In The Karamazov Brothers, Dostoevsky employs four main characters to weave his story and express his philosophical vision. First is Fyodor Karamazov, a corrupt and selfish father who neglects his three sons. His eldest, Dmitry, born from his first wife, is passionate and impulsive; Ivan, the second son from his second wife, is an intellectual skeptic who struggles with faith; and the youngest, Alyosha, is gentle and spiritual, embodying Christian love. Though the brothers share the same blood, they do not share the same beliefs or values.
Alyosha is the chosen hero of the story—handsome, kind-hearted, and deeply spiritual. Dostoevsky introduces Father Zosima as a revered elder monk, believed by many to perform miracles. The plot begins with the Karamazov family meeting Father Zosima, who serves as both witness and counselor in a scandal involving Fyodor and Dmitry. The scandal centers on their rivalry over the same woman, Grushenka, whose beauty and charm ignite jealousy, lust, and resentment between father and son. This moral and emotional conflict becomes the foundation of the novel’s tragedy.

