『까라마조프의 형제들』주인공들의 천국과 지옥 표상 연구

Abstract

This article is a study of the heroes' representation of heaven and hell in The Brothers Karamazov, the last novel of the great Russian writer F. M. Dostoevsky. The representation of heaven and hell of the heroes in this novel is very closely related to their faith or disbelief. In this novel the representation of hell overwhelms that of heaven in quantity. Fydor Karamazov, a representative of disbelievers in this novel, acknowledges the necessity of hell, knowing that he is an infamous sinner who deserves condemnation. But he finds it difficult to accept the widespread representation of hell as a concrete place of punishment. Finally, he decides that there is no hell, not because he is convinced of it, but because his desire for sin has proved to be much more forcible than his fear of punishment. Fydor's illegitimate son Smerdyakov does not deny the reality of hell, but he denies the punishment of hell. The denial of punishment is due to his deep despair in not being able to possess real faith. Fyldor's second son Ivan denies the existence of hell because he demands the achievement of justice on earth. Another reason for his denying hell is that it is a place of suffering. Ivan longs for a world where there is no suffering at all. Therefore he denies both this world and hell for the same reason: suffering. Zosima, a representative of believers in this novel reflects on the condition of the souls in hell; doubts the materiality of hell's fire. According to his conviction, the true nature of suffering in hell is not physical, but moral. The suffering comes from his perception that it is impossible to love in hell. Grushenka's fable of an onion testifies to the fact that a man who did not practice love while living cannot love at all in hell. Dmitri paradoxically professes that he will love God even in hell. His sincere and ardent love for God leads him, in the midst of despair and fear, to the great moment of repentance. Despite its slightness in quantity, the representation of heaven of the heroes leaves a very strong impression on the readers, and delivers one of the powerful messages of this novel. Ivan's representation of heaven is given through the words of a devil, who shows up in his nightmare. His dream reveals his hidden fervent desire to affirm God's ultimate justice, though he professes that he will never sing hosanna to God. Alesha‘s representation of heaven is also portrayed in a dream. In his vision of heaven the Gospel's wedding feast is transformed into heaven's wedding feast, where its symbolic meaning is fully realized. Heaven in Alesha's representation is a place of unceasing joy where God's justice is ultimately realized.