The Brothers Karamazov, Part 4, no. 71, Chapter 2 summary

What happens

1. Madame Hohlakov interrupts Alyosha’s intended visit to Lise and describes her anxiety about the approaching trial.
2. She shows him a newspaper paragraph that misrepresents her suggestion about gold mines as a romantic proposal to Dmitri.
3. She blames Rakitin for the paragraph and recounts dismissing him after his quarrel with Perhotin over a poem.
4. She proposes confused explanations involving mental disturbance, while Alyosha firmly denies that Dmitri commits the murder.
5. She reports Ivan’s private visit to Lise and describes Lise’s fits, anger, and sudden displays of affection.
6. Perhotin arrives, and Alyosha escapes to Lise despite her mother’s insistence that he return with an explanation.

In this chapter

What to notice

Madame Hohlakov’s remark captures the uncontrolled talk that delays Alyosha and repeatedly distracts her from her concern about Lise.

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