Crime and punishment character analysis. Crime and Punishment

Analysis of the images of the main characters in the novel by F.M. Dostoevsky "Crime and Punishment"

The world of the main characters of the novel "Crime and Punishment" by F. M. Dostoevsky is the world of little people lost in a big city who are trying to find their place in the sun and warm themselves with love. Unusual and such vital, ambiguous and sometimes incomprehensible acts, the main characters of the novel reveal the essence of the work: the meaning of human life is in love and forgiveness.

Rodion Raskolnikov

A poor but capable student from St. Petersburg, Rodion Raskolnikov, is obsessed with an idea that takes its roots in humanism and the universal sense of being: will violations of the law be justified if they are done in the name of humanity? External circumstances (poverty and the sister’s forced decision to marry of convenience) push Rodion to test his own theory in practice: he kills an old pawnbroker and her sister Lizaveta, who was pregnant at that time. It is from this moment that the ordeals of poor Raskolnikov begin:

• even physically he cannot cope with the test: for several days after the murder he lies delirious;
• upon the fact of the murder, the investigator begins to call him and interrogate him: suspicions torment the student, he loses peace, sleep, appetite;
• but the most important ordeal is the conscience, which demands retribution for the bloody crime committed by Raskolnikov.

Rodion finds support in family and love - it is these two values ​​that Dostoevsky puts at the forefront: only thanks to his mother, sister Avdotya and Sonechka, with whom Rodion falls in love, he nevertheless comes to the conclusion that for every crime a person must suffer punishment. He himself comes to the investigator and confesses to the murder. After the trial, Sonechka follows him to the Siberian penal servitude. Neither relatives nor friends refuse him - this is the sacrifice and the forgiveness that elevates a person. Sonechka Marmeladova helps Rodion to come to the realization of his own guilt and decide on a voluntary confession.

Sonechka Marmeladova

Various female images are found in Russian literature, but Sonya Marmeladova is the most tragic and at the same time the most sublime heroine:

• instead of the contempt that a prostitute should inspire, Sonya is pretty and delightful in her self-sacrifice: after all, she goes to earn with her body for the sake of her family;
• instead of a vulgar and rude street selling woman, the reader sees a modest, meek, quiet girl who is ashamed of her own occupation, but cannot change anything;
• At first, Raskolnikov hates her, because he feels that he is irresistibly attracted to her: he is attracted so strongly that he is forced to tell her first about his atrocity, but then he realizes that it is Sonechka who is the salvation that the Lord sent him as a consolation.

Sonechka goes hand in hand with Rodion throughout the novel. Her faith, sacrifice, meekness and bright, pure love helps the protagonist understand the meaning of human existence. To understand the terrible mistake that Raskolnikov made, allows another central image of the novel - Svidrigailov.

Arkady Svidrigailov

Svidrigailov is the ideological counterpart of Raskolnikov, on the example of which Dostoevsky shows what Rodion's theory did to a person when everything is allowed to him:

• Svidrigailov - depraved and vulgar, albeit a nobleman;
• suspected of murder;
• blackmailer.

And at the same time, he is lonely and cannot bear the weight of his own sins: he commits suicide. This is what Sonechka saves her Rodion from.

The system of main images in the novel is such that the characters complement each other and make their own adjustments to the ideological structure of the novel: if not for one of them, the system would collapse. It is impossible to categorically divide everyone into good and bad: the heart of every person is an arena where good and evil fight daily. Which of them will win is up to the individual to decide. It is this struggle that is shown in the novel with the help of the main characters, helping the reader to correctly understand the thought of the great Dostoevsky.

Dostoevsky-related writings:

• "Crime and Punishment", analysis of the novel
• "Crime and Punishment", a summary of parts of Dostoevsky's novel
• "Idiot", analysis of the novel
• "The Brothers Karamazov", a summary of the chapters of Dostoevsky's novel

In the novel "Crime and Punishment" Dostoevsky created a special unique world, within which special laws operate, in which a special psychological environment reigns, a special space. The unusualness of this world is, first of all, that almost all the central characters of the novel are people rejected by society, “former”. Raskolnikov is a “former student” (this is how he himself answers the police question about who he is). Razumikhin is also a former student in the main part of the work. A former official, "exactly five days ago" who finally and irretrievably broke, is included in the novel by Marmeladov. His daughter Sonya is a former "young lady". The kids of Katerina Ivanovna, whom poverty drove out to beg on the street, are former "noble children." Svidrigailov appears in the novel as a former landowner (although once "a decent owner"). He irrevocably parted with his until recently prosperous past and tells Raskolnikov about him with some kind of mocking surprise, as if about another life.

Almost all the heroes of the work are not busy with a specific case (with the exception of Zosimov, a practicing physician and bailiff Porfiry Petrovich). Luzhin is currently preparing himself for predatory activity. Razumikhin earns his living by translating for a market publisher-bookseller and is fond of his own book publishing project (in the epilogue, the author reports on his success in this field). These heroes of Dostoevsky are contraindicated in "normal" - business, official, economic - life. They cannot keep within these limits. And Marmeladov, who more than once (even before his very end) fate gave a chance to take the path of a “corrected” official. And Svidrigailov, shortly before his suicide, confessed to Raskolnikov that he was unable to attach himself to any particular occupation: “Do you believe, at least there was something; well, to be a landowner, well, a father, well, a lancer, a photographer, a journalist ... n-nothing, no specialty! Sometimes it's even boring."

This indifference to life and the inability to find oneself in it in Raskolnikov reaches an extreme point. Although “he was crushed by poverty,” this “has ceased to weigh him down lately. He completely ceased to be engaged in his urgent affairs, ”it is said at the beginning of the novel. Despite his pride, "he was least ashamed of his rags in the street"; he “doesn’t give a damn”, as he himself will declare to Nastasya, both for his poverty and for the opportunity to somehow improve the situation with lessons. Detachment from worldly affairs takes on such an extreme form in Raskolnikov that even food becomes an extraneous act for him. To the amazement of the compassionate Nastasya, he hardly forces himself to eat "three or four spoons", "mechanically" sips tea.

In a completely different way than other writers of the 19th century, the family is presented in Dostoevsky's novel. In "Crime and Punishment" there is not a single family, almost all the characters are members of broken families, and most of the women are widows (Raskolnikov's mother, his landlady, usurer Alena Ivanovna). The second time Katerina Ivanovna becomes a widow. Even the “prosperous” (at the beginning of the novel) house of the Svidrigailovs will be in trouble and it will cease to exist. All families in the novel either fall apart, or are not created, cannot arise. Luzhin's courtship to Dunya becomes unsuccessful, although he appeared in the novel as a groom. Raskolnikov was also not destined to marry the daughter of the landlady. The dying project of Svidrigailov's marriage to a sixteen-year-old "angel", which his greedy parents are ready to sell to him, also turned out to be a mirage. The only family whose fate against the background of others will turn out well is the family of Dunya and Razumikhin, but it remains outside the immediate image.

Naturally, heroes deprived of a family are also deprived of a home. None of them have their own place. All of them: Marmeladov, Sonya, Raskolnikov, Pulcheria Alexandrovna with Dunya, Svidrigailov, Luzhin - exist in a strange place and temporarily. They temporarily live in apartments, in rooms, huddle in corners and find temporary shelter with friends. Moreover, many of them (Marmeladov, Luzhin, Raskolnikov) are persistently expelled from this random place. Almost all the heroes of "Crime and Punishment" appear before the readers as free or involuntary "eternal wanderers".

The only exception is Porfiry Petrovich. Apart from Zosimov, he is the only one of all the heroes of the novel who is bound by a strong life position: service, direct business and a government apartment. But it is noteworthy that in his most sincere statements, revealing the hidden side of his nature, Porfiry Petrovich several times calls himself a “finished man”, “finished”, “numb”. And it is not just words. Against the background of other characters, Porfiry really seems to be covered with a shell. If the life of others is open from all sides to accidents (and most often unpleasant, dramatic ones), then the life of Porfiry Petrovich is protected from all sorts of accidents by a stone wall, which means, in the words of the author, "it's over."

