Three Thousand Roubles

The sum, 3000 roubles, lies at the center of the plot developments and character tensions of the Brothers Karamazov. The sum of money is particularly significant in both Dmitry and Fyodor’s affairs.

3000 roubles is the amount of money that Dmitry was instructed to send to Katerina’s sister. Instead of sending the money, Dmitry squandered the money on alcohol and sex. Dmitry regrets this action immensely and desperately seeks to return 3000 roubles to Katerina to appease his conscience.

As we learn in the discussion that took place at Zosima’s cabin, Fyodor has offered 3000 roubles to sleep with Gruschenka. Furthermore, Dmitry believes that Fyodor owes him exactly 3000 roubles, which if Dmitry were to obtain, he would (hopefully) send back to Katerina. The significance of 3000 roubles to Fyodor is further reinforced in this past chapter – “Think: from eight to eleven, it’s a difference of three thousand. It’s as if I just picked up three thousand” (278).

The 3000 roubles perhaps reflect the way in which financial standings affect the characters’ pride and actions. Dmitry after all does write to Katerina explaining that he is not worthy of her, especially as she is rich and he is “just a poverty-stricken boor” (116). It is through his wealth that Fyodor plans to entice young ladies throughout life. Captain Snegiryov struggles to accept any money from Alyosha or Katerina because of pride.

Nevertheless, the aforementioned thought still appears to be seemingly meaningless speculation. There are, after all, many values of roubles used throughout the book: 4500 from Dmitry to Katerina, 200 from Katerina to Snegiryov, etc. The argument for the significance of 3000 roubles has some substance but is not particularly strong. Yet, if we look back to Dante’s Inferno, it may be possible to see greater significance to the sum 3000 roubles.

Ivan cites Dante in the Grand Inquisitor which shows that the ideas of the Inferno were being pondered by Dostoevsky when he was originally writing the brothers Karamazov. A major theme in Dante’s Inferno is the trinity. Everything in the poem is written in threes and can be related to the number three. Keeping this in mind, it is possible to see how 3000 roubles could be a part of a greater trinity/triplicity theme in the Brothers Karamazov. There are three brothers (all on the same journey in the same family…trinity), three temptations in the Grand Inquisitor chapter, and three thousand roubles.