The little man in the novel Crime and Punishment. "Little people" in the novel "Crime and Punishment" by F.M.
- The theme of the "little man" is a cross-cutting one in Dostoevsky's work.
- Features of the image of "little people" in Dostoevsky.
- The image of Marmeladov and Ekaterina Ivanovna..
- The image of Sonechka Marmeladova.
- Raskolnikov and his family.
The theme of the "little man" is a cross-cutting theme in F. M. Dostoevsky in all his work. So, already the first novel of the outstanding master, which is called "Poor People", touched on this topic, and it became the main one in his work. In almost every novel by Dostoevsky, the reader encounters "little people", "humiliated and insulted", who are forced to live in a cold and cruel world, and no one is able to help them. In the novel "Crime and Punishment" the theme of the "little man" is revealed with special passion, with special love for these people.
Dostoevsky had a fundamentally new approach to depicting "little people". These are no longer dumb and downtrodden people, as they were with Gogol. Their soul is complex and contradictory, they are endowed with the consciousness of their "I". In Dostoevsky, the “little man” himself begins to speak, talk about his life, fate, troubles, he talks about the injustice of the world in which he lives and those who are “humiliated and insulted” like him.
In the novel "Crime and Punishment" the fate of many "little people" forced to live under the cruel laws of cold, hostile Petersburg passes before the reader's eyes. Together with the main character Rodion Raskolnikov, the reader meets on the pages of the novel “humiliated and insulted”, together with him he experiences their spiritual tragedies. Among them is a dishonored girl hunted by a fat dandy, and an unfortunate woman who threw herself from a bridge, and
Marmeladov, and his wife Ekaterina Ivanovna, and daughter Sonechka. Yes, and Raskolnikov himself also belongs to the "little people", although he is trying to elevate himself above the people around him.
Dostoevsky not only depicts the disasters of the "little man", not only evokes pity for the "humiliated and insulted", but also shows the contradictions of their souls, the combination of good and evil in them. From this point of view, the image of Marmeladov is especially characteristic. The reader, of course, feels sympathy for the poor, tormented man who lost everything in his life, so he sank to the very bottom. But Dostoevsky is not limited to sympathy alone. He shows that Marmeladov's drunkenness not only hurt himself (he is fired from his job), but also brought a lot of misfortune to his family. Because of him, small children are starving, and the eldest daughter is forced to go outside to somehow help the impoverished family. Together with sympathy, Marmeladov also causes contempt for himself, you involuntarily blame him for the troubles that have fallen on the family.
The figure of his wife Ekaterina Ivanovna is also controversial. On the one hand, she tries in every possible way to prevent the final fall, recalls her happy childhood and carefree youth when she danced at the ball. But in reality, she simply consoles herself with her memories, allows her adopted daughter to engage in prostitution and even accepts money from her.
As a result of all the misfortunes, Marmeladov, who has "nowhere to go" in life, becomes an inveterate drunkard and commits suicide. His wife dies of consumption, completely exhausted by poverty. They could not endure the pressure of society, soulless St. Petersburg, did not find the strength to resist the oppression of the surrounding reality.
A completely different Sonechka Marmeladova appears before the readers. She is also a “little person”, moreover, nothing worse than her fate can be imagined. But, despite this, she finds a way out of the absolute impasse. She is accustomed to live according to the laws of the heart, according to Christian commandments. It is in them that she draws strength. She understands that the lives of her brothers and sisters depend on her, so she completely forgets about herself and devotes herself to others. Sonechka becomes a symbol of eternal sacrifice, she has great sympathy for man, compassion for all living things. It is the image of Sonya Marmeladova that becomes the most obvious exposure of the idea of \u200b\u200bblood according to Raskolnikov's conscience. It is no coincidence that, together with the old pawnbroker, Rodion kills her innocent sister Lizaveta, who is so similar to Sonechka.
Troubles and misfortunes haunt Raskolnikov's family as well. His sister Dunya is ready to marry a person who is opposite to her in order to financially help her brother. Raskolnikov himself lives in poverty, cannot even feed himself, so he is even forced to pawn a ring, a gift from his sister.
The novel contains many descriptions of the fate of "little people". Dostoevsky with deep psychological accuracy described the contradictions reigning in their souls, managed to show not only the downtroddenness and humiliation of such people, but also proved that it was among them that deeply suffering, strong and contradictory personalities were found.
