Who is the schismatic crime and. Composition: The image of Raskolnikov in the novel "Crime and Punishment

Rodion Raskolnikov is a poor student who decided to check whether he is a trembling creature or a person, and thus committed a terrible crime - murder, the main character of Dostoevsky's novel Crime and Punishment.

On the pages of the work, the author introduces us to the life story of Raskolnikov, while raising a number of important philosophical, moral, social and family issues. Rodion Raskolnikov is a key figure in the story, around which all other events are tied and the development of storylines depends.

Characteristics of the main character

("Rodion Raskolnikov" - illustration for the novel, artist I.S. Glazunov, 1982)

In the very first chapter of the novel, we get acquainted with its main character Radion Raskolnikov, a former student of the law faculty of the capital's university. He lives in a gloomy and cramped little room, is poorly dressed, which speaks of his very plight, has a thoughtful, extremely closed and sickly appearance. Having no means of subsistence, he is in a difficult financial situation, he has no money either for food, or for studies, or to pay for an apartment.

His appearance, despite the gloominess and gloom, is quite attractive: tall, thin and slender figure, dark expressive eyes, dark blond hair. The young man has a sharp mind and has a good education, but his humiliating condition hurts pride and pride, making him gloomy and withdrawn. Any help from outside is instantly refuted by him, because it humiliates his dignity and violates independence.

In order to somehow survive, he is forced to go to the old pawnbroker who lives next door and pawn her last valuable things for mere pennies. Gradually, in his brain, exhausted by the problems of survival, the idea of ​​dividing all people into the most ordinary and having the right to do whatever they want arises. Being under the influence of his exorbitant pride and pride, Raskolnikov comes to the idea of ​​his chosenness and great destiny. He decides to kill and rob the old money-lender, who has become for him the embodiment of the evil and suffering of poor people, thus checking the correctness of his idea and making his contribution to a better future for himself and his family.

Having survived long and painful hesitation, Raskolnikov nevertheless fulfills his plan. He kills the pawnbroker Alena Ivanovna, and at the same time her wretched sister Lizaveta, who unwittingly became a witness to a cruel crime. Being in a terrible state after what he did, Raskolnikov realizes that he could not become the "superman" he wanted, and cannot even take the money that he previously planned to steal from the "ugly old woman", as he calls her.

(In his closet, Raskolnikov is haunted by mental anguish)

Realizing that his theory does not “work”, Raskolnikov will fall into severe mental anguish, he is haunted by the fear of exposure, terrible memories and spilled blood, a feeling of complete hopelessness and loneliness. He comes to the understanding that his act was absolutely senseless and brought grief to him and everyone around him. And yet, Rodion does not repent of his deed, he is disgusted and sickened by the fact that he did not prove his theory. Tortured and suffering, he perceives this as the lot of strong people who are able to withstand such trials, but he still does not understand that he is already beginning to repent and needs forgiveness and understanding.

Only having met the meek and sincere Sonya Marmeladova, who is also in a difficult and distressed situation, on his life path, he opens up to her and confesses to the crime he has committed. Thus begins the revival of Raskolnikov's almost already dead soul, he returns to goodness and light, finds God. Not the first time, but still Rodion publicly confesses to the crime and is sent to hard labor.

The image of the main character in the work

The plot of the novel was conceived by Fyodor Dostoevsky when he himself was serving hard labor for his political convictions, and was in a difficult state of moral decay and degradation. There he met personalities who conquered him with fortitude and unusual destinies, it was their spiritual experience that became the basis for writing the future masterpiece of world classical literature.

The image of the main character Raskolnikov had real prototypes in life, this is the young Muscovite Gerasim Chistov, who killed two women with an ax and robbed them, and the second is the Frenchman Pierre-Francois Lacener, who called himself a “victim of society” and did not see anything bad in his crimes. The idea of ​​a “superman”, as well as the division of people into gray masses and having the right to commit any act, even murder, was borrowed by Dostoevsky from Napoleon’s book “The Life of Julius Caesar”.

(Having confessed to the crime, Raskolnikov is serving hard labor)

The fate of the protagonist Raskolnikov was taken by Dostoevsky as an example for everyone around, for us to realize the main problem of all mankind throughout the history of its existence. No crimes can go unpunished, life will put everything in its place and turn out to be much smarter and more resourceful than us, everyone will be rewarded according to his merits.

Through moral torments and psychological tests, Dostoevsky raises the moral and ethical problems of society, once again proves to all of us the relevance and vital importance of Christian principles and norms. The novel has a deep philosophical and religious meaning, written more than one hundred and fifty years ago, and is still relevant in our troubled times, because it shows us the way to the revival of material and spiritual values.

Raskolnikov appears in the novel as a young man who is not satisfied with either his life situation or who he himself is. And he wants, neither more nor less, to become a "superman". In his theory, he divided all people into two classes: reptiles "trembling creatures" and actually people - "having the right." People from the first of these classes serve only as material for self-reproduction and their role in this life is negligible, and world progress is driven by representatives of the class of “right holders”, who, in order to achieve their goals, can break any laws.

