Suffering In Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov

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Dostoevsky seems to be extremely fascinated with children. Yet at the same time he is shown to be sympathetic and extremely affected by the suffering they were often forced to endure. The pivotal theme of children and their plight is an important part of his portrayal of society. The children in Brothers Karamazov, initially possess a simple, vulnerable, and innocent nature. This highlights the contrasting, cruel society which they are born in to. While facing such adverse obstacles, the children must gain strength. They are forced to learn to sacrifice themselves in order to withstand these burdens. At times, they are pushed towards the edge and if their fragile innocence is harmed, they are left with no choice but to accept their hardships and put an end to their life. The Brothers Karamazov, uses examples…show more content…
The prime source of doubt which plagued Dostoyevsky was his struggle to reconcile the suffering evident in the world and the notion of a loving God. It all comes down to questioning the existence of a God, a just, supreme higher being that serves as a beacon of hope. A ray of light in this dark and cruel world. Dostoyevsky expresses this conflict in Ivan Karamazov. He says, "It's not God I don't accept, understand this, I do not accept the world, that He created, this world of God's, and cannot agree with it (Book V, Chapter III). It is this conflict which makes it especially difficult for him to accept the suffering and brutality in the world. Ivan believes that if God exists, how can such horror be accounted for? Children, have not yet sinned, and therefore Ivan does not understand a world created by God that justifies their suffering. A world created for men should not be founded on innocent suffering. Ivan refuses to accept inner peace or happiness at the expense of any “un-expiated blood” (Book V, Chapter
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