Dostoevsky Studies, New Series, Vol. XIII (2009), pp. 121-140 NARIMAN SKAKOV Stanford University Dostoevsky’s Christ and Silence at the Margins of The Idiot And He answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly. (Matthew, 27:14) But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled. (Mark, 15:5) Then he questioned with Him in many words; but He answered him nothing. (Luke, 23:9) Pilate saith unto Him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews... (John, 19:38) While working on the first drafts of The Idiot in 1867 Dostoevsky sketched out the following dialogue between the male protagonist (the Idiot) and Olga Umetskaya (an early prototype for the character of Nastasya Filippovna): - Death on the cross disconcerts reason. But he has overcome reason too. - What is this – a miracle? - Of course, a miracle, although… - What? - Although there was a terrible cry as well. - What sort of cry? - Eloi! Eloi! - That was the eclipse. - I don't know, but it is a terrible cry. (9: 184) 1 1 Quotations from Dostoevsky’s novels, drafts and letters are given in English (with the Russian original given in footnotes) and are identified in the body of the text by a reference in parenthesis to the volume and page number of the thirty-volume Academy edition: F. M. Dostoevsky, F. Polnoe sobranie sochinenii v tridtsati tomakh. Leningrad: Nauka, 1972-1990. - Но что казнь на кресте рассудок расстраивает. А он и рассудок победил. - Что ж, это чудо?