Characteristics of Raskolnikov in the novel "Crime and Punishment". The composition "The image and characteristics of Rodion Raskolnikov in the novel" Crime and Punishment The image of Rodion Raskolnikov in the novel Crime and Punishment

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. In telling the story of his life, the writer forces us to reflect on 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 plot lines of the great work of the classic 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 sickly state. He is gloomy, brooding and withdrawn. Rodion Raskolnikov is a former university student who has dropped out of his law school. Together with the author, we see the meager furnishings of the room where the young man lives: "It was a tiny cage, six paces long, which had the most miserable appearance."

We carefully examine the details of the worn out clothes. Rodion Raskolnikov is in dire straits. He has no money to pay off debts for an apartment, to pay for his studies.

Traits

Characterization of Raskolnikov in the novel "Crime and Punishment" is given by the author gradually. First, we get acquainted with the portrait of Raskolnikov. "By the way, he was remarkably good-looking, with beautiful dark eyes, dark brown, taller than average, 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 The humiliating financial situation in which he found himself makes him gloomy and withdrawn. He is annoyed by communication with people. Any help from a close friend of Dmitry Razumikhin or an 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, in the division of people into two categories: ordinary and eligible. Thinking about his great destiny, "Am I a trembling creature or have the right?", The hero prepares for a crime. He believes that having committed the murder of an old woman, he will test his ideas, he will be able to start a new life and make humanity happy.

The crime and punishment of the hero

In real life, things turn out differently. Together with the greedy pawnbroker, wretched Lizoveta, who did no one harm, perishes. The robbery failed. Raskolnikov could not bring himself to use the stolen goods. He is disgusted, sickened and scared. He understands that he shouldn't have counted on the role of Napoleon. Having crossed the moral line, having deprived a person's life, the hero avoids communication with people in every possible way. Rejected and sick, he finds himself on the verge of insanity. The Raskolnikov family, his friend Dmitry Razumikhin unsuccessfully try to understand the state of the young man, to support the unfortunate. A proud young man rejects the care of 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 the fatal event, the hero forces himself to communicate with strangers. Takes part in the fate of Marmeladov and his family, giving the money sent by his mother for the funeral of an official. Saves a young girl from corruption. Noble impulses of the soul are quickly replaced by irritation, annoyance and loneliness. The hero's life seemed to be divided into two parts: before and after the murder. 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 clever and cunning investigator Porfiry Petrovich suspects him. Constant pretense, tension and lies deprive him of strength, devastate 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 rebirth to a new life began after Rodion Raskolnikov's acquaintance with Sonya Marmeladova. The eighteen-year-old girl herself was in dire distress. Shy, 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 withstand itself, but also to support others. Sonya's love saved Rodion from death. Her pity at first causes protest and indignation in the proud young man. But it is Sonya who confides in 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 endured is incomprehensible to the hero. The girl's patience, care and deep feeling helped Rodion Raskolnikov turn to God, repent and start living anew.

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

A detailed description of the crime and punishment of Raskolnikov form the basis of the plot of the novel by F.M.Dostoevsky. The punishment begins immediately after the murder is committed. Agonizing 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 delusions and mistakes. Deep faith in God, love for one's neighbor, moral principles should become the basic rules in the life of every person.

The analysis of the image of the protagonist of the novel can be used by pupils of the 10th grade in preparation for writing an essay on the theme "The image of Raskolnikov in the novel" Crime and Punishment ".

Product test

Before talking about a character, his characteristics and image, it is necessary to understand in which work he appears, and who, in fact, became the author of this work.

Raskolnikov is the protagonist of one of the best novels of the Russian classic Fyodor Dostoevsky - Crime and Punishment, which also influenced world literature. Crime and Punishment was released in 1866.

The novel was immediately noticed in the Russian Empire - it caused a wave of outraged, as well as admiring reviews. Dostoevsky's work was almost immediately recognized abroad, as a result of which, the novel was translated into many languages, including English, French and German.

