Analysis of the Characters in F.M. Dostoyevsky’s Novel “The Idiot” on the Basis of Jung’s Classification of Psychological Types

Abstract

The article is devoted to analysing the characters of Dostoievsky's novel "The Idiot" and considers them from the point of view of Jung's typology. The article outlines the principles of Jungian classification of psychological types, based on the dominant, auxiliary and suppressed functions, considering the relationships of the characters from the point of view of complementarity of psychological functions. Analysing their conscious and unconscious attitudes allows us to consider the plot of the novel in a new light. Dostoievsky's female characters are projections of the Anima, that is, the female side of every man's soul. At the same time, the Anima is a collective female image for each person. The destructive actions of the main female characters (Nastasia Filippovna and Aglaia) reflect not only the writer's unconscious distrust of the feminine, but also his perception of modern reality as a situation of enmity, disunity of individuals and the fall of Anima, in other words, the soul of the world, Sophia. The tragic ending of the narrative is the victory (albeit temporary) of irrational forces of the dark aspect of Anima over reason and goodness. It reflects the philosophy of Dostoievsky, who dreamed of universal unity and tragically perceived its impossibility in the modern world.