Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors
used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.
Characters as Symbols
Because The Brothers Karamazov is both
a realistic novel and a philosophical novel, Dostoevsky’s characterizations
tend to yield fully drawn, believable individuals who also represent
certain qualities and ideas bearing on the larger philosophical
argument. The drama acted out between the characters becomes the
drama of the larger ideas in conflict with one another. Most of
the important symbols in the novel, then, are characters. Almost
every major character in the novel embodies a concept: Alyosha represents
faith, Ivan represents doubt, and Fyodor Pavlovich represents selfishness
and physical appetite. Some characters have more specific designations. Smerdyakov,
for instance, works primarily as a living symbol of Fyodor Pavlovich’s
wickedness.
Zosima’s Corpse
The monks, including Alyosha, all expect Zosima’s death
to be followed by a great miracle that will commemorate his extraordinary wisdom
and virtue in life. They even expect that he will prove to be a
saint. In monastic lore, one of the ways in which a saint can be detected
after death is that his corpse, rather than emitting the stench
of decay, is instead suffused with a pleasant smell. After Zosima’s
death, however, no miracle occurs. Moreover, Zosima’s corpse begins
to stink very quickly, exuding a particularly strong and putrid
odor, which is taken by his enemies in the monastery as proof of
his inner corruption. For Alyosha, who craves a miracle, the indignity
visited upon Zosima’s corpse exemplifies the lack of validation
with which the world often rewards religious faith. The fate of
Zosima’s corpse suggests that faith is not justified by miracles.
Rather, the person who chooses faith must do so in defiance of the
many reasons to doubt.
