The Three Torments of Ivan Karamazov

In Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, the fate of brother Ivan has generally been considered hopeless––even demonic. While Dmitry and Alyosha each appear to undergo a passage through torments that results in spiritual resurrection through Zosima’s doctrine of active love, Ivan, frequently identified with the Devil, seems to be excluded from the hope of salvation. This paper explores a path of narrative redemption for Ivan by examining the three universal “torments” delineated by his Grand Inquisitor in conjunction with Zosima’s “response” of active love. I maintain that Ivan, like his brothers, undergoes a pattern of katabasis––a descent into hell that is not permanent, but purgatorial––which will eventually lead him to set foot on the path of active love and participate in the response to suffering provided by Zosima