Karl Marx is famous for saying that religion is the opiate of the masses.
Well, Doctor Zhivago has some more complicated ideas. Orthodox Christianity played a huge part in Russian history. Just take a look at St. Peter's Cathedral in Moscow—it's one the first things you think of when you think of Russia, right?
Well, Communism comes out of the writings of Karl Marx, so you can imagine how the Communists felt about religion. Basically, they thought it was a tool the rich people used to oppress workers. When the Communists gained power in 1917 one of the first things they went after was religion. They wanted a society founded on scientific principles, and religion didn't fit so well into that mold.
Questions About Religion
- Do you think it's reasonable to call Yuri Zhivago a "Christ-like" figure in this book? What evidence is there to support it?
- Why does Pasternak keep mentioning Russian religious holidays throughout this book? What role do these holidays play in terms of marking the passage of time?
- Is Yuri Zhivago a religious person? Do you think he believes in God? Why or why not?
- Why doesn't Zhivago get a proper religious funeral at the end of this book? Please use specific evidence from the text to support your answer.
Chew on This
In Doctor Zhivago, Pasternak shows us that one of the worst things about Communism is the way it tries to strip the world of everything poetic and spiritual.
In Doctor Zhivago, Pasternak suggests that it is only by looking to the example of religion that we can truly respect the power of the individual in an oppressive society.