General characteristics of the novel "Crime and Punishment"

Abeltin E.A., Litvinova V.I., Khakass State University. N.F. Katanov

Abakan, 1999

"Crime and Punishment" is one of the the best works world literature, the value of which increases with the advent of each next generation. Like The Divine Comedy, Hamlet, Macbeth, Dostoevsky's novel has become one of the most widely read books on earth.

Following the traditions of "novels of education", in which the action is based on the responsibility for the committed crime ("Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles, "Macbeth" by Shakespeare), Dostoevsky introduces an innovation into the development of the problem: he hardly acquaints the reader with the biography of the hero, with the process of his intellectual development before the crime. The reader from the first pages gets acquainted with the hero, who has long considered his plan.

Further, like Oedipus Rex or Macbeth, Raskolnikov is on the verge of death. If he could dissemble or lie to himself, then the author would hardly have made him the main character. But Raskolnikov is honest even after the murder. According to the author, his story comes down not to the fall, but to the moral growth of the hero. Realizing his mistake, Raskolnikov does not drink too much, does not sink to the bottom of life, but finds in himself the strength for spiritual rebirth. The death of his gloomy idea becomes the source of the beginning of his personality.

The theme of "Crime and Punishment" is the history of the psychological and moral consequences of murder. Making the story of the hero's inner experiences after the crime committed the subject of merciless moral and psychological research, Dostoevsky never for a moment separates Raskolnikov and his inner life from the outside world. Each meeting of the hero with another character in the novel leads him to new, purely external collisions with him, but at the same time becomes the next stage in the history of the mental and moral test of the hero by his own conscience and the conscience of the people around him. In a broader sense, the theme of the work is perceived as the pain of a humiliated person, doomed by the state to loneliness and suffering.

The meaning of the title of the work

First, Raskolnikov calls his preliminary visit to Alena Ivanovna a test, but then formulates the murder itself with this word. He killed to test himself if he was able to realize the idea. Crime is a plot taken from modern reality, from a long everyday series. But if Raskolnikov had taken the pawnbroker's money for himself, or if he had killed either Luzhin or Svidrigailov, who had encroached on his sister, his murder would simply be characterized by a criminal case.

Raskolnikov was not a maniac with a pathological bloodlust. Intoxication with blood is characteristic of immoral people, executioners by nature. Raskolnikov considered reality to be the executioner.

Crime is a fact of murder, taken from life, but passed through the artist's fantasy, rethought, poured into a philosophical form, in which semantic lines, social, moral, political problems, the essence of the tragedy are connected, in which generation, people, humanity are involved. Everything that would justify his idea is concentrated in Raskolnikov's crime.

But if the idea he suffered through contained an insoluble contradiction, if it was vicious from the very beginning, then at the first test by practice it must self-destruct.

Raskolnikov's idea turned out to be untenable, but the hero does not immediately realize the socio-philosophical meaning of what happened: at first only his pride suffered, the feelings associated with the investigation and trial, the scenery was perceived. Before the supreme judge, reality remained unapproved on a moral basis, and Raskolnikov for some time reassured himself that it was not the idea, but he, as a person, that had not passed the test of murder, that he, as a person, was unable to implement the idea. Good intentions Raskolnikov were rejected by the perishing people, in whose name his idea was created under terrible conditions. Raskolnikov, so attractive in himself, was rejected by people as a murderer not by coincidence, but as the creator of a theory dangerous to them.

Close and unfamiliar people did not recognize his right to kill, did not want to justify him, did not believe in him, as the Jews believed in Jesus, who resurrected Lazarus. The motive of rejection sounds in punishment. In the "crime" Raskolnikov opposes the world, not accepting it, rejecting it entirely. In "punishment" the hero again opposes the world, but this time the criminal, condemned, unfortunate one, which Raskolnikov rejects. The beginning of the novel is the "morphology" of the crime, the end of it is a description of suffering as a punishment.

The world learned Raskolnikov's theory, but did not change at all either at the moment of the "crime" or later, during the period of "punishment". Dostoevsky rejected the method of protest embodied in Raskolnikov. It is impossible to realize the ideal in a voluntaristic way, even if we are talking about Napoleon, who intended to become the Messiah.

The plot of "Crime and Punishment" is based on a description of the causes of the murder, the old woman, the death of Raskolnikov's victims and the exposure of the criminal.

Feeling deep despair and anxiety, tormented by doubt and fear, hating his pursuers and horrified by an irreparable act, Raskolnikov looks more attentively than before at the people around him, comparing their fates with his own. It turns out that the path of painful searches for the truth, trials and catastrophes is inherent in Marmeladov, and Sonya, and Svidrigailov, and Dunya, and all other characters in the novel, whose fate is just as tragic. Each character in the novel is an independent character and a new facet in the disclosure of the socio-psychological problems of "Crime and Punishment", and most importantly - the socio-psychological "double" of the protagonist, deepening his image and the meaning of his moral experiences.

The plot of the novel thus covers the suffering of a man who "has no one to go to."

Conflict. State system and the environment that shaped Raskolnikov pushed him to look at every person, whoever he was, like a louse. The whirlwind of life, based on poverty, deprived him of solidarity with his own kind and with those whose bleak fate aroused his anger. The feeling of contempt develops in the hero into hatred. Raskolnikov's sense of duty is preserved only partially, only in relation to himself, but his own personality cannot serve as the basis of a universal ideal.

Raskolnikov loved invisible humanity, but he hated individual people. Lowering the ax on the head of Alena Ivanovna, he could indulge in the hope that people like Lizaveta, Sonya, would recognize his innocence, make him their master. Having committed the murder, Raskolnikov became not the leader of the oppressed, but a rejected society, for the sake of which, in fact, he went to crime. Convinced of the unrighteousness of the "tops", he did not want to obey them, rebelled against them in order to "become useful people", no matter what consequences awaited him, but, considering others "scoundrels", he left the ranks and found himself alone.

In "War and Peace" L.N. Tolstoy, created at the same time as "Crime and Punishment", the world is presented as a good infinity: in the process historical development everything destroyed is restored, every evil is eradicated, everyone reaps what he has sown.

In Crime and Punishment, the world in the confrontation between good and evil reached its apogee, injustice became unbearable, and Raskolnikov rejected it with all the dogmas and myths. He saw that around him it was not the worst who suffered, but the best, not the evil, but the good. The central conflict of the novel grew out of "a terrible clash of new people and new demands with the old order", but resulted in a single combat of one against all. It has a philosophical, ethical character, in it the world is opposed by the Self, "which is aware of everything."

This is how the conflict of "Crime and Punishment" is defined - the conflict between Raskolnikov and society, which has preserved all past history.

Genre.

Almost all those who wrote about Dostoevsky noted the special dramatic or tragic form of his novels (only M. Bakhtin and V. Shklovsky - VL dispute this). In our opinion, complete description"Crime and Punishment" was cited by V.Ya. Kirpotin, proving that this is a tragedy novel, "because in it, as in the tragedy of the ancients or in the tragedy of Shakespeare, the conflict of voluntaristic daring and natural necessity reigns supreme." The tragedy novel is created by the organic introduction of a tragic conflict into an epic narrative.

The duel between the investigator Porfiry Petrovich and Raskolnikov is one of the most intense storylines in the narrative outline of the novel. From this point of view, "Crime and Punishment" presents elements of a criminal adventure novel. The love story of Sonya and Raskolnikov runs through the whole work. In this sense, "Crime and Punishment" can be attributed to the genre of a love-psychological novel. Its action unfolds against the backdrop of the appalling poverty of the inhabitants of the attics and basements of the aristocrat of St. Petersburg. The social environment described by the artist gives reason to call "Crime and Punishment" a social novel.

Thinking about Raskolnikov's thoughts before and after the murder, analyzing the struggle of passions in Svidrigailov's soul or the mental anguish of old Marmeladov, we feel great power Dostoevsky, a psychologist who convincingly connected the psychology of the characters with their social position. In "Crime and Punishment" the features of a socio-psychological novel are also visible.

