The Margin

Object

Alyosha's Bitten Finger

Also known as Alyosha's finger, his bitten finger.

Alyosha's bitten finger is the wound he receives after stepping into a roadside fight among schoolboys. The solitary boy first throws stones at him, then rushes forward and bites his middle finger to the bone. Alyosha binds the bleeding hand with his handkerchief and asks what he has done to deserve such hatred, which turns the injury into a small mystery rather than a simple attack.

IV-IV. At The Hohlakovs’

At the Hohlakov house, Lise takes command when she sees the wound. She has the finger washed in cold water, calls for lint and Goulard's water, and makes the injury part of her quick, intimate exchange with Alyosha.

IV-VI. A Laceration In The Cottage

In the Snegiryovs' cottage, Ilusha admits from his sickbed that he bit Alyosha's finger. Captain Snegiryov turns the injury into a frantic offer to cut off his own fingers in reparation.

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The Margin

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Alyosha's Bitten Finger