“You can buy the whole world”: the problem of redemption in The Brothers Karamazov

Abstract

The use of commercial language in Dostoevsky novels is considered. It is stressed that money plays a key role in the articulation of central spiritual dilemmas explored in Dostoevsky’s works. When Dostoevsky writes about significant spiritual experiences — such as achieving happiness, being resurrected into new life, or acquiring a relationship with God — he frequently uses the language of financial transaction to describe them. Analyzing the relationship between money and redemption can illuminate new dimensions of the spiritual heart of the novel, the choice between Ivan and Zosima, rebellion and faith. These two aspects of money — its importance for thinking about redemption and its ability to contain opposites — become especially significant in “The Brothers Karamazov”.