Raskolnikov is not a simple killer out of poverty, he is a thinker. He tests his idea, his theory, his philosophy of life. In the novel, the forces of Good and Evil are tested in the theories of Svidrigailov, Sonya, Luzhin, which defines Dostoevsky's work as a philosophical novel.

Crime and Punishment is the most famous novel by F.M. Dostoevsky, who made a powerful revolution in public consciousness. Writing a novel symbolizes the discovery of a higher, new stage in the work of a brilliant writer. In the novel, with the psychologism inherent in Dostoevsky, the path of the restless human soul through the thorns of suffering to comprehend the Truth is shown.

History of creation

The path of creation of the work was very difficult. The idea of ​​the novel with the underlying theory of the "superman" began to emerge during the writer's stay in hard labor, he matured over many years, but the very idea of ​​revealing the essence of "ordinary" and "extraordinary" people crystallized during Dostoevsky's stay in Italy .

The beginning of work on the novel was marked by the merging of two drafts - the unfinished novel "Drunk" and the outline of the novel, the plot of which is based on the confession of one of the convicts. Subsequently, the plot was based on the story of a poor student Rodion Raskolnikov, who killed an old pawnbroker for the benefit of his family. The life of the big city, full of dramas and conflicts, became one of the main images of the novel.

Fyodor Mikhailovich worked on the novel in 1865-1866, and almost immediately after graduating in 1866 it was published in the Russky Vestnik magazine. The response among reviewers and the literary community of that time was very stormy - from stormy admiration to sharp rejection. The novel was subjected to repeated dramatization and was subsequently filmed. First theatrical performance in Russia took place in 1899 (it is noteworthy that it was staged abroad 11 years earlier).

Description of the artwork

The action takes place in a poor area of ​​St. Petersburg in the 1860s. Rodion Raskolnikov, a former student, pawns the last valuable thing to an old pawnbroker. Filled with hatred for her, he plots a terrible murder. On the way home, he looks into one of the drinking establishments, where he meets the completely degraded official Marmeladov. Rodion listens to painful revelations about the unfortunate fate of his daughter, Sonya Marmeladova, forced by her stepmother to earn a living from her family by prostitution.

Soon Raskolnikov receives a letter from his mother and is horrified by the moral violence against his younger sister Dunya, which was perpetrated by the cruel and depraved landowner Svidrigailov. Raskolnikov's mother hopes to arrange the fate of her children by marrying Pyotr Luzhin, a very wealthy man, her daughter, but at the same time everyone understands that there will be no love in this marriage and the girl will again be doomed to suffering. Rodion's heart is torn with pity for Sonya and Dunya, and the thought of killing the hated old woman is firmly fixed in his mind. He is going to spend the pawnbroker's money, earned in an unrighteous way, for a good cause - the deliverance of suffering girls and boys from humiliating poverty.

Despite the aversion to bloody violence rising in his soul, Raskolnikov nevertheless commits a grave sin. In addition, in addition to the old woman, he kills her meek sister Lizaveta, an unwitting witness to a serious crime. Rodion barely manages to escape from the scene of the crime, while he hides the old woman's wealth in a random place, without even assessing their real value.

Raskolnikov's mental suffering causes social alienation between him and those around him, Rodion falls ill from experiences. Soon he learns that another person is accused of the crime he committed - a simple village boy Mikolka. A painful reaction to the conversations of others about the crime becomes too noticeable and suspicious.

Further, the novel describes the hard ordeals of the soul of a murderous student who is trying to find peace of mind, to find at least some moral justification for the crime committed. A light thread runs through the novel, Rodion's communication with the unfortunate, but at the same time kind and highly spiritual girl Sonya Marmeladova. Her soul is restless from the discrepancy between inner purity and the sinful way of life, and Raskolnikov finds a kindred spirit in this girl. Lonely Sonya and university friend Razumikhin become a support for the tortured former student Rodion.

Over time, the investigator in the murder case, Porfiry Petrovich, finds out the detailed circumstances of the crime and Raskolnikov, after long moral torment, recognizes himself as a murderer and goes to hard labor. Selfless Sonya does not leave her closest friend and goes after him, thanks to the girl, the spiritual transformation of the protagonist of the novel takes place.

The main characters of the novel

(Illustration by I. Glazunov Raskolnikov in his closet)

The duality of spiritual impulses lies in the name of the protagonist of the novel. His whole life is permeated with the question - will violations of the law be justified if they are committed in the name of love for others? Under the pressure of external circumstances, Raskolnikov in practice goes through all the circles of moral hell associated with murder in order to help loved ones. Catharsis comes thanks to the dearest person - Sonya Marmeladova, who helps to find peace for the soul of a restless student killer, despite the difficult conditions of hard labor.

Wisdom and humility bear the image of this amazing, tragic, and at the same time sublime heroine. For the sake of the well-being of her neighbors, she trampled on the most precious thing that she has - her female honor. Despite her way of earning, Sonya does not cause the slightest contempt, her pure soul, adherence to the ideals of Christian morality delight the readers of the novel. Being a faithful and loving friend of Rodion, she goes with him to the very end.

The mysteriousness and ambiguity of this character makes us once again think about the versatility of human nature. A cunning and vicious person on the one hand, by the end of the novel he shows his care and concern for his orphaned children and helps Sonya Marmeladova restore her damaged reputation.

A successful entrepreneur, a person with a respectable appearance, makes a deceptive impression. Luzhin is cold, greedy, does not shun slander, he does not want love from his wife, but exclusively servility and humility.

Analysis of the work

The compositional construction of the novel is a polyphonic form, where the line of each of the main characters is multifaceted, self-sufficient, and at the same time actively interacts with the themes of other characters. Also, the features of the novel are the amazing concentration of events - the time frame of the novel is limited to two weeks, which, with such a significant volume, is a rather rare occurrence in the world literature of that time.

The structural composition of the novel is quite simple - 6 parts, each of which, in turn, is divided into 6-7 chapters. A feature is the lack of synchronization of Raskolnikov's days with a clear and concise structure of the novel, which emphasizes the confusion internal state Main character. The first part describes three days of Raskolnikov's life, and from the second, the number of events increases with each chapter, reaching an amazing concentration.

Another feature of the novel is the hopeless doom and tragic fate of most of its characters. Until the end of the novel, only young characters will remain with the reader - Rodion and Dunya Raskolnikov, Sonya Marmeladova, Dmitry Razumikhin.

Dostoevsky himself considered his novel "a psychological record of one crime", he is sure that mental anguish prevails over legal punishment. The protagonist departs from God and is carried away by the ideas of nihilism, popular at that time, and only by the end of the novel there is a return to Christian morality, the author leaves the hero with a hypothetical possibility of repentance.

Final conclusion

Throughout the novel "Crime and Punishment", the worldview of Rodion Raskolnikov is transformed from close to Nietzsche, who was obsessed with the idea of ​​​​a "superman", to a Christian one - with his doctrine of Divine love, humility and mercy. The social concept of the novel is closely intertwined with the gospel doctrine of love and forgiveness. The whole novel is imbued with a true Christian spirit and makes you perceive all the events and actions of people taking place in life through the prism of the possibility of spiritual transformation of mankind.

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 the mighty of the world this, 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, for normal person bloodshed and murder are alien. 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 understanding 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.

