Book III The Sensualists

The scene moves from the monastery to Fyodor Karamazov’s home, a roomy, aging house where only Fyodor and Ivan live, with the servants—Grigory, Marfa, and Smerdyakov—lodged in the yard. Fyodor prefers isolation, yet depends on the servants, especially Grigory, for steadiness and protection from his own fears.

Grigory is portrayed as stern, dutiful, and incorruptible, with rigid moral judgments and an unquestioned sense of obligation to remain with Fyodor after emancipation. Marfa, prudent yet compliant, accepts her husband’s authority; their marital life is quiet, spare of words, and marked by mutual, unspoken respect.

Alyosha’s recent presence “pierced” Fyodor’s heart; Alyosha’s uncondemning kindness brings the old libertine a surprising sense of comfort, revealing his occasional craving for a virtuous, faithful witness like Grigory to steady him during bouts of fear and superstition.

Grigory’s past sorrow—his infant born with six fingers who soon died—pushes him deeper into religious reading and a grave, mystical bent. He becomes drawn to ascetic literature and even listens to local Flagellants, further hardening his austere outlook.

One warm May night after his child’s burial, Grigory hears groans from the garden bath-house and discovers Lizaveta Smerdyashchaya, a mute, simple-minded wanderer, dying after childbirth with the newborn beside her. This startling event leaves a lasting “stamp” on Grigory’s soul and foreshadows Smerdyakov’s mysterious origins.