No one likes a main character who's too good, right? That's because perfection (in the author's eyes, anyway) quickly leads to blandness. Adding a flaw or two really helps draw our interest. However, in the case of Dostoevsky's beloved hero, Alyosha Karamazov, the author isn't willing to give him any flaws. He just won't do it. But he does create interest in other ways, particularly through an astonishing childhood memory.

Ann Gelder on Mastodon: @[email protected]