The theme of the "little man" is one of the central themes in Russian literature. Pushkin (The Bronze Horseman), Tolstoy, and Chekhov touched on it in their works. Continuing the traditions of Russian literature, especially Gogol, Dostoevsky writes with pain and love about the "little man" living in a cold and cruel world. The writer himself remarked: "We all came out of Gogol's Overcoat."
The theme of the "little man", "humiliated and offended" was particularly strong in Dostoevsky's novel Crime and Punishment. One by one, the writer reveals before us pictures of hopeless poverty.
Here a woman throws herself from the bridge, "with a yellow, oblong, exhausted face and sunken eyes." Here comes a drunken dishonored girl walking down the street, followed by a fat dandy who is clearly hunting her. The former official Marmeladov becomes an inveterate drunkard and commits suicide, who has "nowhere to go" in life. Exhausted by poverty, his wife, Ekaterina Ivanovna, dies of consumption. Sonya goes outside to sell her body.
Dostoevsky emphasizes the power of the environment over man. Everyday little things become a whole system of characteristics for the writer. One has only to remember the conditions in which the “little people” have to live, and it becomes clear why they are so downtrodden and humiliated. Raskolnikov lives in a room with five corners, similar to a coffin. Sonya's dwelling is a lonely room with a strange sharp corner. Dirty and terrible are the taverns, in which, under the cries of drunkards, one can hear the terrible confessions of destitute people.
In addition, Dostoevsky not only depicts the disasters of the "little man", but also reveals the inconsistency of his inner world. Dostoevsky was the first to evoke such pity for the "humiliated and offended" and who mercilessly showed the combination of good and evil in these people. The image of Marmeladov is very characteristic in this respect. On the one hand, it is impossible not to feel sympathy for this poor and tormented man, crushed by need. But Dostoevsky is not limited to touching sympathy for the "little man." Marmeladov himself admits that his drunkenness finally ruined his family, that the eldest daughter was forced to go to the panel and that the family is fed, and he drinks precisely with this “dirty” money.
The figure of his wife Ekaterina Ivanovna is also controversial. She diligently keeps memories of a prosperous childhood, about her studies at the gymnasium, where she danced at the ball. She devoted herself entirely to the desire to prevent a final fall, but nevertheless she sent her step-daughter to engage in prostitution and also accepts this money. Ekaterina Ivanovna, with her pride, seeks to hide from the obvious truth: her house is ruined, and her younger children, perhaps, will repeat the fate of Sonechka.
The fate of the Raskolnikov family is also difficult. His sister Dunya, wanting to help her brother, serves as a governess to the cynic Svidrigailov and is ready to marry the rich man Luzhin, for whom she feels disgust.
Dostoevsky's hero Raskolnikov rushes around the crazy city and sees only dirt, grief and tears. This city is so inhuman that it even seems like the delirium of a madman, and not the real capital of Russia. Therefore, Raskolnikov's dream before the crime is not accidental: a drunken guy beats a small, skinny nag to death to the laughter of the crowd. This world is terrible and cruel, poverty and vice reign in it. It is this nag that becomes a symbol of all the “humiliated and insulted”, all the “little people” on the pages, which the powers that be, Svidrigailov, Luzhin and the like, mock and make fun of.
But Dostoevsky is not limited to this statement. He notes that it is in the heads of the humiliated and offended that painful thoughts about their situation are born. Among these "poor people" Dostoevsky finds contradictory, deep and strong personalities who, due to certain circumstances of life, have become entangled in themselves and in people. Of course, the most developed of them is the character of Raskolnikov himself, whose inflamed consciousness created a theory contrary to Christian laws.
It is characteristic that one of the most "humiliated and insulted" - Sonya Marmeladova - finds a way out of the seemingly absolute impasse of life. Without studying books on philosophy, but simply at the call of her heart, she finds the answer to those questions that torment the philosopher-student Raskolnikov.
F. M. Dostoevsky created a vivid canvas of immeasurable human torment, suffering and grief. Looking closely into the soul of the "little man", he discovered in it deposits of spiritual generosity and beauty, not broken by the hardest conditions of life. And this was a new word not only in Russian, but also in world literature.
"Little People" Dostoevsky
The theme and image of the "little man" was repeatedly touched upon by many Russian writers. Among those who addressed the problem of "little people" can be called A. P. Chekhov, A. S. Pushkin, N. V. Gogol, and, undoubtedly, F. M. Dostoevsky, the theme of the life of a "little man" in society is also found in one of his most famous novels, Crime and Punishment.
