The Elders and Zosima

The Elders

First and foremost, the narrator offers several alternative histories of the Elders. The institution’s origins and temporal history are not certain. More controversial though is the role of an Elder in the church. The book offers us this succinct definition of an Elder – “An elder is one who takes your soul, your will into his soul and into his will.” It is only through the permission of an Elder that an apprentice may be freed from his obligation to submit his will completely. Thus, an Elder has an unlimited power, and it is in this respect that the Institution of the Elders is the most controversial. Churches embracing the Elders were first prosecuted because of the idea of this power.

Zosima

I am not sure whether the question is if the narrator is portraying Zosima in such a way that we will sympathize with him, or if the question is if the narrator portrays the character Zosima to be a person who sympathizes with others. Therefore, I will address both questions.

The narrator presents Zosima sympathetically as he is described as an old, ill man who still gives a hardy attempt to see all those who seeking help from him. The most positively portrayed main character, Alyosha, reveres Zosima. Furthermore, Zosima is so widely well-known for his wisdom that people travel from far distances just to see him. The narrator even recounts, “many people say…he acquired in the end such fine discernment that he could tell, from the first glance at a visiting stranger’s face, what was in his mind, what he needed, and even what kind of suffering tormented his conscience.”

If antipathy is revealed towards Zosima, it is expressed through the scene when the brothers visit him to settle the dispute between Dmitry and Fyodor. His overly pithy statements may be intentionally trite, and his wisdom may actually have been mocked in this scene.

As a character, Zosima is revealed to be greatly sympathetic. Earlier in the novel, Alyosha is described as not being effected by offenses committed against him. It is specifically mentioned that this is not a result of him forgiving people without their apologies, or an attempt to maintain pride. No coping mechanism is explicitly mentioned; however, an emphasis is placed on Alyosha’s nature of acceptance. Therefore, we, the reader, are left to make the assumption that Alyosha accepts and understands the difficulty that humans have in resisting sin. As Zosima serves a mentor role to Alyosha, we can infer that his moral predications are genuine. Additionally, Zosima sets himself apart from everyone in his cell by being the only person to not be effected by Fyodor’s antics. Even Alyosha fails to accept his father’s ways. Ultimately, Zosima is presented as a man with a love for mankind, frequently smiling and exceedingly understanding.