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Why is Dmitry Karamazov arrested for his father’s murder?
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Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Fyodor Dostoyevsky, shown in 1876, was introduced to a new generation of readers in 2024–25 when “White Nights” surged in popularity thanks to TikTok and Instagram users.
In Fyodor Dostoyevsky's masterpiece, The Brothers Karamazov, Dmitry Karamazov is arrested for his father’s murder due to circumstantial evidence.1
The conflict arises because Dmitry and his father, Fyodor Pavlovich, are bitter rivals who frequently wrangle over money and compete for the affections of the same woman, Grushenka. While these tensions make Dmitry a primary suspect in the eyes of the law, the actual crime is committed by Smerdyakov, the family's illegitimate and malicious son.1