The Idiot

Elif Batuman

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2017

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Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1, Chapter 1

Part 1, Chapter 2

Part 2, Chapter 3

Part 2, Chapter 4

Part 2, Chapter 5

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Symbols & Motifs

Ethics and Esthetics

A recurring motif throughout the novel is the relationship between ethics and esthetics, or, in simplified terms, truth and beauty. Svetlana believes the two concepts to be different, whereas Selin thinks they are one and the same. In practical terms, Svetlana likes to think they are different because she does not feel physically beautiful and wants to believe that outer appearance is not as important as inner personality. However, the physical is still important to Svetlana. However, Selin, who also does not think of herself as physically attractive, does not place much value on outer appearance. Aesthetics or beauty for her are already almost spiritual values, so extending them to include goodness or the right thing to do is not much of a stretch.

The juxtaposition between these two ideas is made relevant to contemporary Western culture by the late eighteenth- and early-nineteenth-century Romantic poets and writers. In his 1819 poem, “Ode on a Grecian Urn,” John Keats famously proclaims, “Beauty is truth, truth beauty.” While the poem postulates a unity between the two, medieval and modern Western culture habitually juxtaposes them, based on the Christian dual conception of the world as divided between a sinful, inferior physical plain and a superior spiritual one. The Romantic interest in aesthetics as innately ethical is developed further in the late nineteenth century when the Decadent movement emphasized aesthetics and artificiality to the extreme as a protest against a purportedly corrupted Western society.

The Internet

The Internet plays an important role for the story as it allows Ivan and Selin to correspond for a while before meeting in person. The novel offers a technologically updated version of the love letter motif. Confessing love through letters is a popular technique in classical literature. One of the most famous examples comes from Alexander Pushkin’s novel in verse, Eugene Onegin (1833), where the protagonist, Tatiana, writes to her love interest, but is rejected. Without the ability to exchange meaningful electronic messages, Selin and Ivan might not have connected or developed a relationship. The Internet is a new medium that stands between traditional letter writing and actual conversation. It is possible that Selin would not have taken the time to write a traditional love letter to Ivan had she not had access to email.

However, technology also adds complications to Selin’s life, since at the time accessing the Internet was only available at certain points on campus. Ivan’s emails become something special and difficult to access, so Selin is constantly in a state of expectation and uncertainty. Additionally, the psychologist’s comparison between Ivan and the Unabomber, presumably based on the math and technology aspects associated with both men, also raises valid questions about authenticity. His fears that the person replying to electronic messages might not be real are prophetic. However, in Selin’s case, these concerns are unwarranted, intensifying her feelings of confusion and of not being understood.

Social Expectations and Conformity

Selin’s experience as a freshman is defined by social expectations and her unwilling conformity to some of them. She is intelligent enough to see that many expectations, such as partying or drinking alcohol, have no particular value behind them. However, she doesn’t want to be seen as dull or conceited, so she often goes along with what others want to do even when it is abhorrent to her. One question that arises is why Selin cares so much about the impression she gives, especially as she spends most of her time with Svetlana and Ralph, who do not seem concerned with partying. The same desire to not be seen as uncool by people towards whom she is indifferent prompts her to split the expenses for a Hungarian book she does not want. Ultimately, she spends very little time with that group, and might not see them again in the future. It remains unclear why their opinion in this particular situation is so important.

In contrast to ideas to which Selin conforms, in her interactions with Ivan, she refuses to fall in line with social expectations. When he mentions his girlfriend, Selin does not want to be reduced to the stereotype of the jealous other woman. When they are drinking at the bar, she also rejects the expectation that Ivan, as an older guy, wants to take advantage of her. In other words, there are roles that Selin does not mind playing and others which she actively rejects. Selina is more concerned about conforming with her peers, and in contrast, rejects conformity when it applies to romantic love, sex, and coupled. She is not willing to conform to the expectation that any relationship between a man and a woman has to be sexual and/or romantic in nature and that people always have to be part of a couple. She is much more comfortable with being single and alone, and being perceived as such, than with being cast as boring or stuck up.