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The Idiot was an interesting book; I found myself rolling with the emotions of the characters, sometimes laughing out loud and sometimes expressing frustration concerning the characters' attitudes and conversations. I found myself attracted to the character of Myshkin, being pleasantly surprised at his simpleness and eagerness to share, especially at the beginning of the novel. <br><br>A few thoughts on Prince Myshkin as a Christ-figure: <br>The honesty and the tendency of Myshkin to search for the good in people and to do right by them (regardless of their treatment towards him) were appealing. I hadn't quite caught all of the insights that some of other commenters wrote about above, but they gave me some food for thought (the other characters as 'disciples', for example). In the novel, a few times people would question Myshkin as to whether he was a Christian or not. I remember wanting him to explicitly state his beliefs regarding Jesus and whether he was a true follower of him, but he never actually came out and said it. This reminds me of Jesus, who was often questioned about whether he was the Christ, the Savior we've all been waiting for (Matthew 16:13-20, Matthew 26:63-64, John 7:25-43; of course, read the whole text to get the entire story!) However, it is by their actions that people would question both Myshkin and Jesus-Lizaveta mentioned that Myshkin acted "Christian," and when even John the Baptist was wanting reassurance, Jesus replied "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor" (Luke 7:22)<br><br>I often wanted Myshkin to defend himself, to expose the "absurdity, shallowness and bad habits" (536) of the upper class, and to triumph with goodness. This reminded me of the crucifixion-Jesus had the whole power of the heavens at his fingertips and could have chosen not to go to the cross, however his love for us and desire to save us was so great that he endured the agony of death for US. And he triumphed in the end.<br><br>As with many literary examples of Christ figures, there are points where the similarities break down. I was discouraged that Myshkin was sent off to Switzerland at the end of the book, and at times I was frustrated that he seemed unable to stand up under the pressure and "frenzies" of those around him, and as a mortal man, he was subject to his imperfections-unlike Jesus Christ, the only perfect and perfectly loving human who is immortal.<br><br>The discourses on death and torture, society-the wealthy and poor-were profound and caused me to think and reflect (do you ever have thoughts that you cannot quite articulate, but when you read something you can immediately identify it with what's going on inisde you?!) A few examples (though I can't consider myself among the "wealthy"!)<br><br>"'We toil like cattle, we labour, we are poor and hungry as dogs! Others don't toil, and don't labour, and they are rich!' (The everlasting story!) (381) Reminds me of Ecclesiastes; toil, "the righteous perishing in their righteousness, and the wicked living long in their wickedness" (Ecc. 7:15) This life can be extremely frustrating, however, I must concur with the author of the Scripture that "God has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet people cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end...I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will revere him" (Ecc. 3:11,14).<br><br>"There is, indeed , nothing more annoying than to be, for instance, wealthy, of good family, nice-looking, fairly intelligent, and even good-natured, and to have no talents, no special faculty, no peculiarity even, not one idea of one's own, to be precisely "like other people." To have a fortune, but not the wealth of Rothschild; to be of an honourable family, but one which has never distinguished itself in any way; to have a pleasing appearance expressive of nothing in particular; to have a decent education, but to have no idea what use to make of it; to have intelligence, but no idea's of one's own; to have a good heart, but without any greatness of soul; and so on and so on. There is a great multitude of such people in the world, far more than appears." (448)<br>Another frustration-desiring a sense of purpose and often finding none! But again, we can know that we are unique and that there IS a purpose for our lives, one that uses all our gifts, talents, passions (even if they seem mediocre!): "For You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be" (Psalm 139:13-16) And there are so many others.<br><br>Ah, Russia (or any country!)-"They hurry with noise, clamour and haste, for the happiness of humanity, they tell us. 'Mankind has grown too noisy and commercial; there is little spiritual peace,' one secluded thinker has complained..." (364)