She is General Yepanchin's aristocratic, somewhat hysterical, and eccentric wife. She takes pride in being the last noblewoman of the Myshkin family. Considering the Prince a distant relative, she forms a maternal, protective, yet simultaneously condescending bond with him. While not a very intellectual woman, her purity of heart and sentimentality make her someone who reacts warmly but erratically toward her daughters and the Prince. Although she senses Aglaya's dangerous romantic tendencies and tries to prevent them, she often remains amateurish and helpless in her struggle to maintain her family's social standing.
She comes from a relatively poor yet ancient line of Princes. She saved herself by marrying General Yepanchin, who is not very well-educated but has accumulated wealth. Her only concern now is to find noble husbands for her three beautiful daughters.
A respectable matron of fifty-six, tall, with thick black hair that has grayed in places, pale and slightly sunken cheeks, and thin lips.
Aglaya
Her favorite, rebellious daughter. Knowing that this wild spirit is a copy of her own, she is constantly worried about her.
Prens Mışkin
Though she initially considers him a freakish distant relative she wants to get rid of, she later begins to love him with unwavering affection, yet she cannot tolerate his idiocy at all.