This paper examines literary critic Mikhail Bakhtin\u27s assertion that Fyodor Dostoyevsky is a polyphonic novelist and examines the importance of the literary double in a polyphonic novel. Specifically, the paper deals with the traditional theories regarding the female double in 3 of his major works: The Idiot, The Brothers Karamazov, and Crime and Punishment .
Ultimately, the paper concludes that Dostoyevsky\u27s female doubles defy and refute the stereotypical representations of the female double as Femme Fatale or Fair Maiden through his portrayal s of complex and realistic women