The novel was filmed more than once, and the ideas that Dostoevsky laid down were later used by many world classics.

The image of Raskolnikov

Dostoevsky does not hesitate to describe the key character of his novel, Rodion Raskolnikov, and describes him right from the first chapter. The author shows the main character as a young man who is far from being in the best physical condition - his appearance can be called painful.

For many years Rodion is isolated from the rest of the world, he is gloomy and constantly flies in his own thoughts. Previously, Raskolnikov was a student at a prestigious university, where he studied for a fairly respectable position - a lawyer. But the guy abandons his studies, after which he is expelled from the educational institution.

Raskolnikov is not too picky and lives in a very meager small room, where there is absolutely not a single object that would create comfort in his home. However, the reason for this was also his poverty, which is also hinted at by his long-worn clothes. Rodion has long run out of funds to pay for his apartment and study. However, with all this, Raskolnikov was good-looking - quite tall and in good physical shape, had dark hair and a pleasant face.

Characteristics of Raskolnikov: his ideas, crime and punishment

The hero was very humiliated by the fact that his financial condition left much to be desired. The hero himself, being in a depressed state, plans to commit a crime - to kill the old woman and thereby check whether he can start a new life and benefit society. The hero has the idea that some people are really great, have the right to commit murder, because they are the engine of progress. He considers himself just such a person and he is greatly oppressed by the fact that a great man now lives in poverty.

Raskolnikov considered himself a person “having the right”, but all the other people around were just meat or a means of achieving goals. Murder, he believes, will allow him to reveal himself, test his theory and show whether he is capable of more - to completely change his life. Raskolnikov is even more annoyed by the fact that he is far from being a stupid person, but, on the contrary, is smart enough and has a number of important abilities that every successful entrepreneur possesses. And it is precisely his extremely poor condition and position in society that do not provide an opportunity to realize these abilities.

However, in reality, everything turns out completely differently. In addition to the fact that Raskolnikov kills a greedy old woman, a completely innocent woman dies at his hands. Because of his mistake, the main character cannot accomplish his plans - he does not use the loot and completely withdraws into himself. He is very scared and disgusted by what he has done. At the same time, it is not the murder itself that scares him, but only that his idea has not been confirmed. He himself says that he did not kill the old woman - he killed himself.

After Raskolnikov killed a man, he felt that he no longer deserved to communicate with people. Completely locked in himself, Raskolnikov is on the verge of insanity and does not at all accept the help of his family and friends. The hero's friend is trying to somehow cheer up the young man, but he does not make contact. Raskolnikov believes that he does not deserve the love of people and understands why they are caring for him. The perpetrator longs for no one to love him, and he would not feel any feelings in return either.

After the crime, Raskolnikov seriously changes, if he avoids relationships with loved ones, then he already goes into relationships with strangers without any doubts, and also helps them. For example, she helps the Marmeladov family. At this time, the investigation into the murder committed by Raskolnikov continues. The clever investigator Petrovich continues to search for the killer, and Raskolnikov extremely hopes that he will not fall under suspicion. In addition, the hero tries not only not to catch the eye of the investigator, but also in every possible way confuses the investigation with his actions.

Raskolnikov changes after he met a young girl Sonya Marmeladova, who, like the main character, was at that moment in extremely poor condition. To help the family, Sonya works as a prostitute and has a yellow ticket - a document that allows the girl to officially earn her living. Sonia is only eighteen years old, she believes in goodness and in God. Her family does not even have enough money for food, she gives all the money she earns to food, leaving herself almost a penny. Raskolnikov does not really like the fact that she sacrifices everything - her fate and her body, in order to help others. At first, Sonya's personality causes indignation in Raskolnikov, but very soon the young hero falls in love with a girl. Raskolnikov tells her that he committed the murder. Sonya asks him to repent of his crime - both before God and before the law. However, Raskolnikov does not share her beliefs too much, but, nevertheless, love for the girl makes Raskolnikov repent before God about what he had done, after which he comes to the police and confesses.

