Who almost immediately became a household name in Russian literature. This character at the beginning of the novel is faced with a dilemma - he is a superman or an ordinary citizen.

In the novel “Crime and Punishment,” Fyodor Dostoevsky guides the reader through all stages of decision-making and repentance after the crime.

Crime and Punishment

Rodion Raskolnikov's crime theory, with which he tries to solve more global issues, subsequently fails. Dostoevsky in his novel shows not only questions of evil and good and crime with responsibility. Against the backdrop of moral disagreements and struggles in the soul of a young man, it shows the daily life of St. Petersburg society in the nineteenth century.

Raskolnikov, whose image literally became a household name after the first release of the novel, suffers from the discrepancy between his thoughts and plans and reality. He wrote an article about the chosen ones, who are allowed everything, and is trying to check whether he belongs to the latter.

As we will see later, even hard labor did not change what Raskolnikov thought about himself. The old pawnbroker became for him just a principle that he stepped over.

Thus, in the novel by Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, many philosophical, moral and ethical issues are revealed through the prism of the suffering of a former student.

The beauty of the work lies in the fact that the author shows them not from the point of view of the monologues of the main character, but in a clash with other characters who act as both doubles and antipodes of Rodion Raskolnikov.

Who is Raskolnikov?

Rodion Raskolnikov, whose image is stunningly described by Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, was a poor student. Life in St. Petersburg has never been cheap. Therefore, without a constant income, this young man slides into hopeless poverty.

Rodion was even forced to quit studying at the university, as there was not enough money for anything. Subsequently, when we understand the different facets of his personality, we will be convinced that this student lived for a long time in a world of illusions.

So, why did Raskolnikov consider murder the only right step towards the future? Was it really impossible to go the other way? Next, we will look at the motives for the action and the situations in life that led to such an idea.

First, let's give a description of Raskolnikov. He was a slender young man of twenty-three years of age. Dostoevsky writes that Rodion's height was above average, his eyes were dark, and his hair color was dark brown. The author goes on to say that because of the poverty, the student’s clothes looked more like rags, in which an ordinary person would be ashamed to go out into the street.

In the article we will look at what events and meetings led to Raskolnikov’s crime. An essay at school usually requires revealing his image. This information can help you complete this task.

So, in the novel we see that Rodion, having read Western philosophers, is inclined to divide society into two types of people - “trembling creatures” and “those with the right.” The Nietzschean idea of ​​the superman is reflected here.

At first, he even considers himself to be in the second category, which actually leads to his murder of the old pawnbroker. But after this crime, Raskolnikov turns out to be unable to withstand the burden of the crime. It turns out that the young man initially belonged to ordinary people and was not a superman to whom everything was permitted.

Criminal prototypes

Literary scholars have debated for many years where such a character as Rodion Raskolnikov came from. The image of this man can be traced both in press reports of that time, in literary works, and in the biographies of famous people.

It turns out that the main character owes his appearance to various people and messages that were known to Fyodor Dostoevsky. Now we will highlight the criminal prototypes of Rodion Raskolnikov.

There are three cases known in the nineteenth-century press that could have influenced the formation of the storyline of the main character of Crime and Punishment.

The first was the crime of a young twenty-seven-year-old clerk, described in September 1865 in the newspaper Golos. His name was Chistov Gerasim, and among his acquaintances the young man was considered a schismatic (if you check the dictionary, this term in an allegorical sense means a person who acts contrary to generally accepted traditions).

He killed two old servants with an ax in the house of a bourgeois woman, Dubrovina. The cook and laundress prevented him from robbing the premises. The criminal took out gold and silver objects and money, which he stole from an iron-lined chest. The old women were found in pools of blood.

The crime practically coincides with the events of the novel, but Raskolnikov’s punishment was slightly different.

The second case is known from the second issue of the magazine “Time” for 1861. The famous “Lacenaire trial”, which took place in the 1830s, was outlined there. This man was considered a French serial killer, for whom the lives of other people meant absolutely nothing. For Pierre-François Lacenaire, as contemporaries said, it was the same “to kill a man and to drink a glass of wine.”

After his arrest, he writes memoirs, poems and other works in which he tries to justify his crimes. According to him, he was influenced by the revolutionary idea of ​​“the fight against injustice in society,” which was instilled in him by utopian socialists.

Finally, the last case is connected with one acquaintance of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky. Professor of history, Muscovite, relative of the merchant Kumanina (the writer’s aunt) and the second contender for her inheritance (along with the author of Crime and Punishment).

His last name was Neofitov, and he was detained during the process of issuing counterfeit domestic loan notes. It is believed that it was his case that prompted the writer to put into the thoughts of Rodion Raskolnikov the idea of ​​instant enrichment.

Historical prototypes

If we talk about famous people who influenced the formation of the image of a young student, then we will talk more about ideas than about real events or personalities.

Let's get acquainted with the reasoning of the great people who could formulate the description of Raskolnikov. In addition, all of their treatises are visible on the pages of the novel in the remarks of minor characters.

So, without a doubt, the work of Napoleon Bonaparte comes first. His book The Life of Julius Caesar quickly became a bestseller of the nineteenth century. In it, the emperor showed society the principles of his worldview. The Corsican believed that among the general mass of humanity, “supermen” are occasionally born. The main difference between these individuals and others is that they are allowed to violate all norms and laws.

In the novel we see a reflection of this thought constantly. This is Rodion’s article in the newspaper, and the thoughts of some characters. However, Fyodor Mikhailovich shows a varied understanding of the meaning of the phrase.

The most cynical version of bringing an idea to life comes from a former student. Who did Raskolnikov kill? The old woman-pawnbroker. However, Rodion himself sees the event differently in individual parts of the novel. At first, the young man believes that “this is the most insignificant creature” and “by killing one creature, he will help hundreds of lives.” Later the thought degenerates into the fact that the victim was not a person, but a “crushed louse.” And at the last stage, the young man comes to the conclusion that he killed his own life.

Svidrigailov and Luzhin also introduced Napoleonic motives into their actions, but they will be discussed later.

In addition to the book of the French emperor, similar ideas were in the works “The One and His Property” and “Murder as One of the Fine Arts.” We see that throughout the novel, the student is running around with an “idea-passion.” But this event looks more like a failed experiment.

At the end of the novel we see that in hard labor Raskolnikov understands the error of his behavior. But the young man does not finally give up on the idea. This can be seen from his thoughts. On the one hand, he laments the ruined youth, on the other, he regrets that he confessed. If I had endured it, maybe I would have become a “superman” for myself.

Literary prototypes

The description of Raskolnikov, which can be given to the image of the character, accumulates various thoughts and actions of the heroes of other works. Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky examines many social and philosophical problems through the prism of the doubts of a young man.

For example, the lone hero challenging society exists in most romantic writers. Thus, Lord Byron creates the images of Manfred, Lara and the Corsair. In Balzac we recognize similar traits in Rastignac, and in Stendhal we recognize similar traits in Julien Sorel.

If we consider who Raskolnikov killed, we can draw an analogy with Pushkin’s “Queen of Spades.” There, Hermann tries to gain wealth at the expense of the old countess. It is noteworthy that Alexander Sergeevich’s old woman’s name was Lizaveta Ivanovna and the young man kills her morally. Dostoevsky went further. Rodion really takes the life of a woman with that name.

In addition, there are quite a lot of similarities with the characters of Schiller and Lermontov. The first in the work "The Robbers" has Karl Moor, who faces the same ethical problems. And in “A Hero of Our Time,” Grigory Aleksandrovich Pechorin is in a similar state of moral experimentation.

Yes, and in other works of Dostoevsky there are similar images. First it was “Notes of the Underground”, later - Ivan Karamazov, Versilov and Stavrogin.

Thus, we see that Rodion Raskolnikov combines an opponent of society and a realistic character with his environment, origin and plans for the future.

Pulcheria Alexandrovna

Raskolnikov's mother, with her provincial naivety and simplicity, sets off the images of the capital's residents. She perceives events in a more simplified way, closes her eyes to many things, and seems unable to understand. However, at the end of the novel, when her last words break out in her dying delirium, we see how wrong we were in our assumptions. This woman perceived everything, but did not show the whirlpool of passions that raged in her soul.

In the first chapters of the novel, when Rodion Raskolnikov is introduced to us, his mother's letter has a significant influence on his decision. Information that the sister is preparing to “sacrifice herself for the good of her brother” plunges the student into a gloomy mood. He finally becomes convinced of the idea of ​​killing the old pawnbroker.

Here the desire to protect Dunya from crooks is added to his plans. The loot, according to Raskolnikov, should be enough not to require financial handouts from his sister’s future “husband.” Subsequently, Rodion meets Luzhin and Svidrigailov.

Immediately after the first one came to introduce himself to him, the young man received him with hostility. Why does Raskolnikov do this? The mother's letter directly says that he is a scoundrel and a cheat. Under Pulcheria Alexandrovna, he developed the idea that the best wife is from a poor family, since she is completely in the power of her husband.

From the same letter, the former student learns about the dirty harassment of the landowner Svidrigailov towards his sister, who worked as their governess.

Since Pulcheria Alexandrovna did not have a husband, Rodya becomes the only support of the family. We see how the mother takes care of him and takes care of him. Despite his rude behavior and unfounded reproaches, the woman strives to help with all her might. However, she cannot break through the wall that her son has built around himself in an attempt to protect the family from future shocks.

Dunya

In the novel, Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky illustrates various life positions and personal philosophies through the contrast of characters. For example, Dunya and Raskolnikov. The characteristics of brother and sister are similar in many respects. They are outwardly attractive, educated, think independently and are prone to decisive actions.

However, Rodion was crippled by poverty. He lost faith in kindness and sincerity. We see the gradual degradation of his social life. At the beginning of the novel, it is reported that Raskolnikov is a former student, but now he is hatching plans to “get rich overnight.”

Avdotya Romanovna, his sister, strives for a better, happy future, but in more realistic positions. She, unlike her brother, does not dream of instant wealth and does not harbor romantic illusions.

The culmination of their opposition is expressed in readiness to kill. If Raskolnikov succeeds and goes to this length to prove his own superiority, then with Dunya things are completely different. She is ready to take Svidrigailov’s life, but only out of self-defense.

We see Raskolnikov's punishment throughout most of the novel. It begins not at hard labor, but immediately after the death of the old woman. Gnawing doubts and worries about the progress of the investigation torment the student more than the subsequent years in Siberia.
Dunya, having defended her right to freedom, is rewarded with a happy life in St. Petersburg.

Thus, Raskolnikov’s sister turns out to be more active than her mother. And her influence on her brother is stronger because they mutually care about each other. He sees a certain outlet in helping her find her soul mate.

Raskolnikov and Marmeladov

Marmeladov and Raskolnikov are actually complete opposites. Semyon Zakharovich is a widower, a titular councilor. He is quite old for this rank, but his actions explain this turn of events.

We find out that he drinks shamelessly. Having married Ekaterina Ivanovna and their children, Marmeladov moved to the capital. Here the family gradually sinks to the bottom. It gets to the point that his own daughter goes to the panel to feed the family while Semyon Zakharovich is “lying around drunk.”

But in shaping the image of Raskolnikov, one episode with the participation of this minor character is important. When the young man was returning from a “reconnaissance” of the future crime scene, he found himself in a tavern, where he met Marmeladov.

The key is one phrase from the latter’s confession. He, outlining the abject poverty, says “there are absolutely no barriers.” Rodion Romanovich finds himself in the same position in his thoughts. Inaction and dark fantasies led him to an extremely disastrous situation, from which he saw only one way out.

It turns out that the conversation with the titular adviser is superimposed on the despair that the former student experienced after reading the letter from his mother. This is the dilemma Raskolnikov faces.

The characterization of Marmeladov and his daughter Sonya, who will later become a window into the future for Rodion, boils down to the fact that they submitted to fatalism. At the beginning, the young man tries to influence them, help, change their lives. However, in the end he dies under the pressure of guilt and partly accepts Sonya’s views and life philosophy.

Raskolnikov and Luzhin

Luzhin and Raskolnikov are similar in their irrepressible vanity and egoism. However, Pyotr Petrovich is a much smaller soul and stupider. He considers himself successful, modern and respectable, and says that he created himself. However, in fact, he turns out to be just an empty and deceitful careerist.

The first acquaintance with Luzhin occurs in a letter that Rodion receives from his mother. It is from marriage with this “scoundrel” that the young man tries to save his sister, which pushes him to commit a crime.

If you compare these two images, both imagine themselves to be practically “superhuman”. But Rodion Raskolnikov is younger and susceptible to romantic illusions and maximalism. Pyotr Petrovich, on the contrary, tries to force everything into the framework of his stupidity and narrow-mindedness (although he considers himself very smart).

The culmination of the confrontation between these heroes takes place in the “rooms”, where the unlucky groom, out of his own greed, settled the bride with her future mother-in-law. Here, in an extremely vile environment, he shows his true colors. And the result is a final break with Dunya.

Later he will try to discredit Sonya by accusing her of theft. With this, Pyotr Petrovich wanted to prove Rodion’s inconsistency in choosing the acquaintances whom he introduces into the family (previously, Raskolnikov introduced Marmeladov’s daughter to his mother and sister). However, his nefarious plan fails and he is forced to flee.

Raskolnikov and Svidrigailov

In the novel “Crime and Punishment,” Raskolnikov, whose image undergoes evolution in the course of events, encounters his antipodes and doubles.

However, there is no direct resemblance to any character. All heroes act as the opposite of Rodion or have a more developed certain characteristic. So Arkady Ivanovich, as we know from the letter, is inclined to the constant pursuit of pleasure. He does not disdain murder (this is his only similarity with the main character).

However, Svidrigailov appears as a character with a dual nature. He seems to be a reasonable person, but he has lost faith in the future. Arkady Ivanovich tries to coerce and blackmail Dunya into becoming his wife, but the girl shoots him twice with a revolver. She failed to get in, but as a result, the landowner loses all hope of being able to start life from scratch. As a result, Svidrigailov commits suicide.

Rodion Raskolnikov sees his possible future in Arkady Ivanovich’s decision. He had already gone several times to look at the river from the bridge, thinking of jumping down. However, Fyodor Mikhailovich helps the young man. He gives him hope in the form of Sonechka's love. This girl forces a former student to confess to a crime, and then follows him to hard labor.

Thus, in this article we got acquainted with the bright and ambiguous image of Rodion Raskolnikov. In Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky dissects the soul of a criminal with surgical precision to show the evolution from determination inspired by illusions to depression after a collision with reality.

The main character of the novel F.M. Dostoevsky “Crime and Punishment” (1866).

Characteristics of Raskolnikov

Rodion Raskolnikov is an erudite young man of 23 years old, whose soul is in constant search. He is not sure exactly who he is in the structure of his own invented theory about the division of the human mass into two main types: "lower people" And "actually people".

In the first category, Raskolnikov includes “trembling creatures” or “material” - law-abiding, conservative, ordinary people. Secondly, outstanding, worthy people who move the world, who have the right to even violate the laws of ethics and morality.

The hero hopes that it is destined for him to be among the “chosen ones.” But he is worried about his own indecisiveness in making decisions that violate moral standards. In fact, behind the gloomy, arrogant and proud melancholic, Raskolnikov’s second “I” is hidden - a sensitive, generous, kind person who loves his family and does not want anyone to suffer. By committing a bloody crime, Raskolnikov sought to prove to himself that he himself belongs to the second type of people, and special achievements await him ahead. However, the result disappointed the killer-theorist; remorse led him to the conclusion that he was deeply mistaken.

Role in the plot of the novel

Three years ago, Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, born into a poor but proud family, arrived from the deep provinces to St. Petersburg to study at the law university. A dark-eyed, brown-haired man above average height, slender in figure and pleasant in appearance, went out onto the streets of St. Petersburg in terrible rags and in a very worn hat, with stains and holes. The hero was on the verge of poverty and could no longer pay for his studies and living in a big city.

This unpleasant fact pushed him to commit a monstrous crime. Several times Rodion applied for loans to Alena Ivanovna, a stingy and unpleasant grandmother who profited from hopeless situations of people in serious need. The student killed with an ax the old woman who was lending money on interest and collateral, and her quiet sister Lisa, who accidentally witnessed the incident. An innocent person was detained for the crime he committed.

The investigator guesses about Raskolnikov’s involvement, but there is no evidence - unless you take into account the “Raskolnikov theory” and his ambiguous, nervous, depressive behavior. Rodion meets the Marmeladov family and unexpectedly finds sympathy in Sonechka, who, sacrificing her honor, earns money from the panel to feed her half-brothers and sisters. He is oppressed by the global difference in the motives of his crime and the crime of the poor girl. The state of mental split is growing every day.

Unable to reconcile with himself, Raskolnikov quarrels with his mother and sister, with his only friend, refuses Sonechka’s sympathy and, in the end, turns himself in to the police. After the trial, hard labor and exile await the hero. Sonya Marmeladova, who sympathizes with him, is going with him of her own free will to serve her sentence. Next to her, Raskolnikov will find happiness and truly repent of his sins.

Quotes from Raskolnikov

— Suffering and pain are always necessary for a broad consciousness and a deep heart. Truly great people, it seems to me, must feel great sadness in the world.

“He is a smart man, but to act smartly, intelligence alone is not enough.”

- Will I be able to cross or not! Do I dare to bend down and take it or not? Am I a trembling creature or do I have the right!

- The scoundrel-man gets used to everything!

-...I talk too much. That's why I don't do anything, because I chat. Perhaps, however, it’s like this: that’s why I’m chatting because I’m not doing anything.

“Everything is in the hands of a man, and yet he misses everything out of sheer cowardice.” this is an axiom. Curious what people are more afraid of? They are most afraid of a new step, a new word of their own.

“Power is given only to those who dare to bend down and take it.” There is only one thing, one thing: you just have to dare!

“The more cunning a person is, the less he suspects that he will be knocked down in a simple way.” The cunning man must be brought down with the simplest things.

- Little things, little things matter. It’s these little things that always ruin everything.

“And now I know, Sonya, that whoever is strong and strong in mind and spirit is the ruler over them!” Those who dare a lot are right. Whoever can spit on the most is their legislator, and whoever can dare the most is rightest! This is how it has been done until now and this is how it will always be!

“I didn’t kill the old woman, I killed myself!”

- When you fail, everything seems stupid!

- The point is clear: for himself, for his comfort, even to save himself from death, he will not sell himself, but for someone else he sells it! For a dear, for an adored person will sell!

— Bread and salt together, but tobacco apart.

“In a word, I conclude that everyone, not just great people, but also people who are a little out of the rut, that is, even a little bit capable of saying something new, must, by nature, certainly be criminals,” more or less, of course.

Characteristics of the hero Raskolnikov, Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky. The image of the character Raskolnikov

Characteristics of the hero Raskolnikov

Raskolnikov appears in the novel as a young man who is not satisfied with either his life situation or who he is. And he wants, no less, to become a “superman”. In his theory, he divided all people into two classes: reptiles, “trembling creatures,” and people themselves, “those who have the right.” People from the first of these classes serve only as material for self-reproduction and their role in this life is insignificant, and world progress is driven by representatives of the class of “those with the right”, who can break any laws in order to achieve their goals.

Rodion would like to think that he, after all, belongs to the category of “higher people.” But this can only be verified experimentally - through performing a specific act. He just has in mind what he thinks is an “insect person” - the old money-lender Alena Ivanovna, who does nothing good but only robs the poor. There is also a higher goal for which one can sacrifice the old woman - this means helping the unfortunate family of Semyon Zakharovich Marmeladov.

Thinking over the murder of Alena Ivanovna, Raskolnikov constantly thinks about the correctness of his theory and even almost abandons it. But the whirlwind that he spun inside himself still sucks in the main character, and he kills the old woman and her innocent sister.

The crime is committed, but Rodion’s torment only intensifies. He begins to understand that he is not a “superman” at all, since he is capable of worrying so much about just one murder. Communication with such characters as Luzhin and, especially, Svidrigailov, leads him to the conclusion that the path he has chosen leads to nowhere, and the world is ruled by love and humility. For this he must thank Sonya, who did not leave him and went with him to Siberia.

The image and characteristics of Rodion Raskolnikov in the novel “Crime and Punishment”

F. M. Dostoevsky lived and worked in an era when dissatisfaction with the existing order was growing in the country, and the writer in his works showed people who are trying to protest against the reigning evil. This is Rodion Raskolnikov, the main character of the novel Crime and Punishment. Terrible poverty plunges Raskolnikov into despair; he understands well that the wolfish morals of the proprietary system reign around him, and he is deeply outraged by the heartlessness and cruelty of the rich.

Embittered by his powerlessness to help people, Raskolnikov decides to commit a crime - the murder of an old money-lender who makes profit from human suffering. “Raskolnikov sees and feels for himself how people take advantage of the suffering of their neighbors, how skillfully and diligently, how carefully and safely they suck the last juice out of the poor man, who is exhausted in an unbearable struggle for a miserable and stupid existence,” is how critic D.I. Pisarev emphasized the social meaning of Raskolnikov’s behavior, the main protester, anti-capitalist pathos of the novel.

But a hero does not become a fighter for a better future. Familiar with revolutionary ideas only by hearsay, he does not believe that a just structure of society is possible. “People will not change, and no one can change them, and labor is not worth wasting. This is how it has been done until now and this is how it will always be!” - Raskolnikov declares bitterly. But the strong-willed and proud hero does not want to come to terms with his cruel fate. Imagining himself to be an extraordinary, outstanding personality, a person to whom everything is allowed, even crime, Raskolnikov decides to kill and rob a rich old moneylender. After long and painful hesitation, he realizes his terrible intention. The hero experiences mental torment: he is haunted by terrible memories of shed blood, fear of exposure and punishment, and most importantly, a feeling of hopeless loneliness and the meaninglessness of the crime he committed.

Feigning desperation and the mental anguish of his hero, Dostoevsky sought to convince readers that such a struggle against injustice not only does not improve life, but, on the contrary, makes it even darker and more terrible. Punishment begins even before the crime, the thought of which burns and torments Raskolnikov: “No, I won’t stand it, I won’t stand it! Let, even if there is no doubt in all these calculations. » The punishment is aggravated at the time of the crime. The hero feels that the greedy old woman-pawnbroker is still a person, and bringing an ax down on her head is unbearably scary and disgusting. Lizaveta is a defenseless child, frightened to the point of stupor: “She only slightly raised her free left hand, far from her face, and slowly extended it forward towards him, as if pushing him away.”

Punishment cannot be reduced to a judicial verdict, it is concluded in moral torture, which for the hero of the novel is more painful than even prison and hard labor. The pangs of conscience, the chilling fear that haunts Raskolnikov at every step, the consciousness of the meaninglessness of the crime committed, the consciousness of his insignificance, his inability to become a “ruler”, the understanding of the inconsistency of his theory - all this weighs heavily on the soul of the criminal. Raskolnikov is tormented, feels fear, despair, alienation from all people. The false path chosen by the hero of the novel leads not to the elevation of his personality, but to moral torture, to spiritual death. Having committed murder, Raskolnikov put himself in unnatural relationships with the people around him. He is forced to constantly, at every step, deceive himself and others, and this lie devastates the hero’s soul. By crime, Raskolnikov cut himself off from people, but the hero’s living nature, contrary to beliefs and reasoning, constantly draws him to people, he seeks communication with them, tries to regain lost spiritual ties.

The desire to fill the spiritual vacuum with something begins to take on painful, perverted forms in Raskolnikov, reminiscent of a craving for self-torture. The hero is drawn to the old woman’s house, and he goes there, once again listening to how the ringing of the bell, which at the moment of the crime deeply shook him, echoes with a painful, but still living feeling in his withered soul.

Feeling of crime creates a catastrophic disproportion in the hero’s relationships with other people, this also applies to Raskolnikov’s inner world: he develops a painful feeling of suspicion towards himself, constant reflection, endless doubts appear, hence the hero’s strange craving for investigator Porfiry Petrovich. In the “duel” with Raskolnikov, Tsorfiry acts as an imaginary antagonist: the dispute with the investigator is a reflection and sometimes a direct expression of Raskolnikov’s dispute with himself. Raskolnikov, with his heart's instinct, does not accept the idea that continues to retain power over his mind. Raskolnikov is lost in himself, Porfiry’s busy chatter irritates, worries, excites the hero, and this is enough to prevent him from “psychologically running away” from the investigator. Raskolnikov tries in vain to rationally control his behavior, to “calculate” himself.

The hero keeps contains the secret of the crime and cannot escape from lies. An hour before reporting to the police, Raskolnikov says to Dunya: “A crime? What a crime. I don’t think about it and I don’t think about washing it off.” He tries to speak “naturally” with the investigator in conditions that exclude such naturalness, but “nature” is more cunning than calculation and gives itself away. Raskolnikova is let down by her inner feeling of her criminality. He decides to tell his terrible, painful secret to Sonechka Marmeladova. There is a growing desire in his soul to confess for not entirely clear, subconscious reasons: Raskolnikov can no longer contain the painful feeling of criminality.

In the person of Sonya, he meets a person who awakens in himself and whom he still pursues as a weak and helpless “trembling creature”: “He suddenly raised his head and looked intently at her; but he met her restless and painfully caring gaze; there was love here; his hatred disappeared like a ghost.” “Nature” demanded from the hero that he share with Sonechka the suffering of his crime, and not the manifestation that causes it; Raskolnikov’s Christian-compassionate love calls Raskolnikov to this type of recognition.

Dostoevsky wrote, that Raskolnikov, contrary to his beliefs, preferred “at least to die in hard labor, but to join people again: a feeling of isolation and disconnection from humanity. tortured him." But even in hard labor, Raskolnikov did not consider himself guilty of murder: “He judged himself strictly, and his bitter conscience did not find any particularly terrible guilt in his past, except perhaps a mistake that could happen to anyone.” Raskolnikov was spiritually dead: “I didn’t kill the old woman, I killed myself.” The real meaning of the Gospel narrative of the resurrection of Lazarus is revealed to Raskolnikov only when his own soul is resurrected to a new life, when he repents and understands that his whole life “was some kind of external, strange fact, as if it had not even happened to him.” And this was not his life, because now he is different - renewed, capable of loving and opening his heart to people and God.

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Characteristics of Raskolnikov in the novel “Crime and Punishment”

In this article we will look at and discuss the characteristics of Raskolnikov, the main character in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novel Crime and Punishment. Overall, the novel can teach the importance of exercising discretion, being open to forgiveness, and showing true love. It took Dostoevsky about six years to think through the plot and main ideas of the novel, so the book is certainly insightful and worth reading if you haven't already.

Let us immediately note that on our website you can get acquainted not only with Raskolnikov’s characterization, but also read a summary of “Crime and Punishment,” as well as an analysis of the novel.

So, the events mainly revolve around just a few characters, that is, there are not many of them for such a serious work. The main character is Raskolnikov Rodion Romanovich, who killed the old pawnbroker Alena Ivanovna. In addition, he kills her sister Lizaveta.

Description and appearance of Raskolnikov

Already in the first chapter, the reader meets the main character. This is a young man, his general condition can be called painful and mixed. He is gloomy, constantly thinking about something and withdrawn into himself. Rodion Raskolnikov abandoned his studies at the university, where he studied to become a lawyer, and now lives in meager surroundings, in a small, pitiful-looking room. His clothes are already worn out, and he has no money to buy new things, as well as to pay debts for an apartment and studies.

We see how Raskolnikov’s characterization in the novel “Crime and Punishment” is revealed more clearly when we study his portrait. The hero has a pretty good appearance, beautiful dark eyes, dark brown hair, he has a slender build, and his height is average, or slightly higher.

Raskolnikov’s character and personality are as follows: the young man is quite smart, educated, but at the same time proud and tries to be independent. The fact that he finds himself in such a humiliating financial situation affects his mood; he walks around gloomily and looks at everyone from under his brows. Raskolnikov does not want to communicate with others, and he considers accepting help even from close people, such as Dmitry Razumikhin (his friend) or his elderly mother, to be a shame and humiliation.

What is Raskolnikov's idea?

Proud of himself, with a sick pride, and at the same time a beggar, the main character Raskolnikov, whose characteristics we are studying, hatches an idea. It lies in the fact that people are all divided into two groups: ordinary and entitled. Raskolnikov ponders what his purpose is and prepares a crime. By killing the old woman, the hero will understand whether his idea is correct and whether a new life will begin, and he will somehow make society happy.

Life shows that everything is wrong. Raskolnikov failed to rob the apartment - he did not force himself to take the stolen goods for his needs, but at the same time, Raskolnikov’s characterization is overshadowed by two murders - the old woman-pawnbroker and the wretched Lizaveta. He becomes disgusted with himself, and now begins to understand that there was no need to imagine himself as Napoleon and accomplish the feat. Now the moral line has been crossed, he has become a murderer. Raskolnikov cannot communicate with people and is practically going crazy.

Punishment and the idea of ​​Dostoevsky

Raskolnikov’s close people are trying to help the young man get rid of his oppressive state and provide support, but the young man’s pride does not allow him to accept help. As a result, he finds himself alone.

He begins to take part in the destinies of other, unfamiliar people. This can be seen in the example of the Marmeladovs. However, nobility leads to irritation, annoyance and melancholy.

Although we briefly examined the characterization of Raskolnikov in the novel “Crime and Punishment,” the question arises, what was the main idea that the author of the novel wanted to convey to readers? The hero receives punishment instantly, immediately after committing a murder. He is painfully tormented by doubts, conscience and other oppressive feelings. After breaking up with family and friends, he is on the verge of madness, and this is a hundred times worse than the many years spent in hard labor. Fyodor Dostoevsky tries to give a warning to readers so that they do not make mistakes and do not act recklessly. The main thing that should be in a person’s life is high morality, genuine faith in God and the manifestation of love for others.

This article presented the characterization of Raskolnikov in the novel “Crime and Punishment.” You may be interested in other articles

The novel “Crime and Punishment” was written by F. M. Dostoevsky in 1866. The writer spent 2 years working on it, although the idea came to him much earlier, when he was serving time in hard labor. As a result, the work became incredibly famous and was translated into many languages. The main character, Rodion Raskolnikov, is a complex and multifaceted character. This article is devoted to his portrait characteristics.

Plot of the novel

The life story of the main character at the age of 23 is very sad. Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov is a poor law student. The author describes him as a tall brunette with a handsome face: “..he was remarkably good-looking, with beautiful dark eyes, above average height, thin and slender...”

The main character barely makes ends meet, living in a small room. He has nothing to eat, nothing to pay rent or pay for his studies. He finds help from his mother and university friend humiliating. All these circumstances torment him and drive him to despair. Rodion decides to take a desperate step: he is going to kill the old pawnbroker Alena Ivanovna, whom he considers a “subhuman.”

As a result, events do not develop at all as the poor student expected. Having hacked to death an old woman with an ax, for whom he had no sympathy, and believed that by committing such an act he would make the world a cleaner place, he also kills Lizaveta, the younger innocent sister of the elderly woman.

There were no witnesses to the crime, but investigator Porfiry Petrovich suspects Raskolnikov of the murder because of his note in the article about “extraordinary people” and “ordinary people,” where the former are allowed much more than the latter.

Meeting the Marmeladov family, namely Sonya Marmeladova, changes the life of the main character of the novel. A young girl, forced into prostitution, saves his soul, fills it with faith, and without a shadow of a doubt follows him to hard labor.

The image of Raskolnikov

From the first pages of the novel it becomes clear that Rodion Raskolnikov is a gloomy, proud man who does not accept self-pity. He never accepts help from his university friend Razumikhin. He also has great difficulty accepting money from his mother.

It’s as if two people coexist in the hero. One is a gloomy melancholic who keeps aloof from people, the other is generous and kind, capable of sacrificing himself for the sake of loved ones.

The article “On Crime,” which the hero sends to one of the St. Petersburg newspapers, can tell a lot about the portrait of Rodion Raskolnikov. The article says that all people can be divided into two types: people created to move this world, the so-called “Napoleons”, and ordinary people, that is, “material”. “Napoleons” are allowed to do much more than “ordinary people”; they are allowed to commit crimes and break laws. It was precisely these people that Raskolnikov tried to classify himself as when he was plotting murder, but in the end he did not receive satisfaction from what he had done.

Speaking surname Raskolnikov

According to literary scholars, F. M. Dostoevsky gives the main character of the work “Crime and Punishment” the name Raskolnikov for a reason. Mentioning that the family has been known for 200 years, he makes a reference to the schismatics. Dissenters are those who, without rejecting the main movement and its principles, separate from it, but do not reject it.

Like the schismatics, the main character rejects the laws of morality and ethics accepted in society, justifying his actions with great goals. The crime committed finally split his soul, separated him from friends, relatives and society. The only person capable of reviving him is Sonya Marmeladova, a sinful girl who became a saint for Rodion and gave him faith in the future.

Also, the character’s surname may indicate that two people coexist within him - a social phobe who prefers to communicate with people as little as possible, and a generous person with a big heart.

This article will help schoolchildren write an essay on the topic “Raskolnikov.” The work reveals the image of the main character of the novel, his biography, relationships with people around him.

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The main character of the novel F.M. Dostoevsky's student is Rodion Raskolnikov. It is through the narration of the fate of this character that the writer tries to convey his thoughts to the reader.

The entire work is, in fact, an exposure of the first Nietzschean ideas that gained some popularity at the end of the 19th century. It is no coincidence that the hero comes from a student environment, which is most exposed to a wide variety of trends and worries.

Rodion is an attractive, intelligent, but extremely poor young man; he lives in a squalid apartment and cannot continue his studies. The idea of ​​the superiority of some people over others takes root in the hero’s head. He, of course, places himself in the highest category, and considers the rest to be a useless gray mass. Following his own logic, the Nietzschean theorist decides to kill the vile old woman in order to use her money for good causes.

However, Dostoevsky immediately shows the hero’s struggle with himself. Raskolnikov constantly doubts, then abandoning this idea, then returning to it again. He sees a dream in which he, as a child, cries over a slaughtered horse, and understands that he cannot kill a person, but having accidentally heard that the old woman will be home alone, he nevertheless decides to commit a crime. Our hero has developed an impeccable plan, but it all ends in a real massacre: he kills not only Alena Ivanovna, but also her pregnant sister, and runs away in panic, taking with him only a handful of jewelry. Raskolnikov is not a villain or a madman, but lack of money, illness and hopelessness drive him to despair.

Having committed a crime, Rodion loses peace. His illness worsens, he is bedridden and suffers from nightmares in which he relives what happened again and again. The ever-increasing fear of exposure torments him, and the hero’s conscience torments him from within, although he himself does not admit it. Another feeling that became an integral part of Raskolnikov was loneliness. Having crossed the law and morality, he separated himself from other people, even his best friend Razumikhin, his sister Dunya and mother Pulcheria become strangers and incomprehensible to him. He sees his last hope in the prostitute Sonya Marmeladova, who, in his opinion, also transgressed the law and morality, and therefore can understand the killer. Perhaps he was hoping for an acquittal, but Sonya calls on him to repent and accept punishment.

In the end, Raskolnikov becomes disillusioned with himself and surrenders to the police. However, Rodion still continues to believe in his theory about “those with the right” and “trembling creatures.” Only in the epilogue does he come to realize the meaninglessness and cruelty of this idea, and, having renounced it, the hero embarks on the path of spiritual rebirth.

