Dostoevsky and World Culture Dostoevsky and World Culture 2619-0311 2712-8512 IWL RAS https://doi.org/10.22455/2619-0311-2018-4-154-160 Articles The Ambiguous Motive of Laughter in Dostoevsky's Novel "The Idiot" Alekseeva Maria M. fedor@dostmirkult.ru 2021 1 4 154 160 Dostoevsky laughter motive cry Nastasya Filippovna Rogozhin Myshkin comical moments Copyright © 2026, IWL RAS 2026 The article examines the ambiguous motive of laughter (or his species) and the role of the laughter of different characters in the novel. Here are analyzed the peculiarities of the heroes’ laughter, the comical episodes of the novel and the meaning the author gives to laughter.