Further hard labor, where he finds God. A new life began for him, in which he began to see not only bad, but also good. It was his love for Sonya that made him think that all his idea about different types of people, one of which is "entitled to", and the rest are just consumables, does not make sense at all. Raskolnikov's theory was completely inhuman, because no one and under no motives can dispose of a person's life. Such actions violate all the laws of morality and Christianity.

In the end, Raskolnikov's theory fails, because the hero himself begins to understand that it is devoid of any meaning. If earlier Raskolnikov believed that a person is a trembling creature, then after realizing he realizes that every person deserves the right to life and the right to choose his own destiny. In the end, Raskolnikov realizes that good is the basis of life and doing good to people is much more pleasant than living only in his own interests, spitting on the fate of the people around him.

conclusions

Raskolnikov became a hostage to his position in society. Being a smart enough, capable and educated person, he did not have the opportunities and means to live normally. Strongly upset by his position, Raskolnikov sees no other way how to earn his living at the expense of other people, whom he considers only "meat", material that can be used to achieve his goals. The only thing that makes Raskolnikov again believe in goodness and forget about his crazy ideas is nothing more than love for a girl. It was Sonya Marmeladova who showed the hero that doing good is much better than hurting. Under her influence, Raskolnikov begins to believe in God and repents of his sins. In addition, the hero surrenders to the police on his own and starts a new life.


Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov is a former student whom the reader finds in a situation of extreme poverty. The young man is preoccupied with spiritual search, he seeks to make the world, the existence of others better by any means. This maximalism brings Raskolnikov to an insane cruel theory of crime through the lives of individuals for the common good.

Rodion Romanovich is contradictory: on the one hand, he is ready to sacrifice the latter to help someone in need (the hero gives all the money for Marmeladov's funeral), but, on the other hand, he puts himself above many, which is evident from the theory.

But, in spite of everything, Raskolnikov is a person with a deep soul, capable of sincere feelings - love for his sister, mother and Sonya is confirmation of this.

Rodion Romanovich is a seeker, a resolute man endowed with a great mind. He found himself in a difficult life situation and made a serious mistake. However, the hero has tremendous fortitude, thanks to which a kind of "rebirth from the ashes" takes place in order to start a new life - and in this, Faith and Love become his main assistants.

Updated: 2014-03-21

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Useful material on the topic

Pupils get acquainted with the proud romantic Rodion Raskolnikov, who imagines himself to be the "arbiter of destinies" in the 10th grade. The story of the murder of an old woman-pawnbroker, which happened in St. Petersburg in the mid-1860s, leaves no one indifferent. presented to the world literature the brightest representative of the personality in which "the devil fights with God."

History of creation

Fyodor Mikhailovich conceived his most famous work, which is respected in every corner of the world, in hard labor, where he ended up for participating in the Petrashevsky circle. In 1859, the author of an imperishable novel wrote to his brother from Tver exile:

“In December, I will start an affair. (…) I told you about one confession-novel that I wanted to write after all, saying that I still have to go through it myself. All my heart with blood will rely on this novel. I conceived it, lying on a bunk, in a difficult moment of sadness and self-decay. "

The convict experience radically changed the writer's beliefs. Here he met personalities who conquered Dostoevsky with the strength of their spirit - this spiritual experience was to form the basis of a new novel. However, his birth was postponed for six years, and only faced with a complete lack of money, the "parent" took up the pen.

The image of the key character was suggested by life itself. At the beginning of 1865, the newspapers were full of horrific news that a young Muscovite named Gerasim Chistov had killed a washerwoman and a cook who were serving with a bourgeois with an ax. Gold and silver things, as well as all the money, disappeared from the women's chests.

A French assassin was added to the list of prototypes. Dostoevsky borrowed from Pierre-François Lasener the "lofty ideals" underlying the crimes. The man saw nothing reprehensible in his murders, moreover, he justified them, calling himself a "victim of society."


