『까라마조프의 형제들』에 나타난 신 인식의 변화 - 드미뜨리, 이반, 알료샤를 중심으로

Abstract

The aim of this article is to study the change in perception of God in The Brothers Karamazov. It focuses on Dmitri, Ivan and Alesha. Dmitri's conception of God is equally that of mainstream Christianity and paganism. But after the death of his father he begins to perceive God as One who intervenes in human life and takes action. He realizes his sin before God who sees and knows everybody's heart. In prison he wrestles with the temptation of doubts about the existence of God. In this way, Dmitri's polytheistic conception of God gradually shifts to a Christian monotheistic perception. God in Ivan's consciousness is the Christian God. He protests against God who barters the present suffering of mankind for a nebulous future 'eternal harmony'. He is suspicious of God's intentions and conjectures them on rational grounds. Admitting his responsibility for his father's death, his apparently strong logic undergoes a breakdown. His alter-ego devil relentlessly betrays his hidden craving for faith. From the beginning Alesha seeks the God of Christianity. His faith in his God is faced with both crisis and trial after Zosima's death. Pain caused by the disgrace brought on Zosima results in Alesha‘s complaint and protest against God. He is badly shocked by the disgrace of Zosima because God does not do justice to Zosima as he thinks He should. However, realizing in a dream that God dose justice to men in other ways, he overcomes his spiritual crisis.