Marmeladovs
The "little people" of this work have their own thoughts, ideas and beliefs, but are crushed by life. One of the first characters of this type, found on the pages of the novel, is Semyon Marmeladov, who tells about his fate to Rodion Raskolnikov in a tavern. Marmeladov is a former official who lost his job and constantly drinks both because of this and because of fear and powerlessness before life. Marmeladov's family, like himself, feeds on the money earned by his daughter Sonya on the panel. In the further development of the plot, Marmeladov dies, having fallen under the wheels. His wife also belongs to the "little people", but she is somewhat different; she is not one who meekly endures all the hardships that fall to her lot. Katerina Ivanovna constantly recalls her prosperous childhood, her studies at the gymnasium. The woman carefully drives away thoughts of falling and poverty, but it is she who sends her stepdaughter Sonya to sell her body. Katerina talks about her aristocratic connections and dreams of opening a boarding house, with the help of this, as if fencing herself off from the horrifying reality and poverty. The behavior of Marmeladov's wife confirms that she, too, was broken by all the hardships of life, hiding behind her pride the inability to withstand the difficulties of fate.
Luzhin
Absolutely not like the Marmeladov couple is such a character in the work as Pyotr Petrovich Luzhin, however, he can also be classified with full confidence as “little people”. The selfish, inhuman relations preached by him lead to the complete atrophy of good, bright spiritual feelings. Luzhin is only interested in his own benefit and career; in order to achieve his own benefit, he is ready for any humiliation and immoral acts that he does not directly, but vilely, on the sly, so as not to be responsible for them later. People like Petr Petrovich are vile "little people" who can never be truly happy.
Sonya
But Sonya Marmeladova, at first glance, very similar to the "little man", meekly enduring all the blows of fate, in fact, is not him. Sonya transgresses the laws of morality only in order to save a starving family, remaining a person with a pure soul. Inner stamina and faith in God help the girl to adequately endure all the humiliation that falls to her lot and even help others, pity them. So, it is Sonya who helps Raskolnikov first confess to the murder, and then - to gain peace of mind and faith in God.
Conclusion
The example of the novel "Crime and Punishment" shows that the "little people" of F. M. Dostoevsky still somewhat differ from similar characters of other writers and have their own characteristics. All of them are not able to repulse the hardships of life, which manifests itself in a variety of ways: for Marmeladov - in self-destruction, for Katerina Ivanovna - in exorbitant pride, and for Luzhin - in an insatiable thirst for profit and power. However, the writer saw for such people the possibility of salvation, which is expressed for him in a sincere and strong faith in God, which gave Sonya Marmeladova the opportunity to rise above everyone and help Rodion Raskolnikov.
In a slightly different way, but basically in the same manner, the image of the little man in Crime and Punishment is built. His incarnation there is Marmeladov, a petty official who was expelled from service for drunkenness. His image is internally deeply dramatic. In this seemingly completely worthless person, able to drink away the last money of the family and go to Sonya to ask for a hangover, Dostoevsky, true to his creative principles, finds a living human soul. According to Marmeladov's monologues, it is very noticeable that he was once not devoid of pride, consciousness of his own human dignity. Now only shame is left of that pride. Marmeladov is no longer able to cope with his pernicious passion, is not able to rise, but he is able to punish himself for this with the most severe moral punishment. If he were alone, he would not suffer. But the consciousness that Katerina Ivanovna and the children are suffering because of him is what torments Marmeladov, forcing him to address his hysterical and desperate confession to the regulars of the tavern, to Raskolnikov. He, once a proud and conscientious person, is not afraid to expose himself to shame and ridicule, on the contrary, he strives for this, because this is how he punishes himself. The depth with which this degraded person is able to feel the moral suffering of Katerina Ivanovna, relentlessly think about her and the children, about his guilt and his sin, is striking. And, what is very important for Dostoevsky, this man continues to trust in God - this is the meaning of the parable he told Raskolnikov. And - another important moment for Dostoevsky - the hope for divine mercy is combined in Marmeladov with humility and self-abasement, which replaced the former pride. Such a person, according to Dostoevsky, is not lost to God.
An extremely touching detail that completes the image of Marmeladov is the gingerbread that is found in his pocket after death - evidence of his last thought about children. This detail finally places evaluative accents: the author is far from despising or even condemning Marmeladov; he is a sinner, but he deserves forgiveness. Continuing the tradition of his predecessors, Dostoevsky brings to the fore in the interpretation of the theme of the little man the principle of humanism, the need not to condemn and cast a stone, but to understand and forgive.