"On the evening of the hottest July day, shortly before sunset, already throwing its slanting rays, former student Rodion Raskolnikov comes out of a miserable closet "under the very roof of a high five-story building" in severe anguish." This is how F.M. Dostoevsky's novel "Crime and Punishment" begins. At the very beginning of our work, we see the oppressive atmosphere surrounding the characters throughout the entire course of the novel. From that moment on, rushing about the dirty streets of St. Petersburg, stopping on endless bridges, entering dirty taverns - without rest and rest, without respite, in frenzy and thoughtfulness, in delirium and fear - the hero of Dostoevsky's novel Rodion Raskolnikov. And all this time we feel next to him the presence of some inanimate character - a huge gray city. The image of St. Petersburg occupies a central place in the work of Dostoevsky, since many of the writer's memories are associated with this city. In fact, there were two Petersburgs. The City Created by the Hands of Brilliant Architects, Petersburg Palace Embankment and Palace Square, Petersburg palace coups and magnificent balls, St. Petersburg is a symbol of the greatness and prosperity of post-Petrine Russia, striking us with its magnificence even today. But there was another, distant and unknown to us, today's people, Petersburg - a city in which people live in "cells", in dirty yellow houses with dirty dark stairs, spend time in small stuffy workshops or in stinking taverns and taverns, a half-crazy city , like most of the heroes of Dostoevsky familiar to us. In that Petersburg, where the plot of the novel "Crime and Punishment" unfolds, life is in a state of moral and social decay. Stuffiness of St. Petersburg slums - a particle general atmosphere novel, hopeless and stuffy. There is a certain connection between Raskolnikov's thoughts and the "turtle shell" of his closet, "a tiny little room six paces long", with yellow, dusty wallpaper that has lagged behind the walls and a low wooden ceiling. This closet is a small copy of the grander, equally stuffy "closet" of the big city. No wonder Katerina Ivanovna says that on the streets of St. Petersburg it’s like in rooms without window vents. The picture of tightness, suffocating crowding of people who are "in a limited space" is haunted by a feeling of spiritual loneliness. People treat each other with mistrust and suspicion, they are united only by curiosity about the misfortunes of their neighbor and gloating about the successes of others. Under drunken laughter and poisonous mockery of the visitors of the tavern, Marmeladov tells the story of his own life, amazing in its tragedy; the tenants of the house in which Katerina Ivanovna lives come running to the scandal. A distinctive feature of Russian social thought, Russian literature has always been tension spiritual quest , the desire of writers to raise fundamental philosophical, worldview issues related to the moral orientation of a person in the world, to search for the meaning of life. The spiritual world of Dostoevsky's heroes is revealed through such categories as evil, goodness, freedom, virtue, necessity, god, immortality, conscience. Dostoevsky, as an artist, is distinguished by the subtlety of psychological analysis, his works are characterized by a depth of philosophical content. This is the most important feature of his work. His heroes are people who are searching, obsessed with this or that idea, all their interests are concentrated around some issue, over the resolution of which they are tormented. The image of St. Petersburg is given brightly, in dynamics, the city personifies the souls of the heroes torn apart by the tragedy of life. Petersburg is also one of the heroes that is constantly present in the works of Dostoevsky. The image of St. Petersburg was created in their works by Pushkin, and Gogol, and Nekrasov, revealing more and more of its facets. Dostoevsky depicts St. Petersburg at the time of the rapid development of capitalism, when tenement houses, banking offices, shops, factories, and workers' suburbs began to grow like mushrooms. The city is not just a background against which any action takes place, it is also a kind of "character". Petersburg of Dostoevsky suffocates, crushes, conjures nightmarish visions, inspires insane ideas. Dostoevsky draws the slums of St. Petersburg: many drinking, drunk, hungry, people who have lost the meaning of life, who often commit suicide, unable to bear the unbearable life. Raskolnikov is embarrassed by his rags, avoids meeting with acquaintances on the street, he owes the owner and tries not to see her once again in order to avoid swearing and screaming. His room is like a stuffy closet. Many live even worse than Raskolnikov, although if you think about it, the thought comes - people live not only in the stuffy rooms of the slum of St. Petersburg, but also in the inner stuffiness, losing their human appearance. A gray, gloomy city, in which drinking houses are located on every corner, calling the poor to pour their grief, and on the streets - prostitutes and drunken people, we see it as a kind of "kingdom" of lawlessness, disease, poverty. Here you can suffocate, there is a desire to quickly run away from here, take in the fresh country air into your lungs, get rid of the fumes of "anger", meanness and immorality. A brilliant writer, considering different aspects of contemporary society and painting unadorned pictures of Russian reality, was and is considered in our time F. M. Dostoevsky. The spirit of protest against social injustice, against the humiliation of a person, faith in his high vocation is imbued with the images of "little people" created by the author in the novel "Crime and Punishment". The fundamental truth on which the writer's worldview is based is love for a person, recognition of a person's spiritual individuality. All the searches of Dostoevsky were aimed at creating living conditions worthy of a person. And the urban landscape of St. Petersburg carries a huge artistic load. Dostoevsky's landscape is not only a landscape of impression, it is a landscape of expression, which is internally connected with the human world depicted in the novel and emphasizes the sense of hopelessness experienced by the heroes of the work.

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 insulted” indicate that the fate of the heroes of the novel is not determined by some random tragic circumstances or their personal qualities, but 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 little man, funny in 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, since it is based on the division of people into two groups according to outward 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 with him. 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.

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.

A summary of chapters and parts compiled on Crime and Punishment allows you to get acquainted with the key points of the novel, prepare for a literature lesson in grade 10 or control work. 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 dreamed horrible dream: an episode from childhood in which men 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, because of him Dunya's reputation has seriously deteriorated. 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 one lying on the table New Testament. 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 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 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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Crime and Punishment is the most famous novel by F.M. Dostoevsky, who made a powerful revolution in public consciousness. Writing a novel symbolizes the discovery of a higher, new stage in the work of a brilliant writer. In the novel, with the psychologism inherent in Dostoevsky, the path of the restless human soul through the thorns of suffering to comprehend the Truth is shown.

History of creation

The path of creation of the work was very difficult. The idea of ​​the novel with the underlying theory of the "superman" began to emerge during the writer's stay in hard labor, he matured over many years, but the very idea of ​​revealing the essence of "ordinary" and "extraordinary" people crystallized during Dostoevsky's stay in Italy .

The beginning of work on the novel was marked by the merging of two drafts - the unfinished novel "Drunk" and the outline of the novel, the plot of which is based on the confession of one of the convicts. Subsequently, the plot was based on the story of a poor student Rodion Raskolnikov, who killed an old pawnbroker for the benefit of his family. The life of the big city, full of dramas and conflicts, became one of the main images of the novel.

Fyodor Mikhailovich worked on the novel in 1865-1866, and almost immediately after graduating in 1866 it was published in the Russky Vestnik magazine. The response among reviewers and the literary community of that time was very stormy - from stormy admiration to sharp rejection. The novel was subjected to repeated dramatization and was subsequently filmed. The first theatrical production in Russia took place in 1899 (it is noteworthy that it was staged abroad 11 years earlier).

Description of the artwork

The action takes place in a poor area of ​​St. Petersburg in the 1860s. Rodion Raskolnikov, a former student, pawns the last valuable thing to an old pawnbroker. Filled with hatred for her, he plots a terrible murder. On the way home, he looks into one of the drinking establishments, where he meets the completely degraded official Marmeladov. Rodion listens to painful revelations about the unfortunate fate of his daughter, Sonya Marmeladova, forced by her stepmother to earn a living from her family by prostitution.

Soon Raskolnikov receives a letter from his mother and is horrified by the moral violence against his younger sister Dunya, which was perpetrated by the cruel and depraved landowner Svidrigailov. Raskolnikov's mother hopes to arrange the fate of her children by marrying Pyotr Luzhin, a very wealthy man, her daughter, but at the same time everyone understands that there will be no love in this marriage and the girl will again be doomed to suffering. Rodion's heart is torn with pity for Sonya and Dunya, and the thought of killing the hated old woman is firmly fixed in his mind. He is going to spend the pawnbroker's money, earned in an unrighteous way, for a good cause - the deliverance of suffering girls and boys from humiliating poverty.

Despite the aversion to bloody violence rising in his soul, Raskolnikov nevertheless commits a grave sin. In addition, in addition to the old woman, he kills her meek sister Lizaveta, an unwitting witness to a serious crime. Rodion barely manages to escape from the scene of the crime, while he hides the old woman's wealth in a random place, without even assessing their real value.

