Alyosha Karamazov
His personality is remarkably unselfish, extremely mature in his religious faith, sensitive to other people's feelings, and loving - "he certainly loved people: throughout his life he seemed to believe in people and to trust them, and yet no one ever thought him simple-minded or naive. There was something in him (and it stayed with him all his life) that made people realize that he refused to sit in judgment on others, that he felt he had no right to, and that, whatever happened, he would never condemn anyone." He passes on the influence of Zosima to the "younger generation" (the schoolboys) of the town. Even with all his kind goodness, he has a gentle personality that makes almost everybody love him and feel comfortable around him. Proud young Kolya Krasotkin says that the best thing about Alyosha is that he treats him like "an equal".