The Idiot

Russian novelist, Fyodor Dostevsky, was a fiction writer best known for his novel Crime and Punishment. His work explores political and social 19th century Russia. He was interested in spirituality and psychology. His work sparked the existentialist movement in the early 20th century. Like many of Dostoevsky's works the Russian critics were unfavorable, because of his rejection of socialism. The author's feeling that man's needs may never be satisfied goes against Marxist philosophy. In The Idiot Prince Mushkin suffers from epilepsy and is subject to blackouts. He and his cousin are the end of his family line. In the first part of the novel the Prince sees a picture of a beautiful young girl. At Nastasya's name-day party, Myshkin sees his friend Rogozhin arrive drunk and offer the young woman a large amount of money to follow him. The prince perceives the plight of Nastasya and proposes to save her from her situation. She flees with Rogozhin, believing the prince made the offer only in pity for her. The two men, formerly bound by friendship, become rivals. From this point the novel follows in the Russian tradition with many twists and turns.