Most of the heroes of the novel fall out of normal life, mistaking each other for crazy. Katerina Ivanovna is on the verge of mental breakdown for almost the entire duration of the novel. If Sonya perceives her as a child, then many see her as crazy. Together with "meaning and intelligence" flashes "as if madness" in the eyes of Marmeladov. More than once they mistake each other for madmen and Raskolnikov and Sonya. "Madness", "madness", "clouding of the mind" of Raskolnikov were discussed by Zosimov and Razumikhin. Even with strict sobriety, Porfiry Petrovich, who assesses the criminal, says that his act "in conscience, it is clouding." "He's crazy," Raskolnikov says and thinks about Svidrigailov. And Svidrigailov, in turn, is convinced that St. Petersburg is "a city of half-crazy."

Life on the verge of collapse distinguishes many of the heroes of the work. Strength and mental stamina is not inherent in many. The emotional mood of almost all the characters is negative. It is no coincidence that critics called "Crime and Punishment" a novel of "revenge and sorrow." Throughout the five parts of the work, negative emotions and reactions of the characters are pumped up, and only in the sixth they are resolved and to some extent eliminated. And the center of the conflict is, of course, Raskolnikov - a classic example of the type of "embittered heroes" of Dostoevsky.

Almost all the actions of the protagonist are contradictory; Raskolnikov's contradictory nature manifests itself in them. The contradictions of his nature are also manifested in the motivation of the crime. But the motivations for the hero's behavior in the novel are constantly bifurcated, because the hero himself, captured by an inhuman idea, is deprived of integrity. Two people live and act in it at the same time: one Raskolnikov's "I" is controlled by the consciousness of the hero, and the other "I" at the same time makes unconscious mental movements and actions. It is no coincidence that Raskolnikov's friend Razumikhin says that Rodion's "two opposite characters alternate in turn."

Here the hero goes to the old pawnbroker with a clearly conscious goal - to make a "trial". Compared with the decision that Raskolnikov will make tomorrow, the last expensive thing bought by an old woman for a pittance, and the upcoming money conversation, are insignificant. Something else is needed: it is good to remember the location of the rooms, to carefully peep which key is from the chest of drawers, and which is from the packing, where the old woman hides the money. But Raskolnikov cannot stand it. The old pawnbroker draws him into the net of her monetary combinations, confusing the logic of the “trial”. Before the eyes of readers, Raskolnikov, having forgotten the purpose of the visit, enters into an argument with Alena Ivanovna and only then pulls himself up, "remembering that he also came for another."

The inconsistency in the behavior of the hero is also manifested in the scene on the boulevard. Pity for a teenage girl, a desire to save an innocent victim, and next to her - contemptuous: “Let it be! This, they say, is as it should be. Such a percentage, they say, should go every year ... somewhere ... to hell ... "

Outside the city, shortly before a terrible dream-memories, Raskolnikov is again unconsciously included in the life typical of a poor student. “Once he stopped and counted the money: it turned out to be about thirty kopecks. “Twenty to the policeman, three to Nastasya for the letter, which means that yesterday he gave the Marmeladovs forty-seven or fifty kopecks,” he thought, counting for something, but soon forgot even why he pulled the money out of his pocket. A paradox is reopened as a consequence of the “split” soul of the hero: determination “for such a thing” should exclude such trifles. But Raskolnikov fails to escape from "trifles", just as he fails to escape from himself, from the contradictions of his soul. The illogical actions of the hero reveal the essence of the living nature of a young man, not subject to theory.

Crime and Punishment is a noisy novel. Hotel rooms, apartments and corners full of residents, streets and alleys of the city are filled with frenzied voices, loud cries, unceasing speech. Raskolnikov, even in a dream, is haunted by everything that surrounds reality. Only a few pages fall out of the general tone of the work, in particular those that relate to Lizaveta and Sonya. Only in the world of these two heroines silence reigns, and this is very important for the author. But it should be noted that Sonya, whose voice enters with a clear and quiet melody into the loud and irritated sound of other voices, is also not always meek and silent. She can be "stubborn" and "persistent", "tremble with anger and indignation", "strictly and angrily" defend her interests. Born in this noisy world, she cannot be different. That is why Dostoevsky, when depicting his heroine, avoided icon-painting techniques.

The main line of the novel is the ideological opposition of Raskolnikov to the rest of the characters. Even random encounters become for him a predestination with variously opposing heroes. Almost all the heroes are opposed to Raskolnikov: Sonya, Porfiry Petrovich, Luzhin, Lebezyatnikov, and Svidrigailov. All of them accelerate the processes taking place in the soul of Raskolnikov.

The names and surnames of the heroes of the novel are carefully thought out by Dostoevsky and are full of deep meaning. The surname of the protagonist of the novel indicates that in the mind of the author, Raskolnikov's passionate love for people and fanaticism in defending his "idea" were associated with a split - a certain side of the self-consciousness of Russian people. Schism (Old Believers, Old Believers) is a trend that arose in the middle of the 17th century in the Russian church as a protest against the innovations of Patriarch Nikon, which consisted in correcting church books and some church customs and rituals. Raskolnikov “splits” the mother who gave birth to him - the earth, “splits the homeland”, and if we take into account the patronymic and the ideological meaning of the image itself, then a direct interpretation is also possible: the split of the Romanov homeland.

Materials about the novel by F.M. Dostoevsky "Crime and Punishment".

The novel Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky was written in 1866. The idea of ​​the work came to the writer as early as 1859, when he was serving a sentence in hard labor. Initially, Dostoevsky was going to write the novel "Crime and Punishment" in the form of a confession, but in the process of work, the original idea gradually changed and, describing his new work to the editor of the journal "Russian Messenger" (in which the book was first published), the author characterizes the novel as "a psychological report of one works".

"Crime and Punishment" refers to the literary movement of realism, written in the genre of a philosophical and psychological polyphonic novel, since the ideas of the heroes in the work are equal to each other, and the author stands next to the characters, and not above them.

Compiled according to "Crime and Punishment", a summary of chapters and parts allows you to get acquainted with the key points of the novel, prepare for a literature lesson in grade 10 or a test. You can read the retelling of the novel presented on our website online or save it to any electronic medium.

Main characters

Rodion Raskolnikov- a poor student, a young, proud, disinterested youth. He "was remarkably good-looking, with beautiful dark eyes, dark blond, taller than average, thin and slender."

Sonya Marmeladova- the native daughter of Marmeladov, a drunkard, a former titular adviser. "A girl of small stature, about eighteen years old, thin, but rather pretty blonde, with wonderful blue eyes."

Pyotr Petrovich Luzhin- Dunya's fiancé, prudent, "prim, portly, with a cautious and obnoxious physiognomy," a gentleman of forty-five years.

Arkady Ivanovich Svidrigailov- a gambler with a controversial character, who stepped over several lives. "A man in his fifties, taller than average, portly".

Porfiry Petrovich- the bailiff of investigative affairs, who was involved in the murder of an old money-lender. "A man of about thirty-five, below average height, full and even with a paunch, clean-shaven, without a mustache and without sideburns". A smart person, "a skeptic, a cynic".

Razumikhin- student, friend of Rodion. A very intelligent young man, although sometimes rustic, “his appearance was expressive - tall, thin, always poorly shaven, black-haired. Sometimes he was rowdy and was known as a strong man.

Dunya (Avdotya Romanovna) Raskolnikova- Raskolnikov's sister, "a firm, prudent, patient and generous, albeit with an ardent heart" girl. “She had dark blond hair, a little lighter than her brother; eyes almost black, sparkling, proud, and at the same time sometimes, at times, unusually kind.

Other characters

Alena Ivanovna- an old pawnbroker who was killed by Raskolnikov.