It is through the image of Raskolnikov that Dostoevsky overthrows egocentrism and Bonapartism, and elevates Christianity and philanthropy.

A multifaceted novel

Leafing through the first pages of the book, we begin to get acquainted with the image of Raskolnikov in Dostoevsky’s novel Crime and Punishment. By telling the story of his life, the writer makes us think about a number of important questions. It is difficult to determine what type of novel the work of F. M. Dostoevsky belongs to. It raises problems affecting various spheres of human life: social, moral, psychological, family, moral. Rodion Raskolnikov is the center of the novel. It is with him that all the other storylines of the great classic work are connected.

The main character of the novel

Appearance

The description of Raskolnikov in the novel begins with the first chapter. We meet a young man who is in a sick condition. He is gloomy, thoughtful and withdrawn. Rodion Raskolnikov is a former university student who dropped out of law school. Together with the author, we see the meager furnishings of the room where the young man lives: “It was a tiny cell, about six steps long, which had the most pitiful appearance.”

We carefully examine the details of worn-out clothing. Rodion Raskolnikov is in extremely dire straits. He doesn’t have money to pay off debts for his apartment or pay for his studies.

Character traits

The author gives the characterization of Raskolnikov in the novel “Crime and Punishment” gradually. First we get acquainted with the portrait of Raskolnikov. “By the way, he was remarkably good-looking, with beautiful dark eyes, dark-haired, above average height, thin and slender.” Then we begin to understand his character. The young man is smart and educated, proud and independent. The humiliating financial situation in which he finds himself makes him gloomy and withdrawn. He gets irritated by interacting with people. Any help from Dmitry Razumikhin's close friend or elderly mother seems humiliating to him.

Raskolnikov's idea

Excessive pride, sick pride and a beggarly state give rise to a certain idea in Raskolnikov’s head. The essence of which is to divide people into two categories: ordinary and entitled. Thinking about his great destiny, “Am I a trembling creature or do I have the right?”, the hero prepares for a crime. He believes that by killing the old woman, he will test his ideas, be able to start a new life and make humanity happy.

The hero's crime and punishment

In real life, everything turns out differently. Together with the greedy pawnbroker, the wretched Lizoveta dies, having caused no harm to anyone. The robbery failed. Raskolnikov could not bring himself to use the stolen goods. He is disgusted, sick and scared. He understands that he was in vain counting on the role of Napoleon. Having crossed the moral line, taking the life of a person, the hero avoids communicating with people in every possible way. Rejected and sick, he finds himself on the verge of madness. Raskolnikov's family and his friend Dmitry Razumikhin are unsuccessfully trying to understand the young man's condition and support the unfortunate man. A proud young man rejects the care of his loved ones and is left alone with his problem. “But why do they love me so much if I’m not worth it!

Oh, if I were alone and no one loved me, and I myself would not love anyone!” - he exclaims.

After a fatal event, the hero forces himself to communicate with strangers. He takes part in the fate of Marmeladov and his family, giving money sent by his mother for the funeral of the official. Saves a young girl from molestation. Noble impulses of the soul are quickly replaced by irritation, frustration and loneliness. The hero’s life seemed to be divided into two parts: before the murder and after it. He does not feel like a criminal, does not realize his guilt. Most of all, he worries about the fact that he did not pass the test. Rodion is trying to confuse the investigation, to understand whether the smart and cunning investigator Porfiry Petrovich suspects him. Constant pretense, tension and lies deprive him of his strength and empty his soul. The hero feels that he is doing wrong, but does not want to admit his mistakes and delusions.

Rodion Raskolnikov and Sonya Marmeladova

The revival to a new life began after Rodion Raskolnikov met Sonya Marmeladova. The eighteen-year-old girl herself was in extremely poor condition. Shy and modest by nature, the heroine is forced to live on a yellow ticket in order to give money to her starving family. She constantly endures insults, humiliation and fear. “She is unrequited,” the author says about her. But this weak creature has a kind heart and deep faith in God, which helps not only to survive herself, but also to support others. Sonya's love saved Rodion from death. Her pity initially evokes protest and indignation in the proud young man. But it is to Sonya that he confides his secret and it is from her that he seeks sympathy and support. Exhausted by the struggle with himself, Raskolnikov, on the advice of a friend, admits his guilt and goes to hard labor. He does not believe in God, does not share her beliefs. The idea that happiness and forgiveness must be suffered is incomprehensible to the hero. The girl’s patience, care and deep feeling helped Rodion Raskolnikov turn to God, repent and start living again.

The main idea of ​​the work of F. M. Dostoevsky

A detailed description of Raskolnikov's crime and punishment forms the basis of the plot of the novel by F. M. Dostoevsky. Punishment begins immediately after the murder is committed. Painful doubts, remorse, a break with loved ones turned out to be much worse than long years of hard labor. The writer, subjecting Raskolnikov to a deep analysis, tries to warn the reader against misconceptions and mistakes. Deep faith in God, love for one's neighbor, and moral principles should become the basic rules in the life of every person.

The analysis of the image of the main character of the novel can be used by 10th grade students in preparation for writing an essay on the topic “The image of Raskolnikov in the novel “Crime and Punishment”.”

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