And the main pivot of the novel appeared after the publication of the book "The Life of Julius Caesar", in which the emperor expresses the idea that the powerful of this world, in contrast to the "gray mass of ordinary people", are endowed with the right to trample on moral values ​​and even kill if they deem it necessary ... This is where Raskolnikov's theory of the "superman" came from.

At first, "Crime and Punishment" was conceived in the form of a confession of the protagonist, which did not exceed five or six printed sheets in volume. The author mercilessly burned the finished initial version and began to work on an expanded version, the first chapter of which appeared in January 1866 in the Russian Bulletin magazine. Twelve months later, Dostoevsky put an end to another work, consisting of six parts and an epilogue.

Biography and plot

Raskolnikov's life is unenviable, like all young people from poor families of the 19th century. Rodion Romanovich studied law at St. Petersburg University, but due to extreme need he had to quit his studies. The young man lived in a cramped attic closet in the Sennaya Square area. Once he pawned the old woman-pawnbroker Alena Ivanovna the last valuable thing - his father's silver watch, and on the same evening in a tavern he met the drunken unemployed, former titular councilor Marmeladov. He told about the terrible tragedy of the family: from lack of money, his wife sent her daughter Sonya to the panel.


The next day, Raskolnikov received a letter from his mother, in which the troubles of his family were outlined. To make ends meet, they are going to marry Sister Dunya to the calculating and already middle-aged court counselor Luzhin. In other words, the girl will be sold, and with the money raised, Rodion will have the opportunity to continue his studies at the university.

The goal to kill and rob the pawnbroker, who was born even before meeting Marmeladov and news from home, was strengthened. In his soul, Rodion is experiencing a struggle between aversion to a bloody act and the lofty idea of ​​saving innocent girls who, by the will of fate, play the role of victims.


Raskolnikov nevertheless killed the old woman, and at the same time her meek younger sister Lizaveta, who came at the wrong time to the apartment. The young man hid the stolen goods in a hole under the wallpaper, without even finding out how rich he is now. Later, he prudently hid money and things in one of the St. Petersburg courtyards.

After the murder of Raskolnikov, deep spiritual experiences overtake. The young man was about to drown himself, but changed his mind. He feels an insurmountable chasm between himself and people, falls into a fever and even almost confesses to the murder to the clerk of the police station.


Exhausted from fear and at the same time from a thirst for exposure, Rodion Raskolnikov confessed to the murder. The compassionate girl did not manage to persuade the young man to come to the police to confess, because he intended to "fight again." But soon he could not stand it, having paid for the double murder with hard labor in Siberia. Sonya went after Raskolnikov, settling near his place of detention.

Image and main idea

Dostoevsky gives an accurate description of Raskolnikov's appearance: he is a handsome young man with thin facial features and dark eyes, taller than average, and slender. The impression is spoiled by the poor clothes and the evil contempt that now and then flickers on the hero's face.


The psychological portrait of Rodion Romanovich changes throughout the story. First, a proud personality appears, but with the collapse of the "superman" theory, pride is pacified. Deep down, he is a kind and sensitive person, he loves his mother and sister devotedly, once he saved the children from a fire, and gave the last money to the funeral of Marmeladov. The idea of ​​violence is alien and even repugnant to him.

The hero painfully reflects on the Napoleonic idea that humanity is divided into two parts - ordinary people and arbiters of destinies. Raskolnikov is worried about two questions - "am I trembling creature or have the right?" and “is it possible to commit a small evil for the sake of a great good?”, which became the motives for his crime.


However, the “ideological killer” soon realizes that it is impossible to transgress the moral laws without consequences, one will have to go through the path of spiritual suffering and come to repentance. Raskolnikov can be safely called a marginal who failed to defend his own beliefs. His teaching and rebellion failed, the theory drawn did not stand the test of reality. Towards the end of the novel, the characterization of the main character changes: Rodion admits that he turned out to be a "trembling creature", an ordinary person with weaknesses and vices, and the truth is revealed to him - only humility of heart leads to the fullness of life, to love, to God.

Screen adaptations

The main characters of the novel "Crime and Punishment" have appeared in many films of Russian and foreign cinema. The work made its debut at home in 1910, but modern lovers of Dostoevsky's work have lost the opportunity to watch the work of director Vasily Goncharov - the picture has been lost. Three years later, Raskolnikov again "called" the audience to the cinemas, represented by the artist Pavel Orlenev.


But these were minor tapes. He opened the chronicle of glorious film works based on the imperishable novel, the film by Pierre Chenal with Pierre Blanchard in the title role. The French managed to convincingly convey the image of Raskolnikov and the tragedy of the Russian work, the actor was even awarded the Volpi Cup. Two more foreign films "Crime and Punishment" starred the Slovak Peter Lorre and the French.


Soviet cinema became famous for the two-part film by Lev Kulidzhanov: he committed a crime, who worked on the set with (Porfiry Petrovich), Tatyana Bedova (Sonechka Marmeladova), (Luzhin), (Marmeladov) and other famous actors. This role gave Taratorkin popularity - before her, the young actor modestly worked in the Leningrad Youth Theater and managed to act in films only once. The picture from the entire scattering of productions on the theme of the work of Fyodor Mikhailovich is recognized as the most successful.


The early 2000s saw a boom in the creation of films based on classics. The directors did not pass by Dostoevsky either. "Crime and Punishment" in eight episodes was filmed by Dmitry Svetozarov. In the 2007 film, the role of Rodion Raskolnikov went to, Sonya Marmeladova played, and Porfiry Petrovich -. Film work was coldly received by critics, calling it controversial. In particular, the song accompanying the credits was embarrassing:

"Whoever dares much is right, he is the ruler over them."
  • The magazine "Russian Bulletin" owes its popularity to Dostoevsky's novel. After the publication of "Crime and Punishment", the publication gained 500 new subscribers - an impressive number for those times.
  • According to the original idea of ​​the author, the novel had a different ending. Raskolnikov was supposed to commit suicide, but Fyodor Mikhailovich decided that such an outcome was too simple.

  • In St. Petersburg at st. Grazhdanskaya, 19 - Stolyarny lane, 5 there is a house that is called Raskolnikov's house. It is believed that the main character of the novel lived in it. There are exactly 13 steps leading to the attic, as it is written in the book. Dostoevsky describes in detail the courtyard where his character hid the loot. According to the writer's memoir, the courtyard is also real - Fyodor Mikhailovich drew attention to this place when he relieved his needs during a walk.

  • Georgy Taratorkin was approved for the role from photography. The actor lay with a serious illness in the hospital, the diagnosis was disappointing - according to the doctors' forecasts, his legs would have to be amputated. In the photo, Taratorkin impressed the director with a sickly haggard face, and this is how Raskolnikov seemed to him. When the young actor received the good news about the confirmation of his candidacy, he immediately got to his feet. So the role saved the man's limbs.
  • In Kulidzhanov's film, the episode of the destruction of evidence by Raskolnikov after the murder is accompanied by a muffled rhythmic thump. This sound is the heartbeat of Georgy Taratorkin recorded on a tape recorder.

Quotes

“I only believe in my main idea. It consists precisely in the fact that people, according to the law of nature, are generally divided into two categories: into the lower (ordinary), that is, so to speak, into material that serves solely for the birth of their own kind, and actually into people, that is, those who have the gift or the talent to say a new word among his own ... The first category is always the lord of the present, the second category is the lord of the future. The former keep the peace and increase it numerically; the latter move the world and lead it to the goal. "
"A scoundrel man gets used to everything!"
"Science says: love, first of all, one yourself, for everything in the world is based on personal interest."
"Become the sun, everyone will see you."
"There is nothing in the world more difficult than straightforwardness, and there is nothing easier than flattery."
"If you fail, everything seems silly!"
"Who in Russia does not consider himself Napoleon now?"
“Everything is in the hands of a man, and he carries everything past his nose, solely out of cowardice. Curious what people are most afraid of? They are most afraid of a new step, a new word of their own. "

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The world of Fyodor Mikhailovich includes many plans and levels. The novel of the Russian writer, Dostoevsky's description of Rodion Raskolnikov - the main character - is an occasion for reflection on the mass of socio-philosophical problems.

