Value Of Suffering by Fyodor Dostoevsky

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For many of us, suffering is a topic that we would like to avoid; it brings back memories of tragic experiences in the past or ongoing torments that we try to run away from. On the other end of the spectrum was the Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky. Though his life was a manifestation of suffering in itself, he still incorporated these in his masterpieces. You may know him as the writer of Crime and Punishment, perhaps because it was a required reading in your high school. The title itself already reveals that suffering would be highlighted in some way, shape, or form throughout the novel. Nevertheless, you should know that suffering is a common theme in his books. If you find yourself only realizing that he had other stories than Crime and Punishment, it might be time to take a closer look at Dostoevsky’s works and understand how he truly viewed suffering.

First and foremost, it is noteworthy that Dostoevsky sprinkled his own sufferings into his life work. His mother was a casualty of tuberculosis; Ippolit from The Idiot has tuberculosis. Prince Myshkin from The Idiot suffers from epilepsy like Dostoevsky himself who may have developed it after the killing of his father. Embracing suffering as a theme reflected throughout his writings might be attributable to his familiarity with two major philosophies: Orthodox Christianity and Utopian Socialism. Both have a perspective on the justifiability of physical and mental distress; although he leaned more towards Christianity. Needless to say, keen readers notice a trend that perhaps Dostoevsky’s perspective was distinct from the aforementioned options although it could involve some elements of the two. After all, the renowned author did not believe that suffering could guarantee some God-given amends in the afterlife. Instead, to Dostoevsky, suffering is a mystery.

In hindsight, Dostoevsky allowed his Christian faith to spill on paper; the characters that he conceived were symbols of humanist values that he strived to encourage. If not, the characters are soon to understand the importance of resembling the kindness of God—to rid themselves of ego that could get so destructive to the point of murder, as seen in the life of Crime and Punishment protagonist Rodion Raskolnikov. Though it could seem as though he followed Orthodox Christianity, Dostoevsky incorporated a way of suffering that could not be included in the scope of neither this philosophy nor Utopian Socialism. Many of his characters are subjected to psychological torments of a religious nature. They are plagued with unique theories that they cannot fathom at all—which end up driving them to insanity.

Still, we must deflect from assumptions. There is no definite way to reveal what Dostoevsky believed; however, he made one thing clear, and that is how his life was filled with doubts due to being caught in the middle of appreciating the Orthodox image of Christ and repelling the way lower class Russians were treated. These convictions manifest in his range of works and yet he achieved a stronger faith “through a furnace of doubt” as he said before his passing. Included in this furnace of doubt is his view on the possibilities that suffering can offer. Regardless, it can be understood that no matter how tragic it could be to most of us, Dostoevsky painted suffering to be of a positive impact.

In a famous quote from Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky wrote that: “Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart. The really great men must, I think, have great sadness on earth.” Hence, the author noted that suffering is a condition of life—it is a phase that leads to further understanding of what we are yet to know of. As days pass by, we encounter new experiences that therefore raise us to higher levels of consciousness. It could be that we suffer from genuine concern due to a fire in a distant neighborhood, or from thoughts we encounter before we close our eyes at night such as what will happen if we do not wake up tomorrow. Suffering is a spectrum; it is a mystery. But above all, there exists a possibility of redemption.null