Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Idiot is a profound exploration of innocence, morality, and the collision between idealism and the harsh realities of Russian society. The novel follows Prince Myshkin, a man often perceived as naïve and “idiotic” because of his sincerity and kindness, as he returns to St. Petersburg after years of treatment for epilepsy. Myshkin’s attempts to navigate the complexities of high society, love, and friendship reveal the tensions between purity and corruption, faith and cynicism. Through characters like the passionate Nastasya Filippovna and the manipulative Rogozhin, Dostoevsky paints a rich portrait of human psychology and spiritual conflict.

Reading The Idiot can evoke both admiration for Myshkin’s goodness and frustration with the world that crushes it. Dostoevsky forces readers to question whether true goodness can survive in a world driven by self-interest, jealousy, and deception. The novel’s intricate emotional and philosophical layers ask readers to reflect on their own moral compass and the sacrifices that come with living authentically in a flawed world.