The problem of evil is given in one of two ways. One way is natural evil, which consists of hurricanes, earth quakes, diseases, etc. This can be considered evil because hurricanes can destroy communities with their high winds and diseases like cancer can put people through long anguishing deaths. The other way is moral evil, which is just basically causing someone or something suffering for no apparent reason. This can be explained in the serial killings and unaccounted for murders.
             Ivan lays out the problem in three ways: 1.) God is good, 2.) God is all-powerful, 3.) there is suffering.
             "It's not that I don't accept God, you must understand, it's the world created by Him I don't and cannot accept" (Ivan xxx). If God does not exist than it is understandable when there is no one there to prevent disasters such as 9/11. However, if there is such a thing as a God then he is evil and cruel for letting such atrocities occur.
             "If God is all-powerful and He nevertheless allows suffering, then it is hard to see how He could be good" (Ivan xxx). This relates back to the first of three problems where it's hard to comprehend how this being we call "God" can let such mayhems happen like 9/11. I see how Ivan can say this because this "higher being" we worship is supposed to love and care for us, but yet he can sit back and watch thousands of innocent, good people, die because he does not intervene with free will.
             "Ivan courageously rejects all these facile "solutions" and insists on sticking to facts" (Ivan xxx). What he is saying here is that the suffering we encounter all through life is supposed to pay off in our after-life. But if there is no God then there would be no after-life. Therefore, from Ivan's standpoint why even live in this world and put up with all the grief for nothing. This can explain why Ivan would want to commit suicide. From a business prospective you have to think about what you're going to get ...