Hi, we're starting a new book today! 'The Karamazov Brothers'. It seems thick and scary but once you start reading, you won't be able to leave till you are finished. It's a book about foolishness, crime, belief and lots more. It deals with the ideas and emotions people experience. I think you'll find it interesting.
1. We don't usually remember the things we did when we were infants, yet Aleksei Fyodorovich still remembers his mother. How come?
2. Although Fyodor Pavlovich behaved in an unseemly manner to the starets, the idea that the whole business was ridiculous seems to have a part in it. What do you think about what the starets do?
3. Why do people make fools of themselves?
To be answered by 6/2 after reading Book1~Book2(115p) of the Karamazov Brothers.
1. Aleksei Fyodorovich did not receive much love nor affection from his father, who was an uncaring and harsh man. On the other hand, his mother cared for him and loved him with all her heart, so naturally he turned to her for love and support. The affection that is mother gave him, compared to his father's, probably gave Aleksei a very strong impression, and that is why he still remembers his mother.
2. I think the starets did a good job in controlling Fyodor Pavlovich's feelings. They tried not to let him get too carried away with his own feelings, and the other way around as well. However, I wish they had acted a bit more compassionate towards him. Starets have to listen to what others say and help channel their grief and misery. If they had been more kind and compassionate to what Fyodor Pavlovich had to say, he might have said more that revealed the true problem, and the starets may have found a better way to help.
3. People make fools of themselves because sometimes they just want to gain attention in whatever way they can. They simply want people to notice them. In other cases, people get carried away. They cannot stand the pressure of their boring, unmeaningful lives any more and try to do something special that they had not done before, and make fools of themselves in the process. If not, some people have foolish minds and are really off their rocker.