Raskolnikov's mental suffering causes social alienation between him and those around him, Rodion falls ill from experiences. Soon he learns that another person is accused of the crime he committed - a simple village boy Mikolka. A painful reaction to the conversations of others about the crime becomes too noticeable and suspicious.

Further, the novel describes the hard ordeals of the soul of a murderous student who is trying to find peace of mind, to find at least some moral justification for the crime committed. A light thread runs through the novel, Rodion's communication with the unfortunate, but at the same time kind and highly spiritual girl Sonya Marmeladova. Her soul is restless from the discrepancy between inner purity and the sinful way of life, and Raskolnikov finds a kindred spirit in this girl. Lonely Sonya and university friend Razumikhin become a support for the tortured former student Rodion.

Over time, the investigator in the murder case, Porfiry Petrovich, finds out the detailed circumstances of the crime and Raskolnikov, after long moral torment, recognizes himself as a murderer and goes to hard labor. Selfless Sonya does not leave her closest friend and goes after him, thanks to the girl, the spiritual transformation of the protagonist of the novel takes place.

The main characters of the novel

(Illustration by I. Glazunov Raskolnikov in his closet)

The duality of spiritual impulses lies in the name of the protagonist of the novel. His whole life is permeated with the question - will violations of the law be justified if they are committed in the name of love for others? Under the pressure of external circumstances, Raskolnikov in practice goes through all the circles of moral hell associated with murder in order to help loved ones. Catharsis comes thanks to the dearest person - Sonya Marmeladova, who helps to find peace for the soul of a restless student killer, despite the difficult conditions of hard labor.

Wisdom and humility bear the image of this amazing, tragic, and at the same time sublime heroine. For the sake of the well-being of her neighbors, she trampled on the most precious thing that she has - her female honor. Despite her way of earning, Sonya does not cause the slightest contempt, her pure soul, adherence to the ideals of Christian morality delight the readers of the novel. Being a faithful and loving friend of Rodion, she goes with him to the very end.

The mysteriousness and ambiguity of this character makes us once again think about the versatility of human nature. A cunning and vicious person on the one hand, by the end of the novel he shows his care and concern for his orphaned children and helps Sonya Marmeladova restore her damaged reputation.

A successful entrepreneur, a person with a respectable appearance, makes a deceptive impression. Luzhin is cold, greedy, does not shun slander, he does not want love from his wife, but exclusively servility and humility.

Analysis of the work

The compositional construction of the novel is a polyphonic form, where the line of each of the main characters is multifaceted, self-sufficient, and at the same time actively interacts with the themes of other characters. Also, the features of the novel are the amazing concentration of events - the time frame of the novel is limited to two weeks, which, with such a significant volume, is a rather rare occurrence in the world literature of that time.

The structural composition of the novel is quite simple - 6 parts, each of which, in turn, is divided into 6-7 chapters. A feature is the lack of synchronization of Raskolnikov's days with a clear and concise structure of the novel, which emphasizes the confusion of the main character's internal state. The first part describes three days of Raskolnikov's life, and from the second, the number of events increases with each chapter, reaching an amazing concentration.

Another feature of the novel is the hopeless doom and tragic fate of most of its characters. Until the end of the novel, only young characters will remain with the reader - Rodion and Dunya Raskolnikov, Sonya Marmeladova, Dmitry Razumikhin.

Dostoevsky himself considered his novel "a psychological record of one crime", he is sure that mental anguish prevails over legal punishment. The protagonist departs from God and is carried away by the ideas of nihilism, popular at that time, and only by the end of the novel there is a return to Christian morality, the author leaves the hero with a hypothetical possibility of repentance.

Final conclusion

Throughout the novel "Crime and Punishment", the worldview of Rodion Raskolnikov is transformed from close to Nietzsche, who was obsessed with the idea of ​​​​a "superman", to a Christian one - with his doctrine of Divine love, humility and mercy. The social concept of the novel is closely intertwined with the gospel doctrine of love and forgiveness. The whole novel is imbued with a true Christian spirit and makes you perceive all the events and actions of people taking place in life through the prism of the possibility of spiritual transformation of mankind.

In the novel "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, the main characters are complex and contradictory characters. Their fate is closely connected with the conditions of life, the environment in which life takes place, and individual characteristics. It is possible to characterize the heroes of Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" only on the basis of their actions, since we do not hear the voice of the author in the work.

Rodion Raskolnikov- the central character of the work. The young man has an attractive appearance. “By the way, he was remarkably good-looking, with beautiful dark eyes, dark-haired, taller than average, thin and slender.” An outstanding mind, a proud character, sick pride and a beggarly existence are the reasons for the criminal behavior of the hero. Rodion highly appreciates his abilities, considers himself an exceptional person, dreams of a great future, but his financial situation depresses him. He has nothing to pay for his studies at the university, he does not have enough money to pay off his landlady. Cloth young man attracts the attention of passers-by with its shabby and old look. Trying to cope with the circumstances, Rodion Raskolnikov goes to kill the old pawnbroker. Thus, he tries to prove to himself that he belongs to the highest category of people and can step over blood. “Am I a trembling creature, or do I have a right,” he thinks. But one crime leads to another. An innocent poor woman dies. The hero theory of the right of a strong personality leads to a dead end. Only Sonya's love awakens in him faith in God, revives him to life. Raskolnikov's personality consists of opposite qualities. An indifferent cruel killer gives his last pennies for the funeral of an unfamiliar person, intervenes in the fate of a young girl, trying to save her from dishonor.

Minor characters

Sofia Marmeladova

Sofia Semyonovna Marmeladova- a young unfortunate creature. "Sonya was short, about eighteen years old, thin, but rather pretty blonde, with wonderful blue eyes." She is young, naive and very kind. Drunk father, sick stepmother, hungry half-sisters and brother - that's environment in which the heroine lives. She is a shy and timid person, unable to stand up for herself. But this fragile creature is ready to sacrifice itself for the sake of loved ones. She sells the body, engaging in prostitution to help the family, goes after the convicted Raskolnikov. Sonya is a kind, selfless and deeply religious person. This gives her strength to cope with all the trials and find well-deserved happiness.

Semyon Marmeladov

Marmeladov Semyon Zakharovich

Avdotya Raskolnikova

Dmitry Vrazumikhin

Pyotr Luzhin

Pyotr Petrovich Luzhin

Arkady Svidrigailov

Pulcheria Raskolnikova

Artwork test

Mid 19th century. A poor district of St. Petersburg, adjacent to the Catherine Canal and Sennaya Square ("Crime and Punishment": the image of St. Petersburg "is a separate interesting topic). Summer evening. Raskolnikov Rodion Romanovich, a former student, leaves his closet, located in the attic, and goes to Alena Ivanovna, an old woman-interest-bearer, to take a mortgage - her last valuable thing.So begins Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment", a summary of which we describe.

The main character intends to kill this old woman. Rodion stops by one of the cheap taverns on the way back. Here he accidentally gets acquainted with Marmeladov, who has lost his place, drunkenly. He tells Rodion how her husband's drunkenness, poverty and consumption pushed Katerina Ivanovna, his wife, to a cruel act - to send Sonya, his daughter from his first marriage, to the panel to earn money.

The thought of killing

The next morning, Raskolnikov receives a letter from his mother from the provinces describing the troubles that Dunya, his younger sister, suffered in the house of Svidrigailov, a depraved landowner. He also learns that his sister and mother will soon arrive in Petersburg, since a groom for Dunya was found here. This is Luzhin, a prudent businessman who wants to build a marriage not on love, but on the dependence and poverty of the bride. Raskolnikov's mother hopes that this person will help Rodion to graduate from the university. Thinking about the sacrifices that Dunya and Sonya make for the sake of their loved ones, Raskolnikov affirms his intention to kill Alena Ivanovna - this is an evil worthless "louse". After all, her money will save many young men and women from the undeserved suffering. But in Rodion's soul, the disgust for violence rises again after the dream that he sees. This is a memory of childhood: Raskolnikov sees the nag being beaten to death, and the boy's heart is filled with pity for her.

