The Idiot

Selin’s worldview is reminiscent of Russian nineteenth-century novels, which often set out to reveal some transcendental truth about the human condition. Selin searches for some deeper, philosophical meaning behind stories and novels, which is why she begins an email correspondence with Ivan based on the premise of mimicking the Nina in Siberia story. Selin lives her life as if it were one of the stories she’s read, trying to find meaning in her interactions with everyone around her. This is also why she is fascinated by language: like writers, she believes that if she understands the relationship between words and the world, something more about reality would be revealed. Selin’s attempts to discover how language works, however, result in disappointment. None of the courses she takes provide her with the knowledge she seeks; on the contrary, most of the classes leave her depressed at the realization that perfect understanding between humans is impossible to achieve.

The emphasis on language and truth in Russian literature is partially based on the importance of the Orthodox Christian tradition, which, in turn, is strongly influenced by Greek Christianity. Specifically, the Gospel of John establishes a connection between logos, or words, and truth, or God: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.