Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Idiot, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Innocence v. Foolishness
Money, Greed, and Corruption
Social Hierarchy, Authority, and Rebellion
Absurdity and Nihilism
Passion, Violence, and Christianity
Summary
Analysis
General Ivolgin has often caused a big commotion like this, rarely with any serious consequences. This time, the whole incident is different. Leading up to the explosion, Ivolgin had been extra grouchy and sensitive. In the three days before he became very close with Lebedev, but then suddenly had a huge fight with him. It seems as if there is some secret that Ivolgin has been keeping. However, at this point the narrator suddenly stops to say that, because the reasons behind people’s actions tend to be so complicated, sometimes it is better for narrators to simply relay a set of events rather than attempt to describe the motivations behind them.
The narrator’s observation that they cannot necessarily understand or describe the motivations of the characters could be interpreted as a kind of literary trick to make the characters seem more three-dimensional and real. At the same time, it is widely known that in writing The Idiot, Dostoevsky felt that the characters had lives of their own and did not plan out the plot in advance. In this sense, there may be truth in the idea that the characters have inner lives of their own.
Themes
Lebedev returned from his trip to St. Petersburg the same day he left. For two days, Lebedev said nothing to Myshkin about the trip or the missing money, and spent all his time with Ivolgin. The two men drink, embrace each other, and generally “egg each other on.” However, they then have a fight, and the next morning Ivolgin comes to see Myshkin, clearly very agitated. He speaks for 10 minutes, but Myshkin cannot understand anything he says. At the end, there are tears in his eyes, and he announces that Myshkin has “understood him.” He asks if he might speak again with Myshkin for an hour, and while Myshkin suggests they could do so now, Ivolgin arranges it for the next day.
This is one of a great many occasions in which another character comes to Myshkin and confesses something that Myshkin cannot understand at all. Perhaps this is evidence of Myshkin’s “idiocy,” or the damage that Myshkin’s epilepsy has done on his cognitive abilities. Another explanation might be that in their state of distress, these characters are not able to properly articulate and explain to Myshkin what is wrong.
Themes
After, Lebedev comes. He, along with Keller and Kolya earlier, all seem to want to congratulate Myshkin on something. Lebedev begins speaking cryptically about how he doesn’t deserve Myshkin’s trust. Myshkin then says he wants to tell Lebedev something about the money he lost, but Lebedev explains that he actually found it a while ago. He says that it was on the floor where his coat had been hanging, and that his wallet must have slipped out. Confused, Myshkin points out that Lebedev “searched every corner,” but Lebedev insists that the wallet somehow just turned up.
Lebedev is obviously lying about the money, and considering his trip to St. Petersburg didn’t involve him catching Ferdyshchenko and finding him guilty, this must mean that General Ivolgin stole the money. Perhaps Lebedev is choosing to protect Ivolgin on account of their long, close friendship. Yet the argument between the two men suggests that there might still be another twist to the story.
Themes
Myshkin asks why Lebedev didn’t tell him that he found the money, and Lebedev explains that he actually put the wallet back where he found it as a kind of experiment. He hoped that General Ivolgin would find it, but in fact he never noticed it. However, that same day, Ivolgin became inexplicably angry and disappeared. Later that night, Lebedev noticed that the wallet was gone, too. However, it then reappeared in the skirt of his frock coat, having fallen through a pocket that tore on the inside. Lebedev notes that, mysteriously, the tear in the pocket looks “as if somebody had cut it with a penknife.”
Although he might not be doing it out of any malicious feeling, Lebedev is obviously tormenting Ivolgin during this whole episode. Due to his alcoholism or his tendency to lie (or both), Ivolgin has a tenuous grasp on reality, and doesn’t seem to be able to handle being tricked and manipulated by Lebedev in this way. Indeed, this is likely the cause of his explosive anger.
Themes
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Lebedev says that he will “find” the wallet again the next day, but first wants to tease Ivolgin a little more. Myshkin asks why he is torturing Ivolgin, noting that the fact that Ivolgin put the wallet back shows that he’s trying to get Lebedev’s forgiveness. Persuaded by Myshkin, Lebedev says he will “find” the wallet that day, rather than waiting until the next. He gives it to Myshkin to keep until tomorrow. Myshkin advises that Lebedev shouldn’t say anything directly, but just quietly remove the wallet from his skirt, so that Ivolgin figures out what is going on. Lebedev says he knows it would be better to follow Myshkin’s kind advice, even though Ivolgin has been particularly rude lately.
This passage paints a strange picture of Lebedev’s friendship with Ivolgin. Previously Lebedev has pledged absolute loyalty to Ivolgin, and this manifests itself in Lebedev not wanting to punish Ivolgin for stealing the wallet. At the same time, Lebedev is now tormenting Ivolgin and making him miserable, suggesting that his promise of a loyal friendship was an empty one.
Themes