Raskolnikov commits the murder of Alena Ivanovna and Lizaveta

Rodion still not only kills Alena Ivanovna, but also Lizaveta, her meek, kind sister, who unexpectedly returned to the apartment. Having miraculously gone unnoticed, Raskolnikov hides the stolen goods in a random place, without even assessing its value.

The novel "Crime and Punishment" continues with the fact that soon main character discovers with horror the alienation between himself and others. From the experience, Raskolnikov falls ill, but he cannot reject the burdensome worries of Razumikhin (university comrade). From a conversation with the doctor of the latter, the main character learns that the painter Mikolka has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of Alena Ivanovna. This is an ordinary country boy. Reacting painfully to talk about a crime committed, Rodion arouses suspicion among those around him.

Luzhin's visit

Luzhin, who came on a visit, is shocked by the furnishings of Rodion's closet. Their conversation gradually develops into a quarrel, after which it ends with a break. Raskolnikov is especially offended by the closeness of the conclusions that Luzhin draws from "reasonable egoism" - the protagonist's own "theory" that it is possible to kill people. Luzhin's theory seems vulgar to him.

Raskolnikov gives money to the Marmeladovs

A sick young man, wandering around St. Petersburg, suffers, feeling alienated from the world. At this time, the image of St. Petersburg reappears in the work "Crime and Punishment", periodically appearing in the novel. The protagonist was already ready to confess to the authorities in the crime. Suddenly, in the novel Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov notices a man crushed by a carriage. This is Marmeladov. Out of compassion, Rodion spends the last of his money on a dying man: the doctor is called, Marmeladov is transferred to the house. Here Raskolnikov meets Sonya and Katerina Ivanovna. Sonya, dressed as a prostitute, says goodbye to her father. The protagonist of the novel "Crime and Punishment" helped the Marmeladovs and, thanks to this good deed, felt for a short time a community with people. But, having met his sister and mother at his apartment, he suddenly realizes himself "dead" for the love of relatives and drives them rudely. Raskolnikov is alone again. He hopes to get closer to Sonya, who, like himself, has "stepped over" an absolute commandment.

Raskolnikov's visit to the investigator, his "theory"

Razumikhin takes care of Rodion's relatives. He falls in love almost at first sight with Dunya. The offended Luzhin, meanwhile, puts the bride before a choice: either her brother, or him. Rodion, as if in order to find out about the fate of the things pawned from the murdered woman, but in fact - in order to dispel the suspicions of some of his acquaintances, asks himself to meet with the investigator Porfiry Petrovich, who is conducting the murder case of Alena Ivanovna. Porfiry recalls Rodion's article "On Crime", published recently in the newspaper. He invites the author to explain the theory in which the idea of ​​"two categories of people" is developed. According to Raskolnikov, the "ordinary" majority is only material for the reproduction of the population. He needs a strict moral law and obedience. This category is "trembling creatures". There are also "higher" (actually people) who have the gift of a "new word". These people destroy the present in the name of the better, even if it is necessary for this to "step over" the moral norms established earlier for the "lower ones", for example, to kill a person. Then these "criminals" become the creators of new laws. That is, by not recognizing the laws that are spoken of in the Bible ("do not steal", "do not kill", etc.), Raskolnikov thereby "allows" some people to shed "blood in conscience." Porfiry, smart and insightful, unravels the ideological killer in the hero, who claims to be Napoleon. However, the investigator has no evidence against Rodion - and he lets him go in the hope that his good nature will win in him. This will lead to the fact that Raskolnikov himself confesses to his deed.

The hero of the novel "Crime and Punishment", according to the chapters described by us, gradually becomes more and more convinced that he made a mistake in himself. Rodion is tormented by the "meanness" and "vulgarity" of a single murder. He understands that he is a "trembling creature": having killed, he could not overstep the law of morality. The motives for the crime in the mind of Rodion are twofold: this is both an act of "justice" and a test of "the highest level" of oneself.

Meeting with Svidrigailov

Svidrigailov, who arrived in St. Petersburg after Dunya, apparently guilty of the recent death of his wife, meets Rodion Raskolnikov and says that they are "of the same field", only Rodion has not yet completely "defeated Schiller" in himself. Raskolnikov, with all his disgust for this man, is attracted by his apparent ability to enjoy life, although Svidrigailov, the hero of the novel Crime and Punishment, committed so many crimes ... The characterization of this character is presented below, after a brief summary.

Exposing Luzhin

A decisive explanation with Pyotr Petrovich Luzhin takes place during dinner in one of the cheap rooms. Luzhin, one of the two "twins" of Raskolnikov in the novel "Crime and Punishment", settled here out of economy with Dunya and his mother. An analysis of the character of this hero is also presented at the end of the article. The groom is accused of slandering Sonya and Raskolnikov. Luzhin allegedly gave Sonya money for base services, which were selflessly collected by his mother for his studies. The groom, expelled in disgrace, is looking for a way to discredit Rodion in the eyes of his mother and sister.

Raskolnikov visits Sonya

Meanwhile, Raskolnikov, once again feeling a painful alienation from his loved ones, decides to come to Sonya. He seeks salvation from loneliness from this girl who has transgressed the commandment. However, Sonya is not alone. For the sake of others (hungry sisters and brothers), she sacrificed herself. This was done to her not for her own sake, like Rodion. Compassion for loved ones, love, faith in God never left Sonya. She reads the gospel lines to the protagonist about how Jesus resurrected Lazarus, hoping that a miracle will happen in her life. The hero fails to captivate Sonya with his "Napoleonic" plan to dominate the "anthill".

Second meeting with Porfiry

Rodion, tormented by both the desire for exposure and fear, comes again to Porfiry, allegedly worrying about the mortgage. In the end, at first glance, an abstract conversation on the topic of the psychology of criminals brings the young man to a nervous breakdown. He practically impersonates Porfiry. Rodion is saved by the unexpected confession of the painter Mikolka in the murder of the pawnbroker.

The second exposure of Luzhin

A commemoration for the father and husband was held in the Marmeladovs' room. During them, Katerina Ivanovna insults the hostess of the apartment in a fit of morbid pride. This woman tells her to leave immediately with the children. Suddenly, Luzhin appears, who lives in the same house, and says that Sonya stole a hundred-ruble banknote from him. The "guilt" of the girl is proved: money is found in the pocket of her apron. In the eyes of others, she is now also a thief. However, suddenly there is a witness who says that Luzhin himself slipped Sonya a piece of paper. The slanderer is disgraced, and Raskolnikov explains the reasons for his act as follows: having humiliated Sonya and his brother in the eyes of Dunya, he wanted to return the favor of his bride.

Raskolnikov confesses to Sonya in the murder

"Crime and Punishment" chapter by chapter continues with the fact that Rodion confesses to Sonya in the murder. It happens in the following way. Raskolnikov goes to her apartment. Here the hero confesses to Sonya that he killed Lizaveta and the old woman. The girl pities Rodion for the moral torments to which he doomed himself. She offers Raskolnikov to atone for his guilt by hard labor, confessing everything voluntarily. Rodion, on the other hand, laments only that he turned out to be in fact a "trembling creature", with a need for love and conscience. He replies: "I'll still fight." Meanwhile, Katerina Ivanovna finds herself on the street with the children. She dies of a throat bleed after refusing a priest. Svidrigailov, who is present here, agrees to pay for the funeral, as well as provide for Sonya and the children.

Raskolnikov is found at home by Porfiry, who convinces him to turn himself in. The investigator does not believe that Mikolka is to blame. He only "accepted suffering", following the primordial people's need for atonement for the sin of inconsistency with Christ, his ideal.

However, Rodion still hopes to "transcend" morality. He sees before him the example of Svidrigailov. The sad truth is revealed to the hero by their meeting in the tavern: the life of this "villain" is empty and painful.

Dunya's reciprocity remains the only hope for Svidrigailov to return to God. Convinced that the girl does not love him, he commits suicide a few hours later. So this hero is eliminated from the work "Crime and Punishment". An analysis of this character will be made at the end of the article.