The reader meets Rodion Raskolnikov as soon as he opens the book. The life of the hero, the circumstances of the narrative force us to think about the problems of the development of society. These problems, affecting the moral and spiritual spheres, the areas of family and personal life, the topic of social progress, are relevant to us today.

Rodion Raskolnikov: analysis and characteristics of the character of Fyodor Dostoevsky

Hero Facts

In the first chapter, the reader already finds a description of the character's appearance, as well as information about Rodion's position in society. Let's consider some milestones in the biography of the protagonist in more detail:

  1. Rodion Romanovich is described as a poor young man (the hero's age is 23), who probably comes from a bourgeois family. The reader learns about the degree of poverty of the young man from the words that Rodion's mother is not far from begging for alms.
  2. Rodion was forced to leave his studies at the Faculty of Law. Previously, Raskolnikov was a student at St. Petersburg University.
  3. Because of poverty, the hero is often malnourished, walks in shabby and old clothes, and is forced to live in a pitiful little room, like a closet for mops. The plight of Rodion Romanovich does not allow the hero to continue his studies, pay for the apartment and repay debts.
  4. Despite poverty, Raskolnikov does not accept help from the hands of his best friend, Dmitry Razumikhin, or his mother. The hero regards this as his own weakness, considering accepting help as humiliation.
  5. Raskolnikov is depicted as a young man of extraordinary intelligence. Razumikhin repeatedly notes that his friend is very smart.
  6. In addition, the young man is the owner of a good education. Marmeladov emphasizes that Rodion is educated, knows German, as he reads "German sheets of the article."

Reading is awesome! We invite you to familiarize yourself with Fyodor Dostoevsky

External features of Raskolnikov

On the first pages of "Crime and Punishment" there is also a description of Rodion's appearance. The hero is endowed with beauty and delicate facial features. Raskolnikov is tall and thin. The slender young man is distinguished by dark blond hair, the same dark eyes and pale skin color. Rodion gives the impression of a sickly person. Raskolnikov walks in old clothes that look so shabby that she was a woman once going to help the young man with alms.

The character and inner world of Raskolnikov

The main character of the work of Fyodor Mikhailovich is distinguished by gloom, isolation and thoughtfulness. Rodion avoids society, he is uncommunicative and shows adherence to Nietzschean philosophy and nihilism. Raskolnikov's gloom contributes to the hero's propensity for self-isolation: what he has in common with people irritates him. The melancholy of the protagonist is combined with irascibility, which sometimes transforms into coldness. Fyodor Dostoevsky describes Raskolnikov as young men with contrasting features: sometimes the coldness of the protagonist reaches inhumanity and even insensitivity. The reader notices that two opposite personalities are fighting in Rodion, who alternately dominate the character of the hero.

Raskolnikov is emotionally restrained, rarely expresses feelings and emotions. The young man avoids society, motivating his own taciturnity with employment. However, the hero's employment is internal, looking from the outside as laziness or passivity. Indifference to what is happening shows a proud and arrogant nature. However, Raskolnikov's pride turns into pride. These traits are combined with manifestations of pride and vanity. Poverty did not defeat the protagonist, leaving his arrogance and domineering traits alive. Raskolnikov seems to value and exalt himself for no reason.

Education leads to arrogance and self-confidence, as well as seriousness. Meanwhile, Raskolnikov also has positive features that Sonechka Marmeladova saw in the hero. This is generosity and kindness, nobility. The mother of the protagonist says that kindness is a trait that distinguishes both her son and her daughter, Dunya. Raskolnikov does not feel sorry for money, which he himself is in constant need: Rodion repeatedly helps Sonya with money, and once even gave his last money to a poor widow - for her husband's funeral.

