks the pure, simple truth. Because of that, he doesn't get huge, rambling monologues, like many of the more troubled characters.

Alyosha's canny simplicity, and its effect on the other characters, bears out Zosima's claim that the simple wisdom of Biblical stories can move us to do good if we only open our hearts to their words 6. Speaking the truth to characters who are so self-deluded by their own pride is nothing short of shocking.

When Alyosha abruptly declares that Ivan and Katerina love each other, for example, both are so bewildered that Ivan runs off and Katerina goes off into hysterics 4.

This isn't to say that Alyosha is immune to doubts and fears. His faith is certainly tested. Perhaps his low point is the death of the elder Zosima. When the elder's corpse stinks instead of miraculously smelling of flowers proving he was only human, not a saint , Alyosha's faith is turned upside down.

This moment of despair, however, only strengthens his faith. Moved by Grushenka's kind gesture her refusal to seduce him , Alyosha realizes his fault: he was expecting a miracle to confirm his elder's saintly status. This desire, which is essentially an idolatrous one, goes against everything the elder preached about humility, about finding God's grace in everyone, including someone as unlikely as the seductress Grushenka.