Raskolnikov decides to confess and says goodbye before that to Sonya and family. He still remains convinced that his "theory" is correct. Rodion is filled with contempt for himself. But, at the insistence of Sonya, Raskolnikov repentantly kisses the earth in front of the people, since he "sinned" before her. He learns at the police office that Svidrigailov committed suicide, after which he confesses to the murder of Alena Ivanovna.

Raskolnikov in Siberia

Dostoevsky continues his novel ("Crime and Punishment"). A summary of the events that took place in the epilogue of the work is as follows. Raskolnikov in Siberia, in prison. His mother died of grief, and Dunya married Razumikhin. Sonya settled near the main character and visits him, patiently enduring his indifference and gloom. And here the nightmare of alienation continues: the convicts from the common people hate him, considering them "godless". To Sonya, on the contrary, they treat with love and tenderness, which we learn about by reading the epilogue. "Crime and Punishment" in this part of the work also describes another dream of Raskolnikov. Rodion, once in the prison hospital, has a dream that resembles pictures from the Apocalypse. Inhabiting people, the mysterious "trichinas" give rise in them to a fanatical conviction that they are right and intolerant of the opinions of others. In senseless rage, people killed each other until the entire human race was exterminated, except for a few "chosen ones." Finally, it is revealed to Rodion that pride of the mind leads to death and discord, and humility of the heart is the path to the fullness of life and unity in love. In the hero, "endless love" awakens for Sonya. He takes the gospel into his hands on the threshold of his "resurrection" for a new life.

Thus ends Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment. The summary does not describe in detail the relationship between the characters in the novel. For this purpose, we decided to supplement the article with a description of the main characters. We present you the images created by Dostoevsky.

"Crime and Punishment": the heroes of the work

In the system of characters, Raskolnikov occupies a central place, since it is to him that the main lines of the story lead. The image of Raskolnikov connects various situations and episodes of the novel. The rest of the characters appear on the stage primarily because they are needed to characterize Rodion. They make him argue, worry about them, sympathize, cause the main character to have a whole stream of various emotions and impressions. This is how the image of Raskolnikov is revealed.

The system of characters in this work is dynamic. The ratio of actors and heroes who have left the stage in the novel "Crime and Punishment" is constantly changing. Analyzing the work, one can notice that some of them cease to participate in the development of the novel, while others, on the contrary, appear. So, Marmeladov dies (Part Two, Chapter Seven), Katerina Ivanovna (Part Five, Chapter Five), Luzhin appears for the last time in Part Five (Chapter Three), Porfiry Petrovich - in the sixth (Chapter Two), and Svidrigailov decides to shoot himself in sixth part (chapter six).

The character system changes significantly as the epilogue begins. "Crime and Punishment" becomes a work in which only two characters remain. This is Rodion and Sonya. This is due both to the eventful side of the novel and to the fact that Sonya, according to the author's intention, should play a special role in Raskolnikov's fate, help this hero be reborn to a new life in the finale of the work Crime and Punishment. Raskolnikov returning to God and people.

The characters, each in their own way, reveal various aspects of Rodion's personality. Raskolnikov's relationship with his mother, sister, Svidrigailov, Luzhin, Marmeladovs, Razumikhin, Porfiry Petrovich, Sonya can be described as conflict. Raskolnikov has an outward resemblance to many of them (material and social position, relations with conscience and law). However, internal differences (psychological, moral, ideological) are more important, which do not allow Rodion to lead a life similar to the one they lead.

Raskolnikov has two spiritual "doubles". In the novel Crime and Punishment, these heroes are Svidrigailov and Luzhin. These two characters have a lot in common with the main character. They are united, for example, by the principle of permissiveness. However, the resemblance of the protagonist to his "doubles" is purely external. You can verify this by comparing the moral character and worldview of these two characters with the inner appearance of Raskolnikov.

Rodion has his own way in life. A number of possibilities open before him. He may try to atone for his guilt by repenting, or follow the path of crime to the end. Rodion has to make a choice. Various life opportunities are represented by the secondary characters of the novel. Raskolnikov can reject them or accept them in the work "Crime and Punishment".

Marmeladova Sonya is the moral antipode of Rodion. However, these heroes have something in common: both of them are outcasts, both are lonely. Raskolnikov feels this, telling the girl that they are "cursed together." He is drawn to Sonya because she is the only person, able to understand it, in the work "Crime and Punishment". Sonya is the only one to whom Rodion is ready to fully reveal his soul. The hero is horrified at the thought of being able to tell someone else his secret, even close person(Razumikhin, mother, sister). Therefore, it is to her that he confesses to the murder, and it is this heroine who follows the protagonist of the work "Crime and Punishment" to "hard labor". Sonya is capable of self-sacrifice, it is through her that this theme is largely revealed in the work.

"Crime and Punishment" is a novel about faith and love. Sonya understood with her heart in the confession of this hero the most important thing: Rodion is suffering, he is unhappy. The girl did not understand anything in his theory, but she felt that it was unfair. Sonya did not believe that there was a "right to kill." The girl, despite all the misfortunes experienced, kept her faith in God. Therefore, it can be called a criminal only outwardly. She chose a different path than Rodion. This is humility before God, not rebellion. It is he who, according to Dostoevsky, leads to salvation. Sonya, resigned, saves not only herself, but also the main character. It was love for this girl that opened up the opportunity for Rodion to come to terms with people, with life. Therefore, it is no coincidence that the attitude of the convicts towards him changed after a meeting with Sonya.

Arkady Ivanovich Svidrigailov is one of the central characters in the work. This is a nobleman who served in the cavalry for two years. After that, he was a sharper in St. Petersburg. Having connected his life with Marfa Petrovna, who bought him out of prison, he lived in the village for seven years. This is a cynic who loves debauchery. A number of serious crimes lies on his conscience. This is the suicide of Philip, the servant, as well as the 14-year-old girl who was insulted by him. Perhaps Svidrigailov also poisoned his own wife. As if the nightmare of the protagonist generated the image of this double of Raskolnikov. He, unlike Rodion, is on the other side of good and evil. At first glance, Svidrigailov has no doubts. That is why he is so worried about the main character, who feels that Arkady Ivanovich has power over him, that he is mysterious. The moral law no longer has power over Svidrigailov. He is free, but it does not bring him joy. Arkady Ivanovich is left with only vulgarity and worldly boredom. Trying to overcome it, he has fun as he can. Ghosts appear to him at night: the servant Philip, Marfa Petrovna ... The indistinguishability of good and evil renders this hero meaningless. Therefore, it is no coincidence that eternity appears to Svidrigailov in the form of a village bathhouse with spiders. His soul is practically dead. The hero, in the end, decides to shoot himself with a gun.

The second "double" of Raskolnikov is Pyotr Petrovich Luzhin. "Crime and Punishment" is a novel in which he is presented as a type of "capitalist" and businessman. He is 45 years old. This is a portly, prim, with a squeamish and cautious physiognomy. He is arrogant and sullen. Luzhin dreams of opening a law office in St. Petersburg. This hero highly values ​​his abilities and his mind. After reading the novel "Crime and Punishment", you will see that he is used to admiring them. However, Luzhin values ​​money most of all. In the name of "economic truth" and "science" he defends progress. Luzhin preaches from other people's words, as he has heard enough of the speeches of Lebezyatnikov, his friend, a progressive. He believes that you should love yourself first of all, since everything is based on personal interest.

Luzhin, struck by the education and beauty of Dunya Raskolnikova, proposes to this girl. His pride is flattered by the thought that she, having experienced many misfortunes, will obey him all her life and revere him. Luzhin, moreover, hopes that Dunya's charm will help his career. This hero lives in St. Petersburg with Lebezyatnikov in order to "seek out" from the youth, thus insuring himself against unexpected demarches on their part. Feeling hatred for Raskolnikov, who kicked him out, Luzhin ("Crime and Punishment") tries to quarrel with his sister and mother. He gives Sonya 10 rubles during the commemoration, after which he imperceptibly slips another 100 into her pocket in order to publicly accuse the girl of stealing. However, he is forced to retreat, exposed by Lebezyatnikov.

