Love your enemies: the unlovable Rogozhin

[Gladys]

In the ‘The Idiot’, Prince Myshkin begins and ends with Rogozhin. In between, his shadow haunts the prince.

Rogozhin is the arrogant, overbearing passenger in the same carriage as the prince on a train to Petersburg. The impulsive, repulsive Rogozhin long threatens murder. During that night following his murder of Nastasya Filippovna (who deemed herself worthy only of Rogozhin…as human sacrifice), the prince’s “tears flowed on to Rogozhin’s cheek”.

Are these tears the descent of the prince into idiocy? Rather, I think, he is showing his open-hearted love for Rogozhin in the most trying circumstances imaginable. Finally, the epileptic is committed to the Swiss asylum, where he bemoans the sad fate of Rogozhin among others. All now see the prince’s great love as madness: no one believes in him. Are we also offended?

Maybe Dostoevsky is alluding here to scripture, “As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed” (Romans 9:33).

[Ingi]

I read the book a week ago and I can't stop thinking about Rogozhin and if I interpreted him right. So...if I figured out something wrong, please correct me.

Rogozhin is my favorite character. Although in the book he is considered as the worst chatacter, I don't understand completely why. I don't even understand if he loved Nastasya truly, or was just obsessed with her.

He was evil because he bought Nastasya, beat, killed her, but he also loved her. All bad things he did were cause of love (or obsession?). And if someone can love so much, how can he be evil? I would say that did it because he was mad of love, not because he was evil. If he was so bad, if he wanted Nastasya only because of her beauty, he surely wouldn't be so considerate towards her. He always listened, pleased her and he was around all the time for support.

For me one of the most touching moments in the book was when she ran away from wedding with Myshkin, and Rogozhin and Nastasya were in Petersburg, in widow's house. She was bored there, she even cried because of it, and next day Rogozhin brought cards, so they can play.

I don't know what would he do if she turned him down at the beggining of the novel. Would that awake his rage and desire to kill her, or did these feelings come later?
I think she is insensitive and much more evil than Rogozhin despite of her unfortunate life. At least he never exploited her as she did him. At the very beggining she alredy knew that she is lost and cannot be saved. Instead of accepting and ruining only herself she pulled after her Rogozhin, Myshkin and Aglaya.

For me Rogozhihin was much bigger victim than Nastasya.

What do you think?

[Gladys]

I share your fascination with Rogozhin. He is obsessed with Nastasya. If he may be said to love Nastasya, his love is astronomically different from Prince Myshkin self-sacrificing love for her. For Rogozhin, 'love' probably means obsession or infatuation. He is 'in love', whereas the prince loves much.

Rogozhin is made mad by his love. Certainly, he acts at times in a considerate, pleasing and supportive way both to Nastasya and the prince. But he murders Nastasya and, earlier, had attempted to kill the prince. As to whether he is evil, I am guided the by the judgement of Prince Myshkin, 'his tears flowed on to Rogozhin's cheek'.

When she, runs 'away from wedding with Myshkin' to the widow's house, Nastasya is understandably bored and depressed. In self-deprecation she, 'a worthless woman', consciously flees her last chance of salvation. Had Nastasya turned Rogozhin down earlier, he would have left her alone. But she flies into his flame like a moth because such a 'worthless woman' is only good enough for the likes of him. That is why the prince intervenes: to save them both from themselves.

Originally Posted by Ingi

I think she [Natasya] is insensitive and much more evil than Rogozhin despite of her unfortunate life. At least he never exploited her as she did him. At the very beginning she already knew that she is lost and cannot be saved. Instead of accepting and ruining only herself she pulled after her Rogozhin, Myshkin and Aglaya.

I am inclined to agree with the prince: you are too hard on the victimised Nastasya, a damaged creature. While she ruined Rogozhin, Aglaya must also share some of the blame. As for Rogozhin, the prince lives in constant fear of his murderous friend – fear for Rogozhin, Nastasya and himself.

Where I strongly disagree with you, Ingi, is that Nastasya or Rogozhin ruined Prince Myshkin. Oh no! That the prince is ruined at all is debatable. If so, he is ruined by the intolerance of his Russian friends, Aglaya included, who consign the mourner to the Swiss asylum of bloodless Dr Schneider.