Who Parfyon Rogozhin is
Parfyon Rogozhin enters the novel on a train to Petersburg, where he meets Prince Lev Myshkin. Dark, restless and newly wealthy after his father's death, he speaks openly about Nastasya Filippovna. He has spent his father's money on jewels for her, and his longing already carries the threat of possessiveness.
What Parfyon Rogozhin wants
Rogozhin wants Nastasya Filippovna, but his love is bound up with jealousy and the desire to possess her. At her birthday gathering, he arrives with a noisy crowd and offers a hundred thousand rubles. His money makes desire visible, placing him among the men whose offers turn her marriage into a transaction.
Parfyon Rogozhin and the others in the story
Rogozhin and Myshkin begin with surprising sympathy, despite their different ways of responding to another person's suffering. Where Rogozhin grips and fears losing, the prince listens and offers care without asking for anything in return.
The two men exchange crosses and call each other brothers, but their bond remains uneasy. Myshkin fears both for Nastasya and for Rogozhin, whose jealousy threatens to become violence.
Questions
Who is Parfyon Rogozhin?
Parfyon Rogozhin is a merchant's son whose inheritance gives him sudden wealth as he pursues Nastasya Filippovna.
Does Rogozhin love Nastasya Filippovna?
Yes, he loves her intensely, but jealousy and a need to possess her shape that love.
How is Rogozhin connected to Myshkin?
They meet on the train to Petersburg and form an uneasy friendship. Their feelings for Nastasya bring their contrasting kinds of love into conflict.