Of all Russian works, the novel Crime and Punishment, thanks to the educational system, is likely to have suffered the most. And indeed - greatest story about strength, repentance and the search for oneself, as a result, it comes down to writing essays by schoolchildren on the topics: “Crime and Punishment”, “Dostoevsky”, “Summary”, “Main Characters”.

The book, which is capable of every person, has turned into another necessary homework. But how much controversial information is written and told by teachers about the main characters of the novel. It is worth trying to separate the wheat from the chaff and make short description characters in the story "Crime and Punishment" What are we going to do now.

Notes from the student house

The protagonist of Crime and Punishment, student Rodion Raskolnikov, lives in extreme poverty. He regularly wears things to the old pawnbroker, in order to be able to at least feed himself. There is no longer any question of education.

He himself lives in St. Petersburg and receives a letter from his relatives from the provinces. His dear sister Dunya comes with her mother to the city so that the girl will marry the rich businessman Luzhin. sister, in the name of material wealth, finally brings Rodion - he decides to kill and rob. And the same old woman becomes his victim. But the harmless younger sister of the pawnbroker also falls under the hot hand of the student.

Raskolnikov was absolutely confident in his theory of "higher" and "lower" people, according to which, for the sake of great deeds, he was allowed to step over ordinary mortals. However, suddenly repentance begins to torment him, he cannot use the stolen, and everything around him revolves around him ...

He meets the unfortunate drunkard Marmeladov, who fell under a wagon. His daughter Sonya sacrifices her body every day for the sake of a large family. Rodion's compassion makes him give all the money that he had with him to an unfortunate family.

And the marriage of Dunya and Luzhin is hindered by Raskolnikov's close friend Razumikhin. He is madly in love with Rodion's sister, and she is not indifferent to her. The protagonist, on the other hand, hated Luzhin from the first meeting, and the game of Razumikhin-Dunya is much more attractive to him.

All this time, terrible paranoia and mental anguish torment Raskolnikov. He feels all the guilt for his crime, but does not dare to admit it yet. Rodion considers this all a "test of greatness."

Test for greatness

However, his meeting with Svidrigailov, a depraved landowner, whom Dunya used to serve, finally breaks him. It was for her love that a new acquaintance of Raskolnikov arrived in St. Petersburg. Svidrigailov has long experienced the sin of murder and now sees his "relative" in Rodion. But the whole essence of the murderer is revealed to Raskolnikov - not greatness, but endless abomination; not strength, but pity; not power, but the inability to control oneself. From the mere thought that such a person can love his sister, Rodion's heart hurts.

The last straw for the criminal student was the tragedy of the Marmeladov family: after the death of his father and breadwinner, humiliation by Luzhin eldest daughter(whom he accuses of stealing money), the expulsion of his family from home and the tragic death of his mother, he completely changes. He hides with Sonya and confesses his crime. The girl asks him to surrender.

Conscience tells Raskolnikov to do the same, and he comes to the station. There he is comprehended by the last stunning news - Svidrigailov shot himself.

... Hard labor. Rodion, who has already confessed, but has not yet repented, is not very loved by his fellow campers. Still true to his theory, he simply decides he lost under the circumstances. Sonya, who followed her beloved, is warmly received by everyone. The point in the history of the unfortunate killer is the gospel, which he now holds under his pillow, and the awakening of an infinite love for everything.

Teenager

Analysis of the images of the main characters in the novel "Crime and Punishment", of course, must begin with a description of Rodion Raskolnikov. And it is precisely in the analysis of his image that the main drawback of school textbooks lies.

We are endlessly told about the deep background of the novel, about the complex psychological portrait the protagonist, about the writer's ability to penetrate deeply into the souls of the characters, about the conflict between Nietzscheanism and humanism. But they forget to tell why, in fact, Crime and Punishment was written at all.

The main value for Fyodor Mikhailovich was precisely the last chapter, which is rarely discussed. After all, Dostoevsky directly says - no matter how much evil you have committed, as long as there is at least a string of good in your soul, you always have a chance to improve. After all, the first who followed Christ to Paradise was a robber. And what he had to do - just repent.

This is where the name of the protagonist comes from. What should be important for us is not the split within the personality, but who ultimately wins in the human soul. And with this Dostoevsky stubbornly demonstrates - correct yourself. In the name of myself.

That is the main purpose of the novel. Not to follow the movements of the crime, not to find out the essence of the sinner's inner turmoil, but to give them a balm in the form of repentance. After all, it is probably the culmination and meaning of the life of every person.

The dream of an unfunny person

The fact that the main character ("Crime and Punishment") actually has infinite goodness inside and necessary for man compassion, Dostoevsky demonstrates almost at the beginning of the novel. Even before killing the old woman and being at the very bottom accessible to man, Raskolnikov has a dream about a suffering horse that was slaughtered for not wanting to go.

The future killer does not want to interpret this dream and runs from the thought of him as best he can. However, we, the readers, already understand that, in fact, remorse lives in the soul of the unfortunate for each of his actions. He feels guilty even for such a trifle as seeing suffering in a dream and doing nothing.

Humiliated and insulted

Once again, Dostoevsky proves his genius by creating such a character as Sonya Marmeladova. It contains the whole duality of being.

A woman working as a prostitute, it would seem, is an example of a moral decline. But no! She is above everyone and everyone in the novel, a self-sacrificing person. The Christian faith teaches us that giving our all for others is the highest point of holiness.

In this case, it may well be considered a saint. She gave her whole life to her family, and when she was gone, she found another person - the very one who so lacked kindness and honesty. The protagonist ("Crime and Punishment") finds peace thanks to her. And then Sonya goes on a new round of sacrifice. With the man she loves and who needs her support so much, she travels to the ends of the earth.

She endures on her way millions of deprivations and sufferings, deceptions and false accusations. However, he continues to carry his cross to the end - silently and with kind eyes.

Double Svidrigailov

The main characters of the novel "Crime and Punishment" do not end with Raskolnikov and Sonya. There is another important figure - not so much plotly, but psychologically.

Svidrigailov is the future of a person following the path proposed by Rodion. After all, it is precisely from him that it is clear that indulging your passions for power, love, adoration and greatness does not lead to anything good. No matter how selfish philosophers think about it, all this leads to the collapse and fall of the human spirit, the destruction of the soul.

And Svidrigailov - bright to that example. In it, Rodion Raskolnikov can see all the problems of the existence of a killer. Through Svidrigailov, the student can understand that what he calls strength is actually weakness, and vice versa.

Go over the heads, through the corpses - do not best idea. As a result, these people end up in one of two ways - either they will have to repent, or they will wallow in vice for the rest of their lives.

poor people

The strongest tragedy is also happening in the background of the novel.

The main character ("Crime and Punishment"), although he is in focus, but this does not cancel the drama of the characters around him.

Dunya is ready to do anything for her older brother. She herself had seen misfortunes in her life. Most likely, this is what makes her character an image of infinite power and kindred love. She is close to Sonya. However, unlike her, he does not do absolutely sacrificial deeds. Dunya goes through life, gritting her teeth, ready to accept all adversity.

That is why she is surprised by such a strange love of her brother. After all, he is ready to alienate Dunya from Luzhin, an extremely profitable party, but bad man, only for the reason that she will be unhappy with him.

For the reader and Dostoevsky, the image of Dunya is very important. After all, it is through Raskolnikov's concern for her that we understand that he is still not a lost person, as long as he takes care of his loved ones.

Idiot

But who really left the world of good people forever is Marmeladov. A person who hasn't given a damn for a long time. A low drunkard who gave his whole family hostage to a terrible financial situation. It is from such that Raskolnikov develops the theory of the “trembling creature”, it is precisely such that one should chop with an ax and hate, it is through them that it is worth stepping over for the sake of great deeds!

