The Brothers Karamazov

Scent is a complex symbol that captures the tension between faith and science. Many characters have the superstitious belief that the scent of one’s corpse indicates their spiritual purity: A body without odor indicates a pure soul that will enter heavenly paradise, while a malodorous body indicates a corrupted soul. After Father Zosima’s death, many characters expected his body would be odorless because of his spiritual status. When Zosima’s body smells, there is a sense of chaos, and his enemies, such as Father Ferapont, take the opportunity to criticize the institution of elders and claim that Zosima was prideful. However, the narrator mentions details, such as Zosima’s age, his illness, the temperature outside, and the small fact that no one thought to open the windows to the room where his body was held, which indicate a scientific explanation for the body’s putrescence. However, Alyosha is still dismayed when his elder’s body decays so fast, and he is even more disturbed by the people who seem to revel in Father Zosima’s downfall.

In contrast, Ilyusha’s body emits no odor, which can be perceived as a miracle but is also explicable by the weather, his age, and the type of illness he had. However, it can also indicate the purity of his soul. The author leaves this open to interpretation, which is a key element of discerning a miracle from a natural event, or perhaps the idea is to complicate the relationship between miracles and natural occurrences.

Scent also symbolizes the moral ambiguity of the character Smerdyakov. His name means “son of the stinking one,” referring to his mother, who was called “Stinking Lizaveta.” Lizaveta was a homeless woman who was a “holy fool,” refusing any help and donating any clothing that was given to her. Though she was good, she was associated with a bad smell due to her poverty. Smerdyakov is ashamed of his origins, and his resentment fuels his anger toward his brothers, particularly Dmitri, who, in Smerdyakov’s view, has squandered his inheritance. His name is a constant reminder of his outcast status within the family, and it may symbolize a core rottenness. Smerdyakov’s culpability in the murder of Fyodor is left unclarified, as Ivan is deemed primarily responsible.