The investigator, Porfiry Petrovich, notes that Raskolnikov is a scoundrel, although he has numerous talents and merits. In addition to philosophical talent, the young man is endowed with a writing, literary gift. The reader knows about this from the novel: while staying in a rented apartment belonging to the murdered Lizaveta, Rodion writes a newspaper article "On the Crime", which is deeply symbolic, given the subsequent events. The complexity of Rodion's character shows a symbiosis of painful traits and impatience.

Ideological struggle of Raskolnikov

In the context of the characterization of Rodion Raskolnikov, mention should be made of the ideas for which the hero, according to Porfiry Petrovich, fights with terrible strength and courage. The traits mentioned above - pride, poverty, arrogance - give rise to an idea in the hero's mind. Here on the face - the influence of the ideas of German philosophy of the late 19th century and Friedrich Nietzsche, in particular. The essence of socio-philosophical ideas is as follows: the hero classified all people into two groups - ordinary people ("trembling creature"), and outstanding personalities, "having the right."

Raskolnikov refers himself, of course, to the "eligible". Connoisseurs of Nietzsche's doctrine of the superman will easily notice that this group of people corresponds to the image of the superman: a rope stretched over an abyss, lightning striking from a thundercloud. Nietzsche thinks of man as a bridge between the animal and the superman.

"Eligible" superhumans are not bound by generally accepted rules. Therefore, having gained an inner confidence in permissiveness, Raskolnikov kills the unfortunate old woman, the hostess of the boarding house. But punishment comes to the hero in the form of the most terrible executioner - conscience.

About crime and punishment

However, life is far from abstract ideas. The idea is close to the ideal, which is the essence of what is always moving away, the ideal is something unattainable. Raskolnikov did not take into account that he was going to destroy the embodied universal evil (according to the hero), hidden in the image of an old woman-usurer, greed and social injustice. But the death of the old woman also led to the death of Lizaveta - an unfortunate old woman who did not cause inconvenience and tried to survive - like the main character himself.

Raskolnikov stole the money, but it turned out to be useless: it was disgusting and disgusting for Rodion to use what was confiscated from Lizaveta. The hero was overtaken by the most terrible punishment, from whose eyes one cannot hide - this is conscience.

Fear pursued Raskolnikov: Rodion was afraid that the police would reveal the crime and the identity of the criminal.

The now popular writer J.K. Rowling emphasized that murder is a crime that splits a person's soul. This is also true for Raskolnikov, since the murder of the old woman turned for the hero into a crime of moral brink, placing Rodion in a dangerous situation. Avoiding social connections and communication, the hero felt that he was losing his mind. Raskolnikov finds relief only in communication with Sonya. Rodion opens his soul to the girl - he confesses what he had done.

Raskolnikov reconsiders his own personality, reinterprets himself. The offense contributed to the fact that the hero looked at himself from the outside: Rodion saw that Razumikhin was his best friend, his mother and sister loved him, and, as it turned out, they loved him undeservedly. Dmitry wants to understand the reasons for Raskolnikov's deplorable state, but he closes in on himself.

But the fateful event transforms the behavior of the hero - in relation to himself and those around him. Raskolnikov is trying to improve communication with people. The deed awakens feelings in the hero that had been sleeping until that moment: Rodion realizes that loving someone is a heavy burden. The hero tries to compensate for the crime with new actions - socially significant. Rodion helps the widow of the official Marmeladov, saves the girl from violence.

At the same time, the essence of the hero is deeply ambivalent. High, noble features are combined with moral decline, annoyance. Raskolnikov is irritated with close people, feeling loneliness, isolation. The crime threw Rodion into a spiritual vacuum. Conscience for Rodion was transformed in its meaning: Raskolnikov is not ashamed of a crime, but of the fact that he turned out to be too weak to be tested. Considering himself to be in the category of “those who have rights,” the young man does not regard the offense as evil.

