The Brothers Karamazov

This section covers the following chapters: “Plans to Save Mitya,” “For a Moment the Lie Became Truth,” and “Ilyushechka’s Funeral. The Speech at the Stone.”

Ivan, still very ill, is staying with Katerina. She tells Alyosha that Ivan gave her money to help Dmitri escape. Alyosha goes to visit Dmitri, and Dmitri asks Alyosha his opinion on whether he should escape to America. Katerina comes to see Dmitri, and they reconcile. When Grushenka walks in, Katerina asks for her forgiveness, but she refuses to grant it until Katerina helps Dmitri escape.

Alyosha goes to Ilyusha’s funeral. The entire family is deeply grieving, and all the schoolboys are there. Snegiryov wanted to bury Ilyusha next to a stone outside his house, but Katerina paid for a nice plot in the churchyard. Ilyusha’s mother asks her husband, Snegiryov, to give her one of the flowers that is in Ilyusha’s hands, and Snegiryov becomes angry with her for asking. He begins sobbing because he remembers when Ilyusha gave his mother the toy cannon. During the funeral service, Snegiryov grabs flowers from the coffin. They all go home, and Snegiryov gives his wife flowers. Snegiryov begins sobbing at the sight of Ilyusha’s boots. Alyosha and the schoolboys step outside to give the family privacy while they wait to attend the memorial dinner for Ilyusha.