Alexei Karamazov

Also frequently referred to as "Alyoshka," Alexei is the youngest and third son of Fyodor Pavlovich and Sofia Ivanovna, the younger brother of Dmitri and Ivan, and the probable half-brother of Smerdyakov. His mother dies when he is four years old. He then spends some of his childhood growing up with Yefim Petrovich Polenov. Alexei’s father often tells him that he resembles his mother, who dies when Alexei is four years old. Alexei, who is twenty when the novel begins, has dark brown hair, a handsome and "slightly elongated face," and serene-looking deep gray eyes that are set widely apart. During his boyhood, he was introspective and quiet and not at all likely to hold on to anger or any offense committed against him. During his school years, he was among the best in his class in regard to his studies but never the first. Alexei doesn't know the value of money, but no one ever worries that he will suffer from poverty or homelessness because he is the type who will either be cared for or will immediately find a way to care for himself. He is a realist, though he is inclined to believe in miracles; once he has been convinced that he has witnessed something supernatural, he remains certain that such events do occur. He joins the local monastery for a year, where he resides in a cell, in an effort to relieve himself from the darkness that characterized his early life. He comes under the guidance of the elder, Zosima, whom Alexei admires greatly. After the elder's death, Alexei is disappointed when the holy man’s corpse rots like any other; as a result, Alexei becomes disillusioned with the world and with the other clergy members, who speak disparagingly of the deceased monk. Alexei is then entrusted to Father Paissy for spiritual guidance. After a surprising visit to Grushenka, and a dream in which Zosima appears, Alexei has an epiphany that restores his faith. He decides to follow his former elder's advice “to sojourn in the world,” so he promptly leaves the monastery and rejoins civilian life. While he was still a monk, he and Lise spoke of the possibility of marrying after he leaves the monastery. However, Lise breaks the engagement after she regains her ability to walk. Alexei later befriends Kolya Krasotkin and becomes the only person whom the cynical boy admires. (Source: LitCharts)