Or not? As a result, Marmeladov, along with sleep and Dunya, becomes the third of the main evidence that there is still good in Raskolnikov. After all, the unfortunate protagonist ("Crime and Punishment") does everything to help the drunkard.

The sight of a ruined life touches the soul of Rodion. He cannot simply look at the suffering of another person. He is not able to stay away from grief, and even being in terrible mental turmoil, he is obliged to help.

Conclusion

All Dostoevsky's characters are incredibly alive, with a wide and interesting biography. They are individuals, real people.

The list of characters in Crime and Punishment is extensive, and each character is pitiful in its own way. However, do not forget that they are all designed to revolve around Rodion Raskolnikov to tell his story.

And the story of Raskolnikov, first of all, tells us about repentance. Not about psychological throwing, not about the choice between "trembling creature" and "having the right." And all the characters work on the idea that it is enough for a person to take one step to change forever...

1. Minor characters
2. Sofia Marmeladova
3. Semyon Marmeladov
4. Avdotya Raskolnikova
5. Dmitry Vrazumikhin
6. Pyotr Luzhin
7. Arkady Svidrigailov
8. Pulcheria Raskolnikova

In the novel by Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky "Crime and Punishment" the main characters are complex and contradictory characters. Their fate is closely connected with the conditions of life, the environment in which life takes place, and individual characteristics. It is possible to characterize the heroes of Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" only on the basis of their actions, since we do not hear the voice of the author in the work.

Rodion Raskolnikov - the main character of the novel

Rodion Raskolnikov- the central character of the work. The young man has an attractive appearance. “By the way, he was remarkably good-looking, with beautiful dark eyes, dark-haired, taller than average, thin and slender.” An outstanding mind, a proud character, sick pride and a beggarly existence are the reasons for the criminal behavior of the hero. Rodion highly appreciates his abilities, considers himself an exceptional person, dreams of a great future, but his financial situation depresses him. He has nothing to pay for his studies at the university, he does not have enough money to pay off his landlady.
The young man's clothes attract the attention of passers-by with their shabby and old look. Trying to cope with the circumstances, Rodion Raskolnikov goes to kill the old pawnbroker. Thus, he tries to prove to himself that he belongs to the highest category of people and can step over blood. “Am I a trembling creature, or do I have a right,” he thinks. But one crime leads to another. An innocent poor woman dies. The hero theory of the right of a strong personality leads to a dead end. Only Sonya's love awakens in him faith in God, revives him to life. Raskolnikov's personality consists of opposite qualities. An indifferent cruel killer gives his last pennies for the funeral of an unfamiliar person, intervenes in the fate of a young girl, trying to save her from dishonor.

Minor characters

Images of heroes playing leading role in the narrative, become fuller and brighter as a result of describing their relationships with other people. Family members, friends, acquaintances, episodic persons that appear in the plot help to better understand the idea of ​​the work, to understand the motives of actions.

To make the appearance of the characters in the novel clearer to the reader, the writer uses various tricks. We get to know detailed description heroes, we delve into the details of the dreary interior of apartments, we consider the dull gray streets of St. Petersburg.

Sofia Marmeladova

Sofia Semyonovna Marmeladova- a young unfortunate creature. "Sonya was short, about eighteen years old, thin, but rather pretty blonde, with wonderful blue eyes." She is young, naive and very kind. A drunken father, a sick stepmother, hungry half-sisters and a brother - this is the environment in which the heroine lives. She is a shy and timid person, unable to stand up for herself. But this fragile creature is ready to sacrifice itself for the sake of loved ones.
She sells the body, engaging in prostitution to help the family, goes after the convicted Raskolnikov. Sonya is a kind, selfless and deeply religious person. This gives her strength to cope with all the trials and find well-deserved happiness.

Semyon Marmeladov

Marmeladov Semyon Zakharovich- no less significant character of the work. He is a former official father of many children families. A weak and weak-willed person solves all his problems with the help of alcohol. A man dismissed from service dooms his wife and children to starvation. They live in a walk-through room in which there is almost no furnishings. Kids do not go to school, do not have a change of clothes. Marmeladov is able to drink away the last money, take the pennies earned from his eldest daughter in order to get drunk and get away from problems. Despite this, the image of the hero evokes pity and compassion, since the circumstances turned out to be stronger than him. He himself suffers from his vice, but cannot cope with it.

Avdotya Raskolnikova

Avdotya Romanovna Raskolnikova is the sister of the protagonist. A girl from a poor, but honest and decent family. Dunya is smart, well-educated, well-mannered. She is "remarkably pretty", which, unfortunately, attracts the attention of men. Character traits "she looked like a brother." Avdotya Raskolnikova, a proud and independent nature, resolute and purposeful, was ready to marry an unloved person for the sake of her brother's well-being. Self-esteem and hard work will help her to arrange her fate and avoid irreparable mistakes.

Dmitry Vrazumikhin

Dmitry Prokofievich Vrazumikhin- the only friend of Rodion Raskolnikov The poor student, unlike his friend, does not drop out of school. He makes a living by everyone available means and never ceases to hope for good luck. Poverty does not prevent him from making plans. Razumikhin is a noble man. He disinterestedly tries to help a friend, takes care of his family. Love for Avdotya Romanovna Raskolnikova inspires a young man, makes him stronger and more determined.

Pyotr Luzhin

Pyotr Petrovich Luzhin- a respectable, respectable middle-aged man of pleasant appearance. He is a successful businessman, the happy fiance of Dunya Raskolnikova, a rich and self-confident gentleman. In fact, under the mask of integrity hides a low and vile nature. Taking advantage of the girl's plight, he proposes to her. In his actions, Pyotr Petrovich is guided not by disinterested motives, but by his own benefit. He dreams of a wife who would be slavishly submissive and grateful until the end of her days. For the sake of his own interests, he pretends to be in love, tries to slander Raskolnikov, accuse Sonya Marmeladova of stealing.

Arkady Svidrigailov

Svidrigailov Arkady Ivanovich- one of the most mysterious faces in the novel. The owner of the house where Avdotya Romanovna Raskolnikova worked. He is cunning and dangerous to others. Svidrigailov is a vicious person. Being married, he tries to seduce Dunya. He is accused of killing his wife, seducing young children. The terrible nature of Svidrigailov is capable, oddly enough, of noble deeds. He helps Sonya Marmeladova justify herself, arranges the fate of orphaned children. Rodion Raskolnikov, having committed a crime, becomes like this hero, as he transgresses the moral law. It is no coincidence that in a conversation with Rodion, he says: "We are one field of berries."

Pulcheria Raskolnikova

Raskolnikova Pulcheria Alexandrovna- mother of Rodion and Dunya. The woman is poor, but honest. The person is kind and sympathetic. A loving mother, ready for any sacrifice and deprivation for the sake of her children.

F. M. Dostoevsky pays very little attention to some of his heroes. But they are necessary in the course of the story. Thus, the investigation process cannot be imagined without the smart, cunning, but noble investigator Porfiry Petrovich. The young doctor Zosimov treats and understands the psychological state of Rodion during his illness. An important witness to the weakness of the protagonist in the police station is the assistant to the quarter warden Ilya Petrovich. Luzhin's friend Andrei Semenovich Lebezyatnikov returns the good name to Sonya and exposes the false groom. The seemingly insignificant events associated with the names of these heroes play an important role in the development of the plot.

The meaning of episodic persons in the work

On the pages of the great work of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, we also meet other characters. The list of heroes of the novel is supplemented by episodic characters. Katerina Ivanovna, Marmeladov's wife, unfortunate orphans, a girl on the boulevard, Alena Ivanovna, the greedy old pawnbroker, ill Lizovet. Their appearance is not accidental. Each, even the most insignificant image, carries its own semantic load and serves to embody the author's intention. Important and necessary are all the heroes of the novel "Crime and Punishment", the list of which can be continued further.

The main characters of "Crime and Punishment" - list and characteristics |