The Father’s Curse in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Novel The Humiliated and the Insulted

Abstract

One of the significant themes of the novel The Humiliated and the Insulted is the father’s curse, marked throughout the text by a high degree of emotionality. The novel describes two similar stories: the one of Nelly’s mother and Natasha’s. Both escaped from home, both were cursed by their fathers. However, there are also differences: while one father forgave, the other not. In the article, the theme of the father’s curse is revealed by comparing these two stories with the famous parable of the prodigal son, with which the novel presents visible parallels. The parable is presented as a standard for proper behavior, and in its comparison, we can say how the hero should have behaved and how he did in the novel. While the images of “prodigal children” recall each other, it is the behavior of parents that draws a significant difference between Dostoevsky’s plot and the parable. The presence or absence of the father’s curse is revealed as one of the main factors determining the fate of all the characters of the story.

Keywords

• dostoevsky
• the humiliated and the insulted
• curse
• blessing
• natasha
• father
• nellie’s mother
• parable
• prodigal children