What Dostoevsky Teaches Us About Character Descriptions

The best decision I ever made was deciding to read Dostoevsky. Over the past couple of months, I have been exploring the wonderous works of the one and only, realising that extremely different times and cultural upbringings will never make a person so unrelatable. The core of the human experience lies in the heart of us all, and that will forever remain true. Fyodor Dostoevsky, the man you were . . .

Portrait of Dostoevsky by Vasil Perov

Who was Dostoevsky?

Born in Moscow, Russia, in 1821, he was often considered—and I surely would consider him—one of the greatest novelists in all of literature, whose works explored the capabilities of the human heart to its darkest depths and brought forth the strength of hope in revelation during such moments.

And although I can go on about how remarkable his work is, I want to discuss something a little more simple. I have yet to reach his greatest work, The Brothers Karamazov, but I couldn’t help but notice on this journey so far, that out of all the incredible things he could do, he really described characters well.

As writers, we not only learn a new perspective on morality from each of his characters’ journeys through all forms of suffering, but we also learn writing techniques that can enhance our own stories.

From Notes from a Dead House, for example, Dostoevsky writes about his experiences during the four years he spent in a Siberian prison through the perspective of his fictional character, Alexander Petrovitch Goryanchikov. Within, he meets a lot of colourful personalities, and all of which, I noticed, were written in a way that could only be described as masterful.

Dostoevsky Exhibition in Mikhailovsky Castle in Saint Petersburg, Russia

Now, what I consider great character description is when a description can accurately invoke imagery, convey the personality of the character that is being described, and accurately incorporate the narrator’s character voice. The purpose of these considerations is that they create a believable and life-like immersion for the reader whilst expanding the way they view the world.

In many narratives today, the character description feels obligatory and implemented purely so the reader can see how each character appears, which is understandable. The author should want the reader to have a clear image of the characters they are describing so that it aligns with what they created in mind. However, this often becomes repetitive too fast, and there are only a certain amount of ways one could describe eye and hair colour, the strong male protagonist’s jaw, and the female protagonist’s curves.

The difference with Dostoevsky’s descriptions is they feel like an opportunity for the reader to naturally see through the eyes of the narrator . . .

Imagery

See in the example below how unique the traits he describes are and how he mixes the physical with some personality to paint an accurate depiction of the two characters:

“…growled a tall, sullen prisoner, lean and swarthy, with some strange bulges on his shaven skull, showing another one, fat and squat, with a merry and ruddy face.”

This imagery is vivid, using mostly adjectives to create a clear picture. A lot was said, and it is effective because it is individualised and shows the reality of what people notice when they first lay eyes on another. Though, it isn’t the only way to ignite such visuals. Most of the time, readers prefer short character descriptions, especially if the character described isn’t a protagonist or ally. In such a scenario, it is perfect to use comparative techniques. For example:

“…how he dwindled away in prison like a candle.”

Here, Dostoevsky uses a simile artfully to convey what prison would do to a person. A person may enter with their light still shining from within, but over time, that light would dim, their posture would shrink, and their resolve would lessen. The intentional choice of this simile shows more than what would appear on the surface. This is the art of word choice: so much can be shown with such few.

Personality

Another excellent way Dostoevsky describes characters is by showing who they are. Although in the description below he does include physical adjectives, there is much more to be said of what isn’t being said.

“Almazov, a stern, swarthy, and lean man, already on in years, unsociable and squamish. He deeply despised us.”

See how the described character’s demeanor is on display. He is painted as a grumpy old man who has been hardened by life. Perhaps you even pictured him crossing his arms, leaning against a wall, and scowling. Why is that? Because it is in the subtext of this description. The reader can understand the type of personality he would have and therefore would fill in the gaps of what hasn’t been shown. This type of description allows the reader to see what this character looks like without the author telling every detail. Often, leaving descriptions to be interpreted by the reader can be much more enjoyable and immersive for them.

On the other hand, some may say this style of describing character is a lot more telling, rather than showing. That if you wanted to describe someone as grumpy, you shouldn’t outright call someone stern or unsociable. And usually I would agree with this statement, but in this instance, Dostoevsky is using something that has yet to be spoken of . . .

Character Voice

When writing any story, what the author needs to keep in mind is the narrator. The voice of that who is telling the story to the reader. In this case, the voice is Alexander Petrovitch Goryanchikov’s, a former nobleman who is treated like an outsider in the prison because of his once-before status. This would cause some animosity.

“…was even vexing to look at this robust crowd of stalwart workmen who seemed decidedly perplexed about how to get down to business.”

To convey character voice is to convey the opinions of said character. Alexander wouldn’t know whether the workmen were actually perplexed about how to get down to business, but his annoyance took charge of his reality. This is what is so amazing about Dostoevsky’s writing. With every character he writes, he perfectly captures their mind, the fact that humans are controlled by their emotions and therefore clouded by them. That is what is real, and that is why incorporating character voice in descriptions—and throughout the entire story—will allow for a completely authentic immersive experience.

Recently, I saw someone tweet out, asking for advice on how to ‘get into’ classic literature, which inspired my need to write this article. I wanted to show that classics aren’t outside of the writing rules, although they may sometimes feel that way. They may be intimidating, but they can also be simple. One doesn’t have to be the most intellectual person in the world to understand or learn a thing or two . . . just open.

When this is realised, the art of writing can be fully revealed to the beholder. Art in the sense of expression of soul through technique, like when playing the piano, choosing to play certain keys softly, while others are pressed in angst, writing is the same. It is intentional like the stroke of a paintbrush, yet as creative as the idea. The more you know the techniques, the more you can have fun with them, the more you can accurately say what you truly feel, the more you can dive deeply into the themes you wish to explore, the more you can convey the highs and lows of the human experience, and Dostoevsky shows us every bit of that.

I think everyone should read Dostoevsky in their lifetime. Not just to relate to his honest, soul-baring, torturing, and beautiful literature. Not to understand the importance of beauty and hope. Not to understand that being capable of evil yet choosing morality is greater than not being capable of evil—but to see how alive the human spirit truly can be.