The Brothers Karamazov · Chapter
Goldmines explained
Mitya, driven by jealousy and desperation, attempts to borrow three thousand roubles from Madame Hohlakov after pawning his pistols.
What happens
Mitya, driven by jealousy and desperation, attempts to borrow three thousand roubles from Madame Hohlakov after pawning his pistols. She misunderstands his request, offering only advice about goldmines instead of money. Mitya's last hope shattered, he storms out in despair, nearly colliding with an old servant from Samsonov's house, and frantically asks about Grushenka's whereabouts.
Themes in this chapter
Jealousy and Trust
The narrator extensively analyzes Mitya's jealousy, contrasting it with Othello's trustfulness, and explores how jealousy can coexist with noble feelings.
Love and Self-Sacrifice
Mitya's love for Grushenka is portrayed as containing an element higher than sensual passion, and his desperation to repay Katerina Ivanovna shows a sense of moral obligation.
Free Will and Responsibility
Mitya's choices—pawning his pistols, seeking loans, and his secret shame—highlight his struggle with responsibility and the consequences of his actions.
Characters to notice
- Dmitri Karamazov
Mitya pawns his pistols, visits Madame Hohlakov to borrow money, and is devastated when she refuses. He then rushes out, crying, and asks an old servant about Grushenka.
- Grushenka
Mitya's jealousy centers on her; she sends him to Samsonov's and promises to meet him later.
- Madame Hohlakov
She misunderstands Mitya's request for money, instead offering advice about goldmines, and refuses to lend him three thousand roubles.
- Smerdyakov
Mitya learns of Smerdyakov's illness and fall in the cellar, which disrupts his plans to get information from him.
- Ivan Karamazov
Mitya hears that Ivan has left for Moscow that morning.
- Katerina Ivanovna
Mitya's debt to her weighs on his conscience; he needs three thousand roubles to repay her.
Key passages
“Othello was not jealous, he was trustful”
Othello was trusting rather than jealous.
The narrator uses Pushkin's observation to contrast Othello's character with that of a truly jealous man like Mitya.
“The jealous man can forgive extraordinarily quickly (though, of course, after a violent scene), and he is able to forgive infidelity almost conclusively proved, the very kisses and embraces he has seen, if only he can somehow be convinced that it has all been 'for the last time'”
A jealous person can forgive even clear evidence of unfaithfulness if they believe it will never happen again.
This describes the paradoxical forgiveness of jealous individuals, which Mitya exemplifies.
“I was talking of the goldmines. It's true I promised you more, infinitely more than three thousand, I remember it all now, but I was referring to the goldmines.”
Madame Hohlakov clarifies that her promise was about goldmines, not money.
This misunderstanding crushes Mitya's last hope for a loan.