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This document was received by the Digital Commons on July 27, 2006 and posted on August 3, 2006.

Document Type

Article

Abstract

This paper examines literary critic Mikhail Bakhtin's assertion that Fyodor Dostoyevsky is a polyphonic novelist and examines the importance of the literary double in a polyphonic novel. Specifically, the paper deals with the traditional theories regarding the female double in 3 of his major works: The Idiot, The Brothers Karamazov, and Crime and Punishment .

Ultimately, the paper concludes that Dostoyevsky's female doubles defy and refute the stereotypical representations of the female double as Femme Fatale or Fair Maiden through his portrayal s of complex and realistic women.

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