Confession in Dostoevskii : with special reference to Les Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau: three case studies

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation is to elucidate further the function of confession in Dostoevskii's mature writings. Confession is of central importance in many of Dostoevskii's works, both in the early and late periods of his career, and has therefore frequently been the subject of discussion by students and critics of Dostoevskii's works. While commentators have examined the thematic significance of confession in Dostoevskii's writings, the function of confession in his works has rarely been investigated in depth, or with a proper sense of its development and interaction with other elements in the narrative -- a neglect due in part, doubtless, to the complex nature of the subject; particularly, to the difficulties involved firstly, in defining confession precisely and secondly, in clearly distinguishing it from other related literary forms such as autobiography and first person narrative. This dissertation does not pretend to examine all aspects of this topic, for the subject is a broad one, whose limits are not easy to determine. It is hoped that it will throw light on those aspects of confession which, in Dostoevskii's view, have an affinity with Les Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau.