The main character of the novel is Prince Myshkin. He possesses an otherworldly kindness, is indifferent to wealth and honors, and is equally well disposed toward a servant and a general. Prince Myshkin does not try to make himself look important, is not afraid of seeming ridiculous, and sees the best in people. He is always genuine. He is almost flawless. In a society ruled by passions and the thirst for profit, where good and evil are almost indistinguishable and everyone hides behind a mask, a man like Prince Myshkin is an idiot. He does not fit the norm. He is a white crow, lacking the necessary vitality to survive under such conditions.
To the other characters in the novel, Prince Myshkin inspires admiration and contempt at the same time. Of course, it is wonderful to live like that, but one cannot live like that!
The events develop around Nastasya Filippovna, a dissolute woman whom the protagonist tries unsuccessfully to save, above all from herself.
In his novel, Dostoevsky raises the eternal Christian theme of diseased humanity not accepting the one who points out its illness…