Lizaveta Ivanovna- the sister of the old pawnbroker, “a tall, clumsy, timid and humble girl, almost an idiot, thirty-five years old, who was in complete slavery to her sister, worked for her day and night, trembled before her and even suffered beatings from her.”

Semyon Zakharovich Marmeladov- Sonya's father, a drunkard, "a man already over fifty, of medium height and dense build, with gray hair and a large bald head."

Ekaterina Ivanovna Marmeladova- a woman of noble birth (from a ruined noble family), Sonya's stepmother, Marmeladov's wife. "A terribly thin woman, thin, rather tall and slender, with beautiful dark blond hair."

Pulcheria Alexandrovna Raskolnikova- mother of Rodion, a woman of forty-three years.

Zosimov- doctor, friend of Raskolnikov, 27 years old.

Zametov- The clerk at the police station.

Nastasya- the cook of the hostess, from whom Raskolnikov rented a room.

Lebezyatnikov- Luzhin's roommate.

Mykola- a dyer who confessed to the murder of an old woman

Marfa Petrovna Svidrigailova- Svidrigailov's wife.

Polechka, Lenya, Kolya- children of Katerina Ivanovna.

Part one

Chapter 1

The protagonist of the novel, Rodion Raskolnikov, is in a situation bordering on poverty, he ate almost nothing for the second day and owes the owner of the apartment a decent amount for rent. The young man goes to the old woman-interest-bearer Alena Ivanovna, pondering on the way a “mysterious” case, thoughts about which have been troubling him for a long time - the hero was going to kill.

Arriving at Alena Ivanovna, Raskolnikov lays down a silver watch, while carefully examining the furnishings of her apartment. Leaving, Rodion promises to return soon to pawn a silver cigarette box.

Chapter 2

Entering the tavern, Raskolnikov meets the titular adviser Marmeladov there. Upon learning that Rodion is a student, the intoxicated interlocutor begins to talk about poverty, saying that “poverty is not a vice, it is true, poverty is a vice,” and tells Rodion about his family. His wife, Katerina Ivanovna, having three children in her arms, married him out of desperation, although she was smart and educated. But Marmeladov drinks all the money, taking the last thing out of the house. In order to somehow provide for the family, his daughter, Sonya Marmeladova, had to go to the panel.

Raskolnikov decided to take the drunken Marmeladov home, as he was already poorly on his feet. The student was struck by the beggarly situation of their housing. Katerina Ivanovna begins to scold her husband that he again drank the last money and Raskolnikov, not wanting to get involved in a quarrel, leaves, for reasons not clear to himself, leaving them a trifle on the windowsill.

Chapter 3

Raskolnikov lived in a small room with a very low ceiling: “it was a tiny cell, six paces long.” There were three old chairs in the room, a table, a large sofa in tatters, and a small table.

Rodion receives a letter from his mother Pulcheria Raskolnikova. The woman wrote that his sister Dunya was slandered by the Svidrigailov family, in whose house the girl worked as a governess. Svidrigailov showed unambiguous signs of attention to her. Upon learning of this, Marfa Petrovna, his wife, began to insult and humiliate Dunya. In addition, the forty-five-year-old court adviser Pyotr Petrovich Luzhin, with a small capital, got engaged to Dunya. The mother writes that soon she and her sister will arrive in St. Petersburg, since Luzhin wants to arrange a wedding as soon as possible.

Chapter 4

Raskolnikov was greatly disturbed by his mother's letter. The young man understands that the relatives agreed to the marriage of Luzhin and Dunya, only to end poverty, but the young man is against this marriage. Raskolnikov understands that he has no right to forbid Duna to marry Luzhin. And Rodin again began to think about the thought that had tormented him for a long time (the murder of the pawnbroker).

Chapter 5

Walking around the Islands, Raskolnikov decided to have a bite of cake and vodka. The young man had not drunk for a long time, so he got drunk almost immediately and, before reaching home, fell asleep in the bushes. He had a terrible dream: an episode from childhood, in which the peasants slaughtered an old horse. Little Rodion cannot do anything, he runs up to the dead horse, kisses its muzzle and, angry, rushes at the peasant with his fists.

Waking up, Raskolnikov again thinks about the murder of the pawnbroker and doubts that he will be able to decide on it. Passing by the market on Sennaya, the young man saw the old woman's sister, Lizaveta. From Lizaveta's conversation with the merchants, Raskolnikov learns that the pawnbroker will be alone at home tomorrow at seven in the evening. The young man understands that now "everything is finally decided."

Chapter 6

Raskolnikov accidentally hears a conversation between a student and an officer that the old pawnbroker is unworthy of life, and if she is killed, then with her money one could help so many poor young people. Rodion was very excited by what he heard.

Arriving home, Raskolnikov, being in a state close to delirium, begins to prepare for the murder. The young man sewed an ax loop on the inside of the coat under the left armpit so that when the coat was put on, the ax was not noticeable. Then he took out a "pawn" hidden in the gap between the sofa and the floor - a tablet, the size of a cigarette box, wrapped in paper and tied with a ribbon, which he was going to give the old woman to divert attention. Having finished the preparations, Rodion stole an ax in the janitor and went to the old woman.

Chapter 7

Arriving at the pawnbroker, Rodion was worried that the old woman would notice his excitement and would not let him in, but she takes a “mortgage”, believing that this is a cigarette box, and tries to untie the ribbon. The young man, realizing that it is impossible to hesitate, takes out an ax and lowers it on her head with a butt, the old woman settled down, Raskolnikov beats her a second time, after which he realizes that she has already died.

Raskolnikov takes the keys from the old woman's pocket and goes to her room. As soon as he found the riches of the pawnbroker in a large packing (chest) and began to fill the pockets of his coat and trousers with them, Lizaveta suddenly returned. In confusion, the hero also kills the old woman's sister. He is terrified, but gradually the hero pulls himself together, washes away the blood from his hands, ax and boots. Raskolnikov was about to leave, but then he heard footsteps on the stairs: customers had come to the old woman. After waiting until they leave, Rodion himself quickly leaves the pawnbroker's apartment. Returning home, the young man returns the ax and, going into his room, without undressing, fell into oblivion on the bed.

Part two

Chapter 1

Raskolnikov slept until three in the afternoon. Waking up, the hero remembers what he did. He looks through all the clothes in horror, checking if there are any traces of blood on them. He immediately finds the jewels taken from the pawnbroker, which he had completely forgotten about, and hides them in the corner of the room, in a hole under the wallpaper.

Nastasya comes to Rodion. She brought him a summons from the quarterly: the hero had to appear at the police office. Rodion is nervous, but at the station it turns out that he is only required to write a receipt with the obligation to pay the debt to the landlady.

Already about to leave the station, Rodion accidentally hears the conversation of the police about the murder of Alena Ivanovna and faints. Everyone decides that Raskolnikov is ill and is allowed to go home.

Chapter 2

Fearing a search, Rodion hides the old woman's valuables (a purse with money and jewelry) under a stone in a deserted courtyard surrounded by blank walls.

Chapter 3

Returning home, Raskolnikov wandered for several days, and when he woke up, he saw Razumikhin and Nastasya next to him. A young man receives a money transfer from his mother, who sent money to pay for housing. Dmitry tells his friend that while he was ill, the police officer Zametov came to Rodion several times and asked about his things.

Chapter 4

Another comrade comes to Raskolnikov - a medical student Zosimov. He starts a conversation about the murder of Alena Ivanovna and her sister Lizaveta, saying that many are suspected of the crime, including the dyer Mikola, but the police do not yet have reliable evidence.

Chapter 5

Pyotr Petrovich Luzhin comes to Raskolnikov. Raskolnikov reproaches the man that he is going to marry Dunya only so that the girl will be grateful to the end of her life for delivering her family from poverty. Luzhin tries to deny it. Angry Raskolnikov kicks him out.

Following him, Raskolnikov's friends also leave. Razumikhin worries about his friend, believing that “he has something on his mind! Something immovable, weighing.

