Saturday, April 21, 2012

Dostoevsky's second marriage

Afraid of rejection, Dostoevsky at first disguised his proposal as a plot for a new novel. He told Anna that his character was a writer, middle-aged, sick, and tormented, who has fallen in love with a young girl. He asked Anna if she thought it psychologically plausible that this young girl might return the old man’s love. Anna replied that she thought it was possible. Her reply gave Dostoevsky the courage to come to the point:

“Imagine,” he said, “that the artist is – me; that I have confessed my love for you and asked you to be my wife. Tell me, what would you answer?”

Anna Grigoyevna understood, from the inner torment manifest in Dostoevsky’s countenance, that “if I gave him an evasive answer I would deal a deathblow to his self-esteem and pride. I looked at his troubled face, which had become so dear to me, and said, “I would answer that I love you and will love you all my life.”

They were married a few months later, in February 1867. From the start, the marriage was marked by difficulties. At their wedding reception, Dostoevsky had too much champagne and had a terrifying epileptic seizure. The episode was severe: Dostoevsky screamed in pain for hours. When the screaming subsided, he was incoherent and seemed “mad.” Not a good introduction to married life for his young bride. Still, Anna acted well: she took Dostoevsky’s head in her lap and held it as he convulsed.

Dostoevsky would later tell her that he was terrified of dying during one of his attacks. From then on, Anna would stay with him regardless of his condition, sometimes sitting on the sofa near his bed for days. via