Unwillingness to be caught and spend time in prison makes Rodion hide and cheat. The investigation is being conducted by a clever and wise investigator Porfiry Petrovich, while Raskolnikov is spending all his efforts to confuse the investigative work. The need to lie, to pretend, devastates the young man.

The role of Sonechka Marmeladova in the fate of Raskolnikov

By the time of his acquaintance with Sonya, Raskolnikov's condition caused extreme fears. On the one hand, the young man was burdened by his conscience and a vague sense of guilt. On the other hand, Rodion did not believe that he had committed a crime. Sonya returns Raskolnikov to the path of spiritual improvement, showing that salvation is in Christianity and the return to God.

For adherents of Nietzschean philosophy, Christianity did not look like an attractive religion: rather, the Nietzscheans, nihilists viewed the Christian faith as a resentment.

Sonya was 18 years old when the girl met Raskolnikov. Rodion felt a spiritual kinship with Marmeladova, because she, too, was in distress. Poverty, the need to take care of the family, pushed the girl to sell her own body. Prostitution didn’t break Sonya’s spirit and didn’t make the girl less clean in moral terms - this is a paradox. Sonya, despite the hardships of life, managed to keep the light in her soul, which she shared with Raskolnikov. The heroes find the salvation they needed by turning to each other.


Sonya's fate is a "yellow ticket", because the girl gave all the money she earned to a needy family. Marmeladova is a victim who undergoes humiliation, insults, a target for expressing anger from others. The principle of talion is alien to Sonya: rather, a girl lives in accordance with the “golden rule of morality”. The writer, creator of the Crime and Punishment universe, calls the heroine "unrequited." The girl is not characteristic of vindictiveness: the owner of a kind heart and a compassionate soul, Sonya lives by conscience, without losing faith in a bright future and God.

The relationship between Sonya and Raskolnikov is developing gradually. At first, Rodion dislikes the girl, because he believes that she is showing pity - an unworthy, humiliating feeling for the hero. Over time, Sonya's love and deep religiosity affects Rodion. The feelings of the protagonist for Marmeladova cannot be called love, but Raskolnikov understands that he has no one closer to Sonya. He stopped communicating with the Raskolnikov family, and also with a friend. Only a person who himself has gone through similar sufferings and schism is capable of understanding suffering and a split in the soul.

Raskolnikov is struggling with himself. But in this battle there are no winners - only the losers. As a result, exhausted and devastated, Rodion comes to Sonya and reveals the girl's soul and moral wound. Sonya hopes that Raskolnikov will find the courage to confess to the crime. Only a sincere, sincere confession will save the hero from spiritual death.

Following Sonya's instructions, Raskolnikov confesses, after which he goes into exile to serve hard labor. Marmeladova leaves with her lover. Sonya and Rodion are different, but the presence of a spiritual abyss, attempts to overcome a spiritual split make the heroes related. Rodion does not accept God, does not believe in a higher essence. Sonya is convinced that mercy, patience and forgiveness will save a lost soul. Gradually, through the efforts of Sonya, Rodion comes to the realization of the path of salvation. Repentance helps you start a new life.

Several conclusions from the novel "Crime and Punishment"

The characterization of the main character of the work - Rodion Romanovich - is placed by the author in the center, in the frame of the novel. This is where the writer's reasoning about the essence of crime and punishment begins.


Kara, punishment does not come at the time of arrest or trial. The offender feels the consequences of the deed, guilt, pressure of conscience immediately after committing the offense. Doubt, isolation, social vacuum, loss of contact with family, torturer-conscience - this is punishment more terrible than hard labor and exile. One cannot hide from conscience, one cannot hide.

The "Crime and Punishment" contains a lesson, what Fyodor Dostoevsky is trying to teach a person, a reader. The example of Raskolnikov, a fictional character, warns a real person against committing such a crime. The author demonstrates to the reader how dangerous philosophy, nihilism, and deviation from the faith threaten.