The youngest son of Fyodor Karamazov embodies most of the positive actions in the novel. From his early years onward, we learn that he is an easygoing youth whom everyone seems to love. Unlike his brother Ivan, he is unconcerned with accepting charity or gifts from others. Dostoevsky depicts him as the sort who would quickly give away any money that he might possess.
Alyosha is no stock Christ-figure, however; of all the so-called good characters in Dostoevsky's fiction, Alyosha seems to breathe the most life. This is partly due to the fact that he constantly moves among people and performs quiet acts of kindness and love, even though he is not always successful.
When we first meet Alyosha, he is a member of the monastery and a special disciple of the religious elder, Father Zossima. As the story progresses, he becomes the living embodiment of all of Zossima's teachings. His every action reflects the qualities that he learned from his elder. For example, he refuses to condemn, he has an unusual ability to love all, and he has great faith in the basic goodness of man.
