The Grand Inquisitor is a parable told by Ivan to Alyosha in Fyodor Dostoevsky 's novel The Brothers Karamazov ( 1879-1880 ) . The Grand Inquisitor is a parable told by Ivan to Alyosha in Fyodor Dostoevsky 's novel The Brothers Karamazov ( 1879 â `` 1880 ) .