Chapter 6

Having accidentally entered the Crystal Palace tavern, Raskolnikov meets Zametov there. Discussing with him the case of the murder of the old woman, Rodion expresses his opinion on how he would act in the place of the killer. The student asks what Zametov would do if he was the killer and almost directly says that it was he who killed the old woman. Zametov decides that Rodion is crazy and does not believe in his guilt.

Walking around the city, Raskolnikov decides to drown himself, but, having changed his mind, he goes half-delirious to the house of the murdered old pawnbroker. There is a renovation going on and the student is talking to the workers about the crime that has happened, everyone thinks he is crazy.

Chapter 7

On the way to Razumikhin, Raskolnikov sees a crowd gathered around the accidentally knocked down, completely drunk Marmeladov. The victim was taken home and is in critical condition.
Before his death, Marmeladov asks Sonya for forgiveness and dies in his daughter's arms. Raskolnikov gives all his money to Marmeladov's funeral.

Rodion feels that he is recovering and goes to visit Razumikhin. Dmitry accompanies him home. Approaching the house, Raskolnikov, students see light in his windows. When the friends went up to the room, it turned out that Rodion's mother and sister had arrived. Seeing loved ones, Raskolnikov fainted.

Part three

Chapter 1

Having come to his senses, Rodion asks his relatives not to worry. Talking with his sister about Luzhin, Raskolnikov demands that the girl refuse him. Pulcheria Alexandrovna wants to stay to look after her son, but Razumikhin persuades the women to return to the hotel.

Razumikhin really liked Dunya, he was attracted by her beauty: in her appearance, strength and self-confidence were combined with softness and grace.

Chapter 2

In the morning, Razumikhin visits Raskolnikov's mother and sister. Discussing Luzhin, Pulcheria Alexandrovna shares with Dmitry that in the morning they received a letter from Pyotr Petrovich. Luzhin writes that he wants to visit them, but asks that Rodion not be present during their meeting. Mother and Dunya go to Raskolnikov.

Chapter 3

Raskolnikov is feeling better. A student tells his mother and sister about giving all his money to a poor family's funeral yesterday. Raskolnikov notices that his relatives are afraid of him.
There is a conversation about Luzhin. Rodion is unpleasant that Pyotr Petrovich does not show proper attention to the bride. The young man is told about the letter of Pyotr Petrovich, he is ready to do as his relatives consider right. Dunya believes that Rodion must certainly be present during Luzhin's visit.

Chapter 4

Sonya came to Raskolnikov with an invitation to Marmeladov's funeral. Despite the fact that the girl’s reputation does not allow her to communicate on an equal footing with Rodion’s mother and sister, the young man introduces her to her relatives. Leaving, Dunya bowed to Sonya, which greatly embarrassed the girl.

When Sonya was walking home, some stranger began to pursue her, who turned out to be her neighbor (later on in the story it becomes clear that it was Svidrigailov).

Chapter 5

Raskolnikov and Razumikhin go to Porfiry, as Rodion asked a friend to introduce him to the investigator. Raskolnikov turns to Porfiry with the question of how to claim his right to the things that he pledged to the old woman. The investigator says that he needs to file an announcement with the police, and that his things have not disappeared, as he remembers them among those seized by the investigation.

Discussing the murder of the pawnbroker with Porfiry, the young man realizes that he is also suspected. Porfiry recalls Raskolnikov's article. In it, Rodion sets out his own theory that people are divided into “ordinary” (the so-called “material”) and “extraordinary” (talented, able to say a “new word”)”: “ordinary people must live in obedience and have no right to cross law". “And the extraordinary have the right to commit all sorts of crimes and break the law in every possible way, in fact, because they are extraordinary.” Porfiry asks Raskolnikov if he considers himself such an “extraordinary” person and if he is capable of killing or robbing, Raskolnikov replies that “it can very well be”.

Clarifying the details of the case, the investigator asks Raskolnikov if, for example, during his last visit to the pawnbroker, he saw dyers. Delaying with the answer, the young man says that he did not see. Razumikhin is immediately responsible for a friend who was with the old woman three days before the murder, when the dyers were not there yet, because they were working on the day of the murder. The students leave Porfiry.

Chapter 6

A stranger was waiting near Rodion's house, who called Rodion a murderer and, not wanting to explain himself, leaves.

At home, Raskolnikov again began to suffer from a fever. The young man dreamed of this stranger, who beckoned him to follow him to the apartment of the old money-lender. Rodion hit Alena Ivanovna on the head with an ax, but she laughs. The student tries to run away, but sees a crowd of people judging him around. Rodion wakes up.

Svidrigailov comes to Raskolnikov.

Part Four

Chapter 1

Raskolnikov is not happy about the arrival of Svidrigailov, since Dunya's reputation has seriously deteriorated because of him. Arkady Ivanovich expresses the opinion that he and Rodion are very similar: "one field of berries." Svidrigailov is trying to persuade Raskolnikov to arrange a meeting with Dunya, since his wife left the girl three thousand, and he himself would like to give Dunya ten thousand for all the trouble caused to her. Rodion refuses to arrange their meeting.

Chapters 2-3

In the evening, Raskolnikov and Razumikhin visit Rodion's mother and sister. Luzhin is outraged that the women did not take into account his request, and does not want to discuss the details of the wedding with Raskolnikov. Luzhin reminds Duna of the distress her family is in, reproaching the girl for not realizing her happiness. Dunya says that she cannot choose between her brother and her fiancé. Luzhin gets angry, they quarrel, and the girl asks Pyotr Petrovich to leave.

Chapter 4

Raskolnikov comes to Sonya. "Sonya's room looked like a barn, looked like a very irregular quadrangle, and this gave it something ugly." During the conversation, the young man asks what will happen to the girl now, because she now has an almost crazy mother, brother and sister. Sonya says that she cannot leave them, because without her they will simply die of hunger. Raskolnikov bows at Sonya's feet, the girl thinks that the young man is insane, but Rodion explains his act: “I didn’t bow to you, I bowed to all human suffering.”

Rodion draws attention to the New Testament lying on the table. Raskolnikov asks to read to him a chapter on the resurrection of Lazarus: “The cigarette end has long been extinguished in a crooked candlestick, dimly illuminating in this beggarly room the murderer and the harlot, who strangely come together to read the eternal book.” Leaving, Rodion promises to come the next day and tell Sonya who killed Lizaveta.

Their entire conversation was heard by Svidrigailov, who was in the next room.

Chapter 5

The next day, Raskolnikov comes to Porfiry Petrovich with a request to return his things to him. The investigator again tries to check the young man. Unable to stand it, Rodion, very nervous, asks Porfiry to finally find him guilty or not guilty of the murder of the old woman. However, the investigator avoids answering, saying that there is a surprise in the next room, but does not tell the young man which one.

Chapter 6

Unexpectedly for Raskolnikov and Porfiry, the dyer Mikola is brought in, who, in front of everyone, confesses to the murder of Alena Ivanovna. Raskolnikov returns home and on the threshold of his apartment meets that mysterious tradesman who called him a murderer. The man apologizes for his words: as it turned out, it was he who was the “surprise” prepared by Porfiry and now repented of his mistake. Rodion feels calmer.

Part Five

Chapter 1

Luzhin believes that only Raskolnikov is to blame for their quarrel with Dunya. Pyotr Petrovich thinks that in vain he did not give Raskolnikov money before the wedding: this would solve many problems. Wanting to take revenge on Rodion, Luzhin asks his roommate Lebezyatnikov, who is well acquainted with Sonya, to call the girl to him. Pyotr Petrovich apologizes to Sonya that he will not be able to attend the funeral (although he was invited), and gives her ten rubles. Lebezyatnikov notices that Luzhin is up to something, but does not yet understand what it is.

