The Idiot — Part I

As a November thaw struggles into daylight, a third-class railway carriage nears St. Petersburg. Two young men face each other: pallid, sharp-eyed Parfen Rogozhin and fair, shivering Prince Lev Myshkin, recently returned from four years in Switzerland for epilepsy treatment, carrying only a small bundle. A nosy clerk, Lebedev, joins their talk.

Myshkin candidly shares his illness, poverty, and tenuous connection to Mrs. General Epanchin. Rogozhin reveals his father’s recent death and his own sudden inheritance amid family rancor. Lebedev flaunts his knowledge of names and fortunes, prompting Rogozhin’s disdain yet feeding the conversation.

Pressed by curiosity and agitation, Rogozhin recounts his infatuation with Nastasia Philipovna after glimpsing her on the Nevsky, his reckless purchase of diamond earrings using his father’s bonds, and the resulting fury and confinement by his father. Nastasia Philipovna returned the jewels with a message of regard for Rogozhin, deepening his obsession and shame.

Lebedev boasts connections and details about Nastasia Philipovna’s ties to Totski and the Epanchins. Rogozhin’s jealousy flares but subsides into a feverish resolve to confront his family and pursue Nastasia Philipovna now that he has money.

At the station, greeted by acquaintances, Rogozhin impulsively invites Prince Myshkin to accept clothes, money, and a visit to Nastasia Philipovna. Myshkin, cordial and guileless, agrees to call later, then parts from the group and sets off toward the Epanchins, establishing the first links among the principal players.