The Margin

Person

Zhutchka

Also known as your Zhutchka.

Zhutchka is the lost shaggy dog whose absence still troubles Ilusha. Smurov says Ilusha remembers the dog as grayish and smoky-looking, much like Perezvon, and wonders whether any substitute could comfort him. At this point Zhutchka is a missing animal bound to Ilusha's illness, remorse, and hope.

X-IV. The Lost Dog

Kolya tells Alyosha that Ilusha fed Zhutchka bread with a pin in it after Smerdyakov suggested the cruel trick. Ilusha believes the dog ran away to die and has connected that guilt with his own sickness.

X-V. By Ilusha’s Bedside

Kolya brings Perezvon into the sickroom and shows that the dog is Zhutchka. The discovery releases Ilusha from the belief that he killed the dog, though the shock is almost too much for him.

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The Margin

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Zhutchka