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F. M. Dostoevsky in his work showed the immensity of the suffering of humiliated and insulted people and expressed great pain for this suffering. The writer himself was humiliated and offended by the terrible reality that broke the fate of his heroes. Each of his works looks like a personal bitter confession. This is how the novel "Crime and Punishment" is perceived. It reflects a desperate protest against the cruel reality that crushed millions of people, just as the unfortunate Marmeladov was crushed to death.
The story of the moral struggle of the protagonist of the novel, Rodion Raskolnikov, unfolds against the backdrop of the daily life of the city. The description of Petersburg in the novel makes a depressing impression. Dirty, stinky, stuffy everywhere. Drunken cries are heard from the taverns, poorly dressed people are crowding on the boulevards and squares: attracted no one's arrogant attention to themselves, and it was possible to walk around in any form you like without scandalizing anyone. Raskolnikov is one of this crowd: “He was so poorly dressed that another, even a familiar person, would be ashamed to go out into the street in such rags during the day.”
The life of the other heroes of the novel is also terrible - the drunken official Marmeladov, his wife Katerina Ivanovna, who is dying of consumption, Raskolnikov's mother and sister, who are being bullied by landowners and rich people.
Dostoevsky depicts various shades of psychological experiences of a poor man who has nothing to pay for an apartment to his master. The writer shows the torment of children growing up in a dirty corner next to a drunken father and dying mother, amidst constant strife and quarrels; the tragedy of a young and pure girl, who, due to the hopeless situation of her family, is forced to start selling herself and doom herself to constant humiliation.
However, Dostoevsky is not limited to describing everyday phenomena and facts of horrifying reality. He seems to connect them with the image of the complex characters of the heroes of the novel. The writer seeks to show that the everyday everyday life of the city gives rise not only to material poverty and lack of rights, but also cripples the psychology of people. Driven to despair, “little people” begin to have various fantastic “ideas”, no less nightmarish than the reality surrounding them.
Such is Raskolnikov's "idea" about Napoleons and "trembling creatures", "ordinary" and "extraordinary" people. Dostoevsky shows how this philosophy is born from life itself, under the influence of the terrifying existence of “little people”.
But not only the fate of Raskolnikov is made up of tragic trials and painful searches for a way out of this situation. The life of other heroes of the novel - Marmeladov, Sonya, and Dunya - is also deeply tragic.
The heroes of the novel are painfully aware of the hopelessness of their situation and all the cruelty of reality. “After all, it is necessary that every person at least somewhere could go. For there is such a time when it is absolutely necessary to go at least somewhere!., after all, it is necessary that every person should have at least one such place where he would be pitied!.. Do you understand, do you understand ... what does it mean, when there is nowhere else to go?..” - from these words of Marmeladov, sounding like a cry for salvation, the heart of every reader shrinks. In fact, they express the main idea of the novel. This is the cry of the soul of a man, exhausted, crushed by his inevitable fate.
The protagonist of the novel feels a close connection with all the humiliated and suffering people, feels a moral responsibility to them. The fates of Sonya Marmeladova and Dunya are connected in his mind into one knot of social and moral problems. After the crime, Raskolnikov is overcome by despair and anxiety. He experiences fear, hatred for his persecutors, horror before a perfect and irreparable deed. And then he begins to look at other people more carefully than before, to compare his fate with theirs.
Raskolnikov brings the fate of Sonya closer to his own, in her behavior and attitude to life, he begins to look for a solution to the questions that torment him.
Sonya Marmeladova appears in the novel as the bearer of the moral ideals of millions of "humiliated and offended". Like Raskolnikov, Sonya is a victim of the existing unfair order of things. The drunkenness of her father, the suffering of her stepmother, brother and sisters, doomed to hunger and poverty, forced her, like Raskolnikov, to cross the line of morality. She begins to sell her body, gives herself up to the vile and depraved world. But, unlike Raskolnikov, she is firmly convinced that no hardships of life can justify violence and crime. Sonya calls on Raskolnikov to abandon the morality of the “superman” in order to steadfastly connect his fate with the fate of suffering and oppressed humanity and thereby atone for his guilt before him.
"Little people" in Dostoevsky's novel, despite the gravity of their position, prefer to be victims rather than executioners. Better to be crushed than to crush others! The main character gradually comes to this conclusion. At the end of the novel, we see him on the threshold of a "new life", "a gradual transition from one world to another, acquaintance with a new, hitherto completely unknown reality."