Chapter 2

Katerina Ivanovna arranged a good funeral for her husband, but many of those invited did not come. Raskolnikov was also present. Ekaterina Ivanovna begins to quarrel with the owner of the apartment, Amalia Ivanovna, because she invited just anyone, and not “better people and precisely the acquaintances of the deceased”. During their quarrel, Pyotr Petrovich arrives.

Chapter 3

Luzhin reports that Sonya stole a hundred rubles from him and his neighbor Lebezyatnikov is a witness to this. The girl is at first lost, but quickly begins to deny her guilt and gives Pyotr Petrovich his ten rubles. Not believing in the guilt of the girl, Katerina Ivanovna begins to turn out her daughter's pockets in front of everyone, and a hundred-ruble bill falls out of there. Lebezyatnikov understands that Luzhin got him into an awkward situation and tells those present that he remembered how Pyotr Petrovich himself slipped Sonya money. Raskolnikov defends Sonya. Luzhin screams and gets angry, promising to call the police. Amalia Ivanovna kicks Katerina Ivanovna out of the apartment with her children.

Chapter 4

Raskolnikov goes to Sonya, thinking about whether to tell the girl who killed Lizaveta. The young man understands that he must tell everything. Tormented, Rodion tells the girl that he knows the killer and that he killed Lizaveta by accident. Sonya understands everything and, sympathizing with Raskolnikov, says that there is no one more unhappy than him "now in the whole world." She is ready to follow him even to hard labor. Sonya asks Rodion why he went to kill, even if he didn’t take the loot, to which the young man replies that he wanted to become Napoleon: “I wanted to dare and killed ... I just wanted to dare, Sonya, that’s the whole reason!” . “I had to find out something else. Will I be able to cross or not! Am I a trembling creature, or do I have a right?
Sonya says that he needs to go and confess what he has done, then God will forgive him and "send life again."

Chapter 5

Lebezyatnikov comes to Sonya and says that Katerina Ivanovna has gone mad: the woman made the children beg, walks down the street, beats the frying pan and makes the children sing and dance. They help Katerina Ivanovna to be taken to Sonya's room, where the woman dies.

Svidrigailov approached Rodion, who was at Sonya's. Arkady Ivanovich says that he will pay for the funeral of Katerina Ivanovna, arrange children in orphanages and take care of Sonya's fate, asking her to tell Duna that she will spend the ten thousand that she wanted to give her. When asked by Rodion why Arkady Ivanovich became so generous, Svidrigailov replies that he heard all their conversations with Sonya through the wall.

Part six

Chapters 1-2

Funeral of Katerina Ivanovna. Razumikhin tells Rodion that Pulcheria Alexandrovna has fallen ill.

Porfiry Petrovich comes to Raskolnikov. The investigator states that he suspects Rodion of the murder. He advises the young man to come to the police station with a confession, giving two days to think. However, there is no evidence against Raskolnikov, and he has not yet confessed to the murder.

Chapters 3-4

Raskolnikov understands that he needs to talk with Svidrigailov: "this man hid some kind of power over him." Rodion meets Arkady Ivanovich in a tavern. Svidrigailov tells the young man about his relationship with his late wife and that he really was very much in love with Dunya, but now he has a bride.

Chapter 5

Svidrigailov leaves the tavern, after which, secretly from Raskolnikov, he meets with Dunya. Arkady Ivanovich insists that the girl come to his apartment. Svidrigailov tells Dunya about the overheard conversation between Sonya and Rodion. The man promises to save Raskolnikov in exchange for the favor and love of Dunya. The girl wants to leave, but the door is locked. Dunya takes out a hidden revolver, shoots the man several times, but misses, and asks to be released. Svidrigailov gives Dunya the key. The girl drops her weapon and leaves.

Chapter 6

Svidrigailov spends the whole evening in taverns. Returning home, the man went to Sonya. Arkady Ivanovich tells her that he may go to America. The girl thanks him for arranging the funeral and helping the orphans. The man gives her three thousand rubles so that she can live a normal life. The girl refuses at first, but Svidrigailov says that she knows that she is ready to follow Rodion to hard labor and she will definitely need the money.

Svidrigailov wanders into the wilderness of the city, where he stays at a hotel. At night, he dreams of a teenage girl who died long ago because of him, drowning herself after a man broke her heart. Going outside at dawn, Svidrigailov shot himself in the head with Dunya's revolver.

Chapter 7

Raskolnikov says goodbye to his sister and mother. The young man tells his relatives that he is going to confess to the murder of the old woman, promises to start a new life. Rodion regrets that he could not cross the cherished threshold of his own theory and his conscience.

Chapter 8

Raskolnikov goes to Sonya. The girl puts a cypress pectoral cross on him, advising him to go to the crossroads, kiss the ground and say out loud "I am a killer." Rodion does as Sonya said, after which he goes to the police station and confesses to the murder of the old pawnbroker and her sister. In the same place, the young man learns about Svidrigailov's suicide.

Epilogue

Chapter 1

Rodion is sentenced to eight years in hard labor in Siberia. Pulcheria Alexandrovna fell ill at the beginning of the process (her illness was nervous, more like insanity) and Dunya and Razumikhin took her away from St. Petersburg. The woman invents a story that Raskolnikov left and lives on this fiction.

Sonya leaves for a batch of prisoners, in which Raskolnikov was sent to hard labor. Dunya and Razumikhin got married, both plan to move to Siberia in five years. After some time, Pulcheria Alexandrovna dies of longing for her son. Sonya regularly writes to Rodion's relatives about his life in hard labor.

Chapter 2

In hard labor, Rodion could not find a common language with other prisoners: everyone did not like him and avoided him, considering him an atheist. The young man reflects on his fate, he is ashamed that he ruined his life so ineptly and stupidly. Svidrigailov, who managed to commit suicide, seems to the young man stronger in spirit than himself.

Sonya, who came to Rodion, fell in love with all the prisoners, at a meeting they took off their hats in front of her. The girl gave them money and things from relatives.

Raskolnikov fell ill, is in the hospital, recovering heavily and slowly. Sonya visited him regularly, and one day Rodion, crying, threw himself at her feet and began to hug the girl's knees. Sonya was frightened at first, but then she realized "that he loves, loves her endlessly." “They were resurrected by love, the heart of one included endless sources of life for the heart of the other”

Conclusion

In the novel "Crime and Punishment" Dostoevsky examines the issues of human morality, virtue and the human right to kill one's neighbor. Using the example of the protagonist, the author shows that any crime is impossible without punishment - the student Raskolnikov, who, wishing to become as great a personality as his idol Napoleon, kills the old pawnbroker, but cannot bear the moral torment after the deed and himself confesses his fault. In the novel, Dostoevsky emphasizes that even the greatest goals and ideas are not worth a human life.

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Composition

"Crime and Punishment" is an ideological novel in which non-human theory collides with human feelings. Dostoevsky, a great connoisseur of the psychology of people, a sensitive and attentive artist, tried to understand modern reality, to determine the degree of influence on a person of the then popular ideas of the revolutionary reorganization of life and individualistic theories. Entering into polemics with democrats and socialists, the writer sought to show in his novel how the delusion of fragile minds leads to murder, shedding of blood, maiming and breaking young lives.

The main idea of ​​the novel is revealed in the image of Rodion Raskolnikov, a poor student, an intelligent and gifted person who is unable to continue his education at the university, dragging out a beggarly, unworthy existence. Drawing the miserable and wretched world of the St. Petersburg slums, the writer traces step by step how a terrible theory is born in the mind of the hero, how it takes possession of all his thoughts, pushing him to murder.

This means that Raskolnikov's ideas are generated by abnormal, humiliating conditions of life. In addition, the post-reform breakup destroyed the age-old foundations of society, depriving human individuality of connection with the old cultural traditions of society, historical memory. Thus, the personality of a person was freed from any moral principles and prohibitions, especially since Raskolnikov sees a violation of universal moral norms at every step. It is impossible to feed a family with honest labor, so the petty official Marmeladov finally becomes an inveterate drunkard, and his daughter Sonechka goes to the panel, because otherwise her family will die of hunger. If unbearable living conditions push a person to violate moral principles, then these principles are nonsense, that is, they can be ignored. Raskolnikov comes to this conclusion when a theory is born in his inflamed brain, according to which he divides all of humanity into two unequal parts. On the one hand, these are strong personalities, "super-humans" such as Mohammed and Napoleon, and on the other hand, a gray, faceless and submissive crowd, which the hero awards with a contemptuous name - "trembling creature" and "anthill".

