Prestige · $2.99/month
Chapter audio, theme analysis, and downloads
Fyodor Dostoevsky
0:00 / 0:00
The days are short in November, and it is quite late when Alyosha rings at the prison gate. Dusk is beginning. He knows he will be admitted without difficulty. Grushenka, Alyosha, and Rakitin are allowed to see the prisoner alone. Rakitin leaves. Mitya takes it as a whole, and he is sorry to lose God. Imagine, he says: inside, in the nerves, in the head, a second passes, and then something like a moment appears. Not a moment. An image. An object, or an action. Who was Claude Bernard? A chemist, or what? Rakitin, he says, will write that he could not help murdering his father, that he was corrupted by his environment, and that he will put in a tinge of Socialism.
Rakitin writes verses, too, on Madame Hohlakov's foot. Mitya has the poem. He has got it, and he will read it. Then the dream of the babe comes back. Why is the babe so poor? That was a sign. It is for the babe he is going, because they are all responsible for all. If they drive God from the earth, we shall shelter Him underground. What should I be underground there without God? There will be hundreds of them, with hammers in their hands. They will be in chains and there will be no freedom, but then, in their great sorrow, there is the hymn. One cannot exist in prison without God. Rakitin is laughing. Ah, man should be dissolved in prayer.
He has taken all Grushenka's soul into his soul, and through her he has become a man himself. Will they marry us? If they do not, he will die of jealousy. They do not let convicts marry, do they? He says it again, holding Alyosha with both hands on his shoulders, his yearning, feverish eyes fixed on his brother. He cannot live without Grusha. Wait till after the trial. Alyosha listens with extreme surprise, and is deeply moved.
Ivan suggests his escaping. Ivan understands about the hymn, only he does not speak. He does not believe in the hymn. Do not decide. Spare me. Sign me with the cross, darling, for the cross I have to bear tomorrow. They embrace and kiss. Then Mitya asks for the truth, as Alyosha would speak it before God. Do you believe I did it? Do you, do you in yourself, believe it? The whole truth, do not lie. Everything seems heaving before Alyosha. I have never for one instant believed that you were the murderer. He raises his right hand, as though calling God to witness. Mitya's whole face is lighted up with bliss. Thank you, he says slowly, as though a sigh escaped him after fainting.
Verdict pressure exposes what you actually believe about someone. In prison Mitya jokes with Rakitin but begs Alyosha to affirm belief never for an instant, even as God feels shaken.
Under verdict pressure, name what you actually believe about the person, not only what might win.
This chapter
Rakitin will turn a prison into an article about environment, which lets him sound modern without being implicated. He sneers that souls like Dmitri's are as dry as the walls, then carries verses and gossip back to town. A career needs the prisoner to stay a specimen, and a hymn or a real belief would wreck the piece.
Continue this thoughtThe Court Prefers the WishOn the way to Ivan, Alyosha sees light in Katerina Ivanovna's windows and goes in. He has not seen her for more than a week. She has been to Smerdyakov. It was you, she says, who persuaded me that he murdered his father. An hour ago she feared to touch that monster, as though he were a reptile.
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
Mitya says Rakitin's science has shaken God, then imagines singing a hymn underground and thawing convicts' hearts. He whispers Ivan's escape plan, then demands the truth: do you believe I murdered him? Alyosha cries that he never believed it for an instant.
Key Insight
Active love answers with a plain yes when the room wants a performance. Mitya is reborn for tomorrow not by proof but by a witness who kept want and act on separate lines.
Chapter 73
A Hymn And A Secret It was quite late (days are short in November) when Alyosha rang at the prison gate. It was beginning to get dusk. But Alyosha knew that he would be admitted without difficulty. Things were managed in our little town, as everywhere else. At first, of course, on the conclusion of the preliminary inquiry, relations and a few other persons could only obtain interviews with Mitya by going through certain inevitable formalities. But later, though the formalities were not relaxed, exceptions were made for some, at least, of Mitya’s visitors. So much so, that sometimes the…
Public-domain chapter text, formatted for reading.
Purchase the complete book to access all chapters and support classic literature
Available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats
Other theme-by-theme analyses from this book.
Sit in the tavern while Ivan returns his ticket, then hear a cardinal in Seville explain why people prefer bread to freedom.
Watch a sentence about God leave Ivan's mouth and become a paperweight in the old man's room.
Deep diving the literary elements.
Guides, life skills, and the full library.More ways to read The Brothers Karamazov: guides, life skills, and the wider library.
Unlock study guides and downloads, early access, and exclusive content — and support free access for everyone.
Weekly insights from the classics. Amplify Your Mind.
We focus on public domain classics because these timeless works belong to everyone. No paywalls, no restrictions—just wisdom that has stood the test of centuries, freely accessible to all readers.
Public domain books have shaped humanity's understanding of love, justice, ambition, and the human condition. By amplifying these works, we help preserve and share literature that truly belongs to the world.
© 2026 Wide Reads™. All Rights Reserved.
Intelligence Amplifier™ and Wide Reads™ are proprietary trademarks of Arvin Lioanag.
Copyright Protection: All original content, analyses, discussion questions, pedagogical frameworks, and methodology are protected by U.S. and international copyright law. Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, web scraping, or use for AI training is strictly prohibited. See our Copyright Notice for details.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this website is for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute professional, legal, financial, or technical advice. While we strive to ensure accuracy and relevance, we make no warranties regarding completeness, reliability, or suitability. Any reliance on such information is at your own risk. We are not liable for any losses or damages arising from use of this site. By using this site, you agree to these terms.
