Treasures in Earthen Vessels in Dostoevsky's The Idiot

This article examines Dostoevsky's perplexing novel The Idiot through the lens of its biblical subtext of treasures contained in earthen vessels (from Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians). Images of fragile earthen vessels–porcelain teacups, clay pots, and especially the Chinese vase Myshkin breaks–occur throughout the novel, always linked to the fragility of human life. C. G. C. Turner first identified these images as references to 2 Corinthians 4:7 ( Dostoevsky Studies [1985]), but assumed these references were either unconscious or did not refer to the the larger context of the Corinthian letters; since then, scholarship on The Idiot has ignored both the image of earthen vessels in the novel and its biblical origin. This article returns to the biblical subtext, examining Dostoevsky's image of fragile earthen vessels in the context of Paul's larger theological argument about the mystery of redemptive suffering that unfolds on an invisible, eternal plane rather than a visible, temporal one. Identifying several additional references to Paul's Corinthian letters in The Idiot , this article argues that Dostoevsky purposefully embedded Paul's argument about redemptive suffering in the novel as a subtle counter to the explicit and pervasive tragedy in the novel. Contrasting eternal and temporal viewpoints, Dostoevsky rests his novel on the hinge of faith, forcing his readers to interpret the novel and its theology rather than offering a comparatively simplistic resolution, as found in the end of Crime and Punishment. The Idiot thus marks a major artistic and theological step in Dostoevsky's development as a writer.