Possessing a sophisticated analytical mind and painful pride. Raskolnikov quite naturally thinks about which half he himself belongs to. Of course, he likes to think that he is a strong personality who, according to his theory, has the moral right to commit a crime in order to achieve a humane goal. What is this goal? The physical destruction of the exploiters, to which Rodion ranks the malicious old woman-interest-bearer, who profited from human suffering. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with killing a worthless old woman and using her wealth to help poor, needy people. These thoughts of Raskolnikov coincide with the ideas of revolutionary democracy popular in the 60s, but in the theory of the hero they are bizarrely intertwined with the philosophy of individualism, which allows for "blood according to conscience", a violation of the moral norms accepted by most people. According to the hero, historical progress is impossible without sacrifice, suffering, blood, and is carried out by the powerful of this world, great historical figures. This means that Raskolnikov dreams of both the role of ruler and the mission of a savior. But Christian, self-sacrificing love for people is incompatible with violence and contempt for them.

The correctness of any theory must be confirmed by practice. And Rodion Raskolnikov conceives and carries out the murder, removing the moral prohibition from himself. What does the test show? What conclusions does it lead the hero and the reader to? Already at the moment of the murder, the verified plan is significantly violated with mathematical accuracy. Raskolnikov kills not only the pawnbroker Alena Ivanovna, as planned, but also her sister Lizaveta. Why? After all, the old woman's sister was a meek, harmless woman, a downtrodden and humiliated creature who herself needs help and protection. The answer is simple: Rodion kills Lizaveta no longer for ideological reasons, but as an unwanted witness to his crime. In addition, there is a very important detail in the description of this episode: when Alena Ivanovna's visitors, who suspected something was wrong, try to open the locked door. Raskolnikov stands with a raised ax, apparently in order to crush all those who break into the room. In general, after his crime, Raskolnikov begins to see in murder the only way to fight or protect. His life after the murder turns into a real hell.

Dostoevsky explores in detail the thoughts, feelings, experiences of the hero. Raskolnikov is gripped by a sense of fear, the danger of exposure. He loses control of himself, collapsing at the police station, contracting a nervous fever. A painful suspicion develops in Rodion, which gradually turns into a feeling of loneliness, rejection from everyone. The writer finds a surprisingly accurate expression characterizing Raskolnikov's inner state: he "as if cut himself off with scissors from everyone and everything." It would seem that there is no evidence against him, the criminal showed up. You can use the money stolen from the old woman to help people. But they still remain in a secluded place. Something prevents Raskolnikov from taking advantage of them, to live in peace. This, of course, is not remorse for what he did, not pity for Lizaveta, who was killed by him. No. He tried to step over his nature, but could not, because bloodshed and murder are alien to a normal person. The crime fenced him off from people, and a person, even such a secretive and proud as Raskolnikov, cannot live without communication. But, despite the suffering and torment, he is by no means disappointed in his cruel, inhuman theory. On the contrary, it continues to dominate his mind. He is disappointed only in himself, believing that he did not pass the test for the role of the ruler, which means, alas, he belongs to the "trembling creature."

When Raskolnikov's torment reaches its climax, he opens up to Sonya Marmeladova, confessing to her his crime. Why her, an unfamiliar, nondescript, not brilliant girl, who also belongs to the most miserable and despised category of people? Probably because Rodion saw her as an ally in crime. After all, she also kills herself as a person, but she does it for the sake of her unfortunate, starving family, denying herself even suicide. This means that Sonya is stronger than Raskolnikov, stronger than her Christian love for people, her readiness for self-sacrifice. In addition, she manages her own life, not someone else's. It is Sonya who finally refutes Raskolnikov's theorized view of the world around him. After all, Sonya is by no means a humble victim of circumstances and not a "trembling creature." In terrible, seemingly hopeless circumstances, she managed to remain a pure and highly moral person, striving to do good to people. Thus, according to Dostoevsky, only Christian love and self-sacrifice are the only way to transform society.

4 Raskolnikov's rebellion

In 1866, F. M. Dostoevsky wrote the novel Crime and Punishment. This is a complex work, striking with the philosophical depth of the questions posed in it and the psychological character of the characterization of the main characters. The novel captures the sharpness of social problems and the strangeness of the story. In it, in the foreground are not a criminal offense, but the punishment (moral and physical) that the offender bears. It is no coincidence that out of six parts, only the first part of the novel is devoted to the description of the crime, while all the rest and the epilogue are devoted to the punishment for it. In the center of the story is the image of Rodion Raskolnikov, who committed the murder "in good conscience." Raskolnikov himself is not a criminal. He is endowed with many positive qualities: intelligence, kindness, responsiveness. Raskolnikov helps the father of a deceased comrade, gives the last money for the funeral of Marmeladov. There are many good beginnings in him, but need, difficult life circumstances bring him to exhaustion. Rodion stopped attending the university because he had nothing to pay for tuition; he has to avoid the hostess, because the debt for the room has accumulated; he is sick, starving ... And around him Raskolnikov sees poverty and lack of rights. The action of the novel takes place in the area of ​​Sennaya Square, where poor officials, artisans, and students lived. And very close was Nevsky Prospekt with expensive shops, chic palaces, gourmet restaurants. Raskolnikov sees that society is unfair: some bathe in luxury, while others die of hunger. He wants to change the world. But this can only be done by an extraordinary person who is able to “break what is necessary, once for all” and take power “over all the trembling creature and over the entire anthill.” "Freedom and power, and most importantly - power! ... That's the goal!" Raskolnikov says to Sonya Marmeladova. Under the low ceiling of the room, a monstrous theory is born in the mind of a hungry man. According to this theory, all people are divided into two "categories": ordinary people, who make up the majority and are forced to submit to force, and extraordinary people, "masters of fate" 0 such as Napoleon. They are able to impose their will on the majority, they are capable, in the name of progress or a lofty idea, without hesitation, "to step over the blood." Raskolnikov wants to be a good ruler, a defender of the "humiliated and insulted", he raises a rebellion against an unjust social order. But he is tormented by the question: is he the ruler? “I am a trembling creature, or do I have a right?” he asks himself. In order to get an answer, Raskolnikov contemplates the murder of an old pawnbroker. It is like an experiment on oneself: is he, as a ruler, able to step over the blood? Of course, the hero finds a "pretext" for the murder: to rob a rich and worthless old woman and save hundreds of young people from poverty and death with her money. Nevertheless, Raskolnikov always internally realized that he committed the murder not for this reason and not because he was hungry, and not even in the name of saving his sister Dunya from her marriage to Luzhin, but in order to test himself. This crime forever fenced him off from other people. Raskolnikov feels like a murderer, on his hands is the blood of innocent victims. One crime inevitably entails another: having killed the old woman, Raskolnikov was forced to kill her sister, “the innocent Lizaveta.” Dostoevsky convincingly proves that no goal, even the most lofty and noble, can serve as an excuse for criminal means. All the happiness in the world is not worth a single tear from a child. And the understanding of this, in the end, comes to Raskolnikov. But repentance and awareness of guilt did not come to him immediately. This happened largely due to the saving influence of Sonya Marmeladova. It was her kindness, faith in people and in God that helped Raskolnikov abandon his inhuman theory. Only in hard labor there was a turning point in his soul, and a gradual return to the people began. Only through faith in God, through repentance and self-sacrifice, could, according to Dostoevsky, the resurrection of the dead soul of Raskolnikov and any other person. Not individualistic rebellion, but beauty and love will save the world.

