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Fyodor Dostoevsky
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Alyosha finds Grushenka at Madame Morozov's after Fenya's urgent call. Since Mitya's arrest she has been ill, transformed: firmer, humbler, almost austere, yet still fierce with jealousy of Katerina Ivanovna. Old Maximov, taken in from the rain at Mokroe, lies on her sofa; she feeds quarrels and charity alike while the merchant who cast her off dies upstairs.
She rages about prison visits: pies stamped on, jealousy of the Pole, Mitya praising Katya's doctor and counsel while attacking Grushenka on purpose to blame her for Katerina. She sobs that he does not love her at all. Alyosha says he does not love Katya; she menaces the trial. She fears tomorrow's verdict, insists the valet killed Fyodor, and asks about the babe poor speech Mitya keeps repeating from his dream.
Then she blurts Ivan's secret visits to Mitya, begs Alyosha to learn the brothers' secret, and imagines all three plotting her end. Alyosha promises to tell her if Mitya confesses, affirms Mitya's love, doubts Katya is the secret, and leaves for the work still ahead as Book XI opens on doubt before the trial.
Grushenka's love is real; her prison quarrels are fear. Ivan's secret visits become a plot against her.
Notice when protection sounds like attack.
Alyosha hurries to Madame Hohlakov's to see Lise about something important, but her mother with the swollen foot traps him on the couch, thrusts the Gossip scandal sheet at him, and will not stop talking.
What this chapter proves — the pattern beneath the scene
In this chapter, the lesson is Love That Does Not Perform.
The card below names the pattern this chapter proves — carry it with you into Dostoevsky's monastery, tavern, and trial.
Love That Does Not Perform
Grushenka has been ill since Mitya's arrest, fiercer and humbler at once. She rages about stamped pies and jealousy, then blurts Ivan's secret visits to Mitya and begs Alyosha to learn the brothers' secret before the verdict.
Key Insight
Active love here is staying with a woman the town judges while the trial approaches. Alyosha affirms Mitya's love, doubts Katya is the secret, and leaves for the work still ahead without a receipt.
Chapter 70
At Grushenka’s Alyosha went towards the cathedral square to the widow Morozov’s house to see Grushenka, who had sent Fenya to him early in the morning with an urgent message begging him to come. Questioning Fenya, Alyosha learned that her mistress had been particularly distressed since the previous day. During the two months that had passed since Mitya’s arrest, Alyosha had called frequently at the widow Morozov’s house, both from his own inclination and to take messages for Mitya. Three days after Mitya’s arrest, Grushenka was taken very ill and was ill for nearly five weeks. For one whole week…
Public-domain chapter text, formatted for reading.
Think of a relationship or situation where you've felt insecure or afraid of loss. Write down the specific behaviors you used to try to protect yourself or test the other person's commitment. Then honestly assess: did these behaviors make you feel more secure or did they create more problems? Map the cycle from fear to action to outcome.
Write about a time when your fear of losing something or someone caused you to act in ways that made the loss more likely. What would you do differently now, knowing what you know about this pattern?
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Other theme-by-theme analyses from this book.
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