Ivan and
Alyosha are talking about the problem with evil. Ivan started out talking about
how he doesn’t understand how someone could love their neighbor. He gave an
example about John the Merciful that took in a hungry beggar and breathed into
his mouth which was “putrid and loathsome from awful disease.” Ivan called his
action “self-laceration”, laceration means to tear roughly and or mangle,
because of him doing so much for a sick poor man who chances are will never
repay him. This is an example of mankind not being able to do something kind
Ivan goes on
to talk to Alyosha about how loving someone Christ-like is a miracle that earth
can’t experience. Christ was God and we are not therefore we can’t love like
Him. We love at a distance. He also goes on to talk about how children are the
innocent victims of their fathers and mothers. They, children, are capable of
love and being loved unlike adults. Adults continue to eat from the apple of
“good and evil” still to this day. Adults know what’s right and wrong but will
still just to do wrong. They are unworthy of love. Children suffer because of
their fathers sins. Ivan gives an example of how children are special; the
prisoner who murdered whole families (including children) then became fascinated
by them and even befriends one. Ivan continues about the sins/crimes the Turks
and Circassians who would cut unborn babies out of the mothers’ stomach and
toss it around in front of the mother. Turks would also surround a mother
holding a baby, make the baby laugh and then shoot it. Ivan is trying to prove
to Alyosha that men are full of evil and will hurt even the most innocent of
people. They are unworthy of love because of their actions.
Ivan then
told a story about a man named Richard who was a murder and sentenced to death,
and when he got in prison he converted. His last day he said was the happiest
day of his life because he is going to the Lord because he found grace. Richard’s story is national. Ivan’s point to
this story is that the Brothers in today’s society wouldn’t have wanted him to
die because Richard found grace and converted, even though he committed a
crime.
Ivan chose
children because they are innocent little ones who do not understand why the
world is so cruel. A child wouldn’t understand why God isn’t protecting him or
her. We know right from wrong and do nothing about it while the children do
not. “Men are themselves to blame, I suppose; they were given paradise, they
wanted freedom, and stole fire from heaven, though they knew they would become
unhappy, so there is no need to pity them” Men weren’t happy with what they had, they
wanted more, and in doing so they got cruel. They are the reason why the world
is the way it is today and Ivan rebels against that. He will not be part of
that society who destroys innocence.
-What do you
think Christ meant when He said “love your neighbors”? Could you? Or is Ivan
right in saying we are not capable of loving except for at a distance?
-Do you think
using children was a good example of the innocent having to suffer for man’s
sin?
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