The fate of the humiliated and mourned in the novel

In his novel "Crime and Punishment" F. M. Dostoevsky raises the theme of "humiliated and offended", the theme of the little man. The society in which the heroes of the novel live is arranged in such a way that the life of each of them is possible only on humiliating conditions, on constant deals with conscience. The writer depicts the oppressive atmosphere of a hopeless life of a person, forcing people to see the image of the underworld behind the fate of people, where a person is humiliated and crushed, where a person has "nowhere to go." The episodes depicting the life of the “humiliated and offended” suggest that the fate of the heroes of the novel is determined not by some random tragic circumstances or their personal qualities, but by the laws of the structure of society.

The author, taking the reader through St. Petersburg, draws people of different social strata, including the poor, who have lost the meaning of life. Often they commit suicide, unable to endure their dull existence, or ruin life in numerous taverns. In one of these drinking places, Rodion Raskolnikov meets Marmeladov. From the story of this hero, we learn about the unfortunate fate of his entire family.

Marmeladov’s phrase: “Do you understand, dear sir, what it means when there is nowhere else to go ...” raises the figure of a little man, funny with his solemnly ornate and clerical manner of speaking, to the height of a tragic reflection on the fate of mankind.

Katerina Ivanovna, who was ruined by the unbearable for her ambitious nature, the contradiction between the past prosperous and rich life and the miserable, beggarly present.

Sonya Marmeladova, a pure-hearted girl, is forced to sell herself in order to feed her sick stepmother and her young children. However, she does not require any gratitude. She does not blame Katerina Ivanovna for anything, she simply resigns herself to her fate. Only Sonechka is ashamed before herself and God.

The idea of ​​self-sacrifice, embodied in the image of Sonya, raises him to a symbol of the suffering of all mankind. These sufferings merged for Dostoevsky with love. Sonya is the personification of love for people, which is why she retained moral purity in the dirt into which her life threw her.

The image of Dunya, Raskolnikov's sister, is filled with the same meaning. She agrees to the sacrifice: for the sake of her beloved brother, she agrees to marry Luzhin, who embodies the classic type of bourgeois businessman, a careerist who humiliates people and is able to do anything for personal gain.

Dostoevsky shows that the situation of hopelessness, impasse pushes people to commit moral crimes against themselves. Society confronts them with the choice of paths that lead to inhumanity.

Raskolnikov also makes a deal with his conscience, deciding to kill. The living and humane nature of the hero comes into conflict with the misanthropic theory. Dostoevsky shows how every time he encounters human suffering, Raskolnikov experiences an almost instinctive desire to come to the rescue. His theory of permissiveness, the splitting of humanity into two categories, is failing. The feeling of rejection, loneliness becomes a terrible punishment for the criminal.

Dostoevsky shows that Raskolnikov's idea is inextricably linked with the immediate conditions of his life, with the world of Petersburg corners. Drawing a terrifying picture of human crowding, dirt, stuffiness, Dostoevsky at the same time shows the loneliness of a person in the crowd, loneliness, above all, spiritual, his vital restlessness.

Raskolnikov and Svidrigailo

Raskolnikov and Svidrigailov are the heroes of one of Dostoevsky's best novels, Crime and Punishment. This novel is distinguished by the deepest psychologism and an abundance of sharp contrasts. At first glance, the characters of Raskolnikov and Svidrigailov have nothing in common, moreover, they seem to be antipodes. However, if you take a closer look at the images of these heroes, you can find a certain similarity. First of all, this similarity is manifested in the fact that both heroes commit crimes. True, they do this for different purposes: Raskolnikov kills the old woman and Lizaveta in order to test his theory, with the noble goal of helping the poor, destitute, humiliated and offended. And Svidrigailov directs all his vile energy to obtaining dubious pleasures, trying to achieve what he wants at any cost. Raskolnikov and Svidrigailov appear before readers as "strong" personalities. And indeed it is. Only people with exceptional willpower and equanimity can force themselves to cross the bloody line, deliberately commit a crime. Both of these characters are well aware that in essence they are extremely close. And it is not for nothing that at the very first meeting Svidrigailov says to Raskolnikov: "We are of the same field." Subsequently, Raskolnikov comes to an understanding of this. Punishment follows crime. Both characters are about the same. Both Raskolnikov and Svidrigailov experience the strongest pangs of conscience, they repent of their deeds and try to rectify the situation. And, it would seem, they are on the right path. But the mental anguish soon becomes unbearable. Svidrigailov's nerves can't stand it, and he commits suicide. Raskolnikov understands with horror that the same thing can happen to him, and in the end he confesses to his deed. Unlike Raskolnikov, Svidrigailov has a somewhat ambivalent character. On the one hand, it seems that he is an ordinary, normal, sober person, as he appears to Raskolnikov, but this side of his character is drowned out by his eternal and irresistible attraction to pleasure. Raskolnikov, in my opinion, is a much firmer person in his intentions. He is even somewhat similar to Turgenev's Bazarov, who strictly adheres to his theory and tests it in practice. For the sake of his theory, Raskolnikov even breaks off relations with his mother and sister, he wants to impress others with his theory and puts himself much higher than others. In the considerations presented above, in my opinion, there are differences and similarities between Raskolnikov and Svidrigailov, who can be called two sides of the same coin.

“Pravda” by Sonya Marmeladova (based on “Crime and Punishment” by Dostoevsky)

In Dostoevsky's novel "Crime and Punishment", as in every novel, there are many different characters. The main one - Raskolnikov - studies the rest, creates a theory based on his reasoning, he has a certain conviction that pushes him to a crime. In the appearance of this conviction in him, and, therefore, in the commission of this crime by him, all the heroes with whom he communicated are to blame: after all, they were the same as Raskolnikov saw them, on their basis he formed his theory. But their contribution to the creation of Raskolnikov's beliefs is ineffective, since it happens by chance, inadvertently. But the minor characters of the novel make a much greater contribution to Raskolnikov's awareness of the incorrectness of his theory, which prompted him to confess to all the people. The largest such contribution was made by Sonya Marmeladova. She helped the hero to understand who she is and who he is, what recognition gives him, why they need to live, helped to resurrect and look at themselves and others in a different way. She was a pretty girl of about eighteen, thin, of small stature. Life was very cruel to her, as well as to her family. She lost her father and mother early. After the death of her mother, her family was in distress, and she had to go to the panel to feed herself and the children of Katerina Ivanovna. But her spirit was so strong that it did not break even under such conditions: when a person’s morality decays, there is little chance of good luck in life, existence becomes harder and harder, the spirit restrains the oppression of the environment, and if a person’s spirit is weak, he cannot withstand and begins to let negative energy inward, spoiling the soul. The spirit of Sonya is very strong, and in the face of all adversity, her soul remains pure, and she goes to self-sacrifice. The pure, untouched soul in her very quickly finds all the flaws in the souls of other people, comparing them with her own; she easily teaches others to remove these flaws, because she periodically removes them from her soul (if she hasn’t had any flaws yet, she artificially creates them for herself for a while and tries to feel what instincts tell her to do). Outwardly, this is manifested in her ability to understand other people and sympathize with them. She pities Katerina Ivanovna for her stupidity and unhappiness, her father, who is dying and repenting before her. Such a girl attracts the attention of many people, makes (including herself) respect herself. Therefore, Raskolnikov decided to tell her about his secret, and not Razumikhin, Porfiry Petrovich, or Svidrigailov. He suspected that she would wisely assess the situation and make a decision. He really wanted someone else to share his suffering, wanted someone to help him go through life, to do some work for him. Having found such a person in Sonya, Raskolnikov made the right choice: she was the most beautiful girl who understood him and came to the conclusion that he was just as unhappy a person as she was, that Raskolnikov had not come to her in vain. And such a woman is also called "a girl of notorious behavior." (Here Raskolnikov realized the inaccuracy of his theory in this). That is what Luzhin calls her, being vile and selfish himself, not understanding anything in people, including Sonya, that she behaves in a humiliating way for herself only out of compassion for people, wanting to help them, to give at least for a moment a feeling of happiness . All her life she has been self-sacrifice, helping other people. So, she helped Raskolnikov too, she helped him rethink himself, that his theory was also wrong, that he had committed a crime in vain, that he needed to repent of it, to confess everything. The theory was wrong, because it is based on the division of people into two groups according to external signs, and those rarely express the whole person. A striking example is the very Sonya, whose poverty and humiliation do not fully reflect the whole essence of her personality, whose self-sacrifice is aimed at helping other needy people. She really believes that she resurrected Raskolnikov and is now ready to share his punishment in hard labor. Its “truth” is that in order to live life with dignity and die with the feeling that you were a great person, you need to love all people and sacrifice yourself for others.

