Boriana

Money and the lack of it is a major theme in Dostoyevski's writing. This is partly due to the fact that he himself had experienced the severe exigency of it, and the longing for having it (caused by necessity not by love) is not an inconceivable idea for the author. Money can have an immense utility, and respectively -- power to attract. Not having money could be destructive. Having it could be wracking. In "Crime and Punishment" Sonia desparately needs money for her miserable family and is willing to sell everything - even her own body, for it. The lack of money is destructive for her. Razkolnikov kills and steals money. The illegal possesion of it makes him feel uneasy and he takes it away from his room, placing it under a rock. Keeping these money would have been wracking for him. Money can be used for humiliation. In "Notes From Underground" the underground man puts money into the hand of Liza thus inserting a definite and most scornful end to their short-term relationship. This act of his is a culmination of the escalation of his assaults on Liza's mind and pride.

In "Brothers Karamazov" money have still a different function. It is the ultimate means for seduction. It is interesting to note that nowhere in his works does Dostoyevski place money as a goal in itself. Money is like a rode-sign -- it serves for an aim beyond itself, but without it this aim cannot be reached. In "Brothers Karamazov" money is not the objective that creates the action, but still it is present as a central theme, accompanies the majority of conflicts and "love" affairs, and finally it leads to a degradation point - murder.

In "Brothers Karamazov" there are two ways that money relate to women: seducing for money and using money to seduce. The first type of context is introduced very early in the novel (first book, first chapter) thus giving a direction to the reader's thoughts "Fyodor Pavlovich ... filched all her cash from [his wife], as much as twenty-five thousand roubles, the moment she got it" [p. 8]. This is an usual set up in fiction -- husband or wife marrying for money. What is extraordinary in this novel is the dimensions that this concept of money obtains - Fyodor Pavlovich is completely indifferent to both his wives and often in the text he mistakes them and their relationships to his sons.

As the saying goes "the pear doesn't fall far from the tree". Mitya, Fyodor Pavlovich's son, is on the same level of thought as his father is, and continues the tradition of taking money from the woman with which he has a relationship. Having been given three thousand roubles to send, Mitya spends them all -- "He did not send [Katerina's] money that time, he spent it, because he couldn't help himself, like an animal" [p. 119]. The difference from Fyodor Pavlovich is that Mitya, at least, has a guilty consciousness. His thoughts lead him even to the idea of killing himself (he doesn't mean it, though) "I won't shoot myself. It's beyond my strength right now -- later, maybe..." [p. 119]. The point is that Mitya does take three thousand roubles from Katerina Ivanovna without her knowledge.

This is bad in itself. Worse is to come. Mitya spends these money for seduction - the second of the two scenarios. Mitya takes Grushenka to Mokroye, hires gypsies to sing and dance, buys champagne... in short involves himself in debauchery. "And with those three thousand roubles in my pocket, I then found myself at Grushenka's, and on them we went to Mokroye" [p.119]. Mitya's concept of money closely coincides with the one of his father "for me, money is an accessory, a fever of the soul, an ambience" [p. 108] and as such both of them use them for women and alcohol.

Another important aspect of money in this book is linked with the relationship between father and son - Fyodor and Mitya. Besides from being blood relatives there is nothing else to connect these two individuals but money. Fyodor never did anything for the upbringing and life of his oldest son, and respectively Mitya did not feel any son-like emotions towards his father. The connection between the two of them can be described as a one-way flow of money -- from Fyodor to Mitya, not lacking substantial arguments about how much should Mitya recieve. This relationship lasts for years until a new factor enters the equation and this is Grushenka. Now, the father and son become also rivals. According to Mitya the only way that Fyodor surpasses him is by the posession of three thousand roubles, which Fyodor is planning to give as present to Grushenka when she comes to his house. These roubles become a controversial issue, because they are also exactly the sum that Mitya owes to Katerina. These money serve as the ultimate temptation for Mitya -- they would eliminate Fyodor's advantage, and will solve his debt towards Katerina Ivanovna. Notice that money already have their destination. Money never stay unspent: while they are in Fyodor's possesion they serve as an enticement, once they become Mitya's posession by force they are to be spent on covering Katerina's debt, but actually in the end once again they are spent on Grushenka in Mokroye. In this context money become a key element in Fyodor's murder. They are also the major evidence that points to Mitya being the murderer.

In Book VIII Mitya's desparate need for money is developed gradually; each attempt to obtain it is more ridiculous and more intense than the previous one; the argumentation provided becomes more illogical and more incomprehensible with each trial; emotions and aggressiveness progress from positive "you've saved me, oh" [p. 372], to neutral "On other occasion Mitya might have killed him... He quietly walked over to the bench, ... silently...and went out of the room" [p. 379], to negative "'Ah, devil take...!' Mitya...banged his fist on the table with all his might" [p. 388]. The escalation from confusion to insanity of Mitya's mind reaches culmination when Mitya comes out of the dark with the desired money covered with blood. It is difficult not to conclude the obvious "Mitya killed his father and stole the money" but sometimes even the most logical is not true.

In "Brothers Karamazov" money exercise several functions: seducing for money, using money to seduce, uniting father and son, tempting, inflicting envy. Nevertheless their immense impact on the lives of the characters, money never cease being only the means, and not the end. Money are developed and regarded as an important element in human relationships and prove to be such in the majority of literary works of Dostoyevski.