The Brothers Karamazov — Part III

Father Zossima’s body is prepared according to monastic ritual and placed in his cell as monks read the Gospel. Crowds arrive expecting miracles and healings, revealing how widely Zossima was revered. Father Paissy tries to restrain impatient hopes while quietly sharing them, and he notices Rakitin and the inquisitive monk from Obdorsk stirring around.

By afternoon, an unmistakable odor of decomposition arises from the coffin. Word spreads rapidly, and a scandal erupts: opponents of eldership rejoice, the credulous draw harsh conclusions, and even some former admirers feel affronted. Attempts by Father Iosif to offer a measured theological perspective are mocked; hostility to eldership and envy of Zossima’s saintliness fuel the agitation.

Father Ferapont bursts in, performs his ritual of “casting out” devils, and publicly denounces Zossima’s teachings and laxity, citing the odor as a divine sign. Father Paissy firmly rebukes him and defends humility and patience, but the crowd briefly exalts Ferapont when he collapses in a frenzied ecstasy outside, proclaiming triumph over the setting sun.

Amid the turmoil, Father Paissy notices Alyosha weeping, then sees a sudden change in him. Shaken by the scandal and his grief, Alyosha ignores Paissy’s call to attend service or seek a blessing and walks out of the hermitage, signaling a crisis in faith and direction.