The Idiot

The Idiot tells the story of Prince Lev Myshkin, a young man who returns to Russia after spending years in a Swiss sanatorium receiving treatment for epilepsy. Innocent, compassionate, and morally pure, Myshkin is often perceived by society as an “idiot” because of his honesty and lack of guile.

As Myshkin becomes involved with the complex lives of the Russian aristocracy, he is drawn into a turbulent love triangle involving the beautiful but troubled Nastasya Filippovna and the passionate, obsessive Rogozhin. His sincere kindness and moral clarity stand in stark contrast to the greed, pride, and corruption of those around him.

Through Myshkin’s experiences, Dostoevsky explores profound philosophical questions about goodness, suffering, love, and the possibility of moral purity in a flawed world. The novel ultimately examines whether a truly good person can survive in modern society without being destroyed by it.