I'm reading about Ivan Fyordorovich Karamazov right now in The Brothers Karamazov. I imagine he wears very small spectacles and has long hair and a very long, philosophical beard. You see, Ivan Fyordorovich is a proud 19th century Russian intellectual, and I guess they probably would have looked a particularly homogeneous back then. Consider, for example, the gowns and caps we wear when we graduate from an institution. Have you ever asked yourself why it is that we wear those silly things? My dad explained to me a few years back that it was because scholars held themselves apart from popular and individual style. I suppose their goal was to progress knowledge without letting frivolity taint their effort. In any case, I think Ivan must have worn something similar, except I don't picture him wearing that ridiculous cap because, well, I can only picture ridiculous people wearing such a cap. Ivan Fyordorovich is indeed no ridiculous character, but he is a hypocrite, which some might take as being ridiculous. However, if we were to be honest with ourselves--each and everyone of us--we would realize that there is at least a little bit of hypocrisy in us, if not an overwhelming amount. Ivan hypocrisy is manifested in his own involuntary aversion to not live in step with his atheistic beliefs. He asserts that God, and consequently morality, were constructed by society in order to keep people feeling safe and secure rather than letting them embrace the doomed awareness of the nothingness to come. Basically, if one does not have a proper understanding that "all things are permitted" (because if there is no infinite God and therefore no standard for behavior, all things are indeed permitted.), they will succumb to the despair of a nothing that comes after death. The irony is that Ivan, despite his stance, indeed has a very magnetized moral compass. His father and illegitimate brother, on the other hand, actually embody his philosophy, yet he detests them.
Oh my, but where am I going with all of this? I just wanted to share a little bit about this character since he is so complex and interesting. If you want to actually see more of his development, you should read the book. It's a little dense, and some people think that the heavy amount of dialogue and little amount of action make for a difficult reward. If you can make it thorough, though, it will be immensely rewarding. Give it a shot!