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About the author and his work

Raskolnikov and Sonya are the main characters of the work. Already the title of the novel by Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky - "Crime and Punishment" - hints to the reader that the work is imbued with morality. The problematics of the novel revolves around not so much the legal, normative-legal aspect of punishment for a misdemeanor, but around the religious punishment, the court of conscience.

To understand the origins of this nature of the novel, let us mention that F. Dostoevsky wrote Crime and Punishment in the years that followed his return from hard labor. During this period, the flowering of creativity of the religious orientation of the writer.

On the one hand, the author dreams that the world will become fairer, that humanity will find happiness. On the other hand, the writer clearly understands: forced happiness is impossible, it is impossible to turn the world to a better vector using unnatural, violent methods, respectively.

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Thus, F. Dostoevsky creates an ideological novel, a complex socio-philosophical literary work, where, with the help of characters, their actions, events and images, the author denounces the incapacity of the theory of "beneficial tyranny".

Heroes of "Crime and Punishment"

The main characters of the novel are Raskolnikov and Sonya. On the one hand, there is no direct connection between these characters; it is not too clear to the reader how the characters are similar. But, meanwhile, the paths of Raskolnikov and Sonya suddenly intersect.

Rodion Raskolnikov is described as a closed and conceited man. The young man dreams of playing the same role in history as Napoleon. Rodion does not like communication with other people, he does not strive for this, pride and the side effects of the education received take precedence over the hero.

Sonechka, on the contrary, ended up at the bottom not from her own act, like Rodion, but by the will of a combination of external circumstances. Sonya is 18 years old, the girl does not have a penny and not a drop of happiness. She takes pity on people and puts her loved ones above her own interests: not knowing how to earn a living and help those she loves, Sonya is engaged in prostitution.

Let's consider these heroes in more detail.

Rodion Raskolnikov

Raskolnikov is a young student. Although the young man came from a bourgeois family, but - according to the "best rules" of student life - he experienced difficulties with money. As a result, Rodion cannot continue to study at the university, as the young man cannot afford it. Contemplating - verbally - the life of Raskolnikov, the reader notices a picture of terrible, terrifying poverty: the writer sticks it out, constantly emphasizes it.

Rodion lives in a small, even miniature apartment: the author writes that the apartment is more like a closet in size than a place suitable for human life.

As well as for studies, Raskolnikov cannot pay for housing. Rodion could not afford normal food either. For reasons - psychological and physiological - the hero decides to implement his idea - as he calls it, the theory of "beneficent tyranny". Raskolnikov kills an old pawnbroker, at whose pension the young man lived.

In the old woman, Rodion saw the concentrated evil of humanity, and therefore sincerely considered the deed to be right. But, to the surprise of the protagonist, the young man did not find peace or satisfaction: instead, Raskolnikov began to be haunted by conscience - the worst possible punishment.

If Sonya is sure that God exists, that one day a miracle will happen, then Raskolnikov is alien to hope and faith. The surname "Raskolnikov" hints at the inner split of the hero's soul, and the meaning of the book is for the hero to overcome this split, so that he can reassemble himself piece by piece and find integrity.

We observe the path of this moral transformation while reading the novel Crime and Punishment.

Sonya Marmeladova

Sonya Marmeladova is one of the people (the second is the investigator Porfiry Petrovich) who believe that it would be better for Raskolnikov to confess to the crime. Unlike Porfiry Petrovich, the "holy fool" Sonya managed to get through to Raskolnikov's conscience.

Sophia is destined for a difficult fate: first she loses her father, and then her mother. Out of need, the girl finds herself on the street and pays with her body to be able to help the remaining family members. The heroine appears soft and “downtrodden”, however, the invisible power of inner strength of will and determination is hidden in Sonya.

There is an opinion that Rodion trusted Sonya and listened to the girl, because she also had sins, she was a person who transgressed a certain line defined by religious norms, commandments. Sonya is a kindred spirit for him.

Since you have already come to us, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky

Upon learning of what Rodion did, Sonya does not push Raskolnikov away, she is not afraid. On the contrary, the girl cries and pities him, because she understands that Rodion's act is a curse, it is an unbearable, heavy burden.

Staying with Raskolnikov in places of detention, Sonya evokes respect and warm feelings from the prisoners, while Rodion, on the contrary, rejection and antipathy. The reader observes how Rodion’s attitude towards Sonechka changes: at first the young man shows coldness towards Sonya, but then feelings change to love and awareness: Sonya is the closest and dearest person to him.

Despite the lack of education, Sonya has a high level of morality, deeply and sincerely believes in God. The girl is full of sympathy and compassion, which also awakens in Rodion: the Russian ethicist V. Malakhov believes that the path to a feeling of compassion lies through tolerance and mercy. This is the way Raskolnikov goes.

Sonya is engaged in prostitution, but at the same time the girl is chaste and pure. This is possible through sacrifice. The girl gives up her body, gradually destroying herself, but this is a great sacrifice, this is an expression of Sonya's understanding of the meaning of life. Once Sonya even thinks about suicide, but refuses it. According to the girl, this is an act inherent in egoists. We know that Raskolnikov also thought about suicide: this hero also refused such an undertaking.

The personal dimension of the relationship between Raskolnikov and Sonya

So, we found out that these heroes are different, but Raskolnikov and Sonya, due to some kind of criminal (after all, in the title of the novel we see the word “crime” brought forward) moral traits are approaching.

The heroes learn about each other by chance: a drunken Marmeladov tells Rodion about Sonya. However, the heroes will personally meet much later: Raskolnikov will see Sonya, timidly and bashfully entering the room to the dying official.

Since then, the paths of the characters often cross - as if by chance. Rodion helps Sonya with money (which is noble, because he always does not have them), saves the girl from accusations of theft. In the end, Raskolnikov confesses to the crime he committed: the young man pours out his soul and terrible sin to Sonya, which is strange, because Raskolnikov renounced other people, and even his own family. This is not so much about love, but about the salvation that Raskolnikov and Sonya find in each other. Sonya stays with Rodion in difficult days for the hero, as if serving a sentence with him, during hard labor helping to revive spiritually.

Results

"Crime and Punishment" is probably one of the most famous novels by Fyodor Dostoevsky. It seems that the work is full of bright and lively characters, but the events here, as well as the characters, are an excuse to express, write out the main idea of ​​the novel.

The author writes, first of all, that society should develop not in a revolutionary, but in an evolutionary way. A radical break, an attempt to forcibly remake the world, reshape the foundations of society does not lead to anything good. The time when F. Dostoevsky wrote "Crime and Punishment" can be described as the period of the writer's appeal to the religiosity. Accordingly, the author says: the cause of troubles in society is by no means rooted in the irregularity of the structure, but in the “irregularity”, the moral perversion of the human soul, full of evil.

The writer raises the problem of pride, when one person considers himself superior to others, believes that he has the right to decide the fate of other people. Also, Fyodor Dostoevsky is interested in the moral assessment of permissiveness, which, as we see, leads to catastrophic consequences for the human soul. The only true path is the path of faith and repentance. Religion is that mechanism, a saving beacon that leads to the moral improvement of a person.