The interpretation of dreams in the Brothers Karamazov

Dreaming is a universal yet elusive phenomenon both in reality and in literature. The scientific explanation of dreams is to unveil the unconscious activities of the dreamer. The primary focus of this thesis is to explore the meanings behind the dreams in Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov in the light of psychoanalysis. The study follows Freud's method of dream-interpretation and Kramer's method of dream translation. The theories of dream formation and dream-work are examined, and the relationship between dreams and literature are reviewed to investigate the literary and latent meanings as well as the literary and psychological functions of the dreams. In this context, the interpretation of dreams in Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov is accomplished through a close reading of the three Karamazov brothers' dreams. The next major portion of the study focuses on the translation of these dreams on a Kramerian perspective. This method provides a more objective analysis of the literary dreams since the associations of the dreamer are not required. The interpretation of the latent content and the translation of the dreams suggest similar results that are compatible with the Oedipus complexes of these characters. Therefore, the results offer insights to a more comprehensive understanding of the characters and the author along with the literary work itself.