Rodion wants to think that he, after all, belongs to the category of "higher people." But this can only be verified empirically - through the commission of a specific act. Just in mind there is, as it seems to him, an “insect-man” - an old pawnbroker Alena Ivanovna, who does nothing good, but only robs the poor. There is also a higher goal for which you can sacrifice an old woman - meaning help to the unfortunate family of Semyon Zakharovich Marmeladov.

Thinking over the murder of Alena Ivanovna, Raskolnikov constantly reflects on the fidelity of his theory and even almost abandons it. But the whirlwind that he spun inside himself still drags 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 able to worry so much because of just one murder. Communication with such characters as Luzhin and, especially, Svidrigailov, lead 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 should be thankful.

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The world of Fedor Mikhailovich includes many plans, levels. The novel by the Russian writer, the characterization of Rodion Raskolnikov, the protagonist, offered by Dostoevsky, is an occasion for reflection on a mass of social and philosophical problems.

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

Rodion Raskolnikov: analysis and characterization 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. Consider some milestones in the biography of the protagonist in more detail:

1. Rodion Romanovich is described as a poor young man (the age of the hero 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 asking 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. From poverty, the hero is often malnourished, wears worn and old clothes, and is forced to live in a miserable little room that looks like a closet for mops. The plight of Rodion Romanovich does not allow the hero to continue his studies, pay for an apartment and repay debts.
4. Despite poverty, Raskolnikov does not accept help from the hands of his best comrade - Dmitry Razumikhin, or his mother. The hero regards this as his own weakness, considering accepting help as a humiliation.
5. Raskolnikov is depicted as a young man of extraordinary intelligence. Razumikhin repeatedly remarks 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 leaflets of the article."

Reading is cool! We invite you to get acquainted 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 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 around in old clothes that look so shabby that one day she was going to help the young man with alms.

The character and inner world of Raskolnikov

The protagonist of the work of Fyodor Mikhailovich is distinguished by gloominess, isolation and thoughtfulness. Rodion avoids society, he is uncommunicative and shows a commitment to Nietzsche philosophy and nihilism. Raskolnikov's gloominess contributes to the hero's tendency to self-isolation: having too much in common with people causes him irritation. The melancholy of the protagonist is combined with irascibility, which sometimes transforms into coldness. Fyodor Dostoevsky describes Raskolnikov as a young man 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 busyness is internal, looking from the outside as laziness or passivity. Indifference to what is happening is shown by 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 main character, leaving alive arrogance and imperious traits. It seems that Raskolnikov unreasonably appreciates and exalts himself.

Education leads to arrogance and self-confidence, as well as seriousness. Meanwhile, in Raskolnikov there are also 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 feature that distinguishes both the son and the daughter - Dunya. Raskolnikov does not feel sorry for the money, which he himself is constantly in need of: Rodion repeatedly helps Sonya with money, and once even gave the last funds to a poor widow - for her husband's funeral.

The investigator, Porfiry Petrovich, notices that Raskolnikov is a scoundrel, although he has numerous talents and virtues. In addition to philosophical talent, the young man is endowed with a writer's, literary gift. The reader knows about this from the novel: while staying in a rented apartment owned by Lizaveta, who was killed by him, 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.

Raskolnikov's ideological struggle

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 mind of the hero. Here on the face - the influence of the ideas of German philosophy of the late XIX 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 creatures"), and outstanding personalities, "having the right."

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

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

On Crime and Punishment

However, life is far from abstract ideas. The idea is close to the ideal, which is something that 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), lurking in the form of an old money-lender, 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 seized from Lizaveta. The hero was overtaken by the most terrible punishment, from the eyes of which one cannot escape - this is conscience.

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

The now popular writer JK Rowling emphasized that murder is a crime that splits the soul of a person. This is also true for Raskolnikov, since the murder of the old woman turned into a crime of the moral line for the hero, placing Rodion in a dangerous situation. Avoiding social ties 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 his deed.

Raskolnikov reconsiders his own personality, rethinks himself. The misconduct 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 love him, and, as it turned out, they love him undeservedly. Dmitry wants to understand the reasons for the deplorable state of Raskolnikov, but he closes in himself.

But a fateful event transforms the behavior of the hero - in relation to himself and others. Raskolnikov is trying to improve communication with people. The offense awakens in the hero feelings 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 a moral decline, annoyance. Raskolnikov gets annoyed with loved ones, feeling loneliness, isolation. The crime threw Rodion into a spiritual vacuum. Conscience for Rodion was transformed in its meaning: Raskolnikov is not ashamed of the crime, but of the fact that he turned out to be too weak to be tested. Referring himself to the category of "the rights of those who have", the young man does not regard the offense as evil.

The reluctance to be caught and spend time in prison makes Rodion hide and cunning. The investigation is conducted by a smart and wise investigator Porfiry Petrovich, while Raskolnikov spends all his energy on confusing 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 he met Sonya, Raskolnikov's condition caused extreme concern. On the one hand, the young man was weighed down 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 perfection, showing that salvation lies in Christianity and the return to God.

For adherents of the Nietzschean philosophy, Christianity did not look like an attractive religion: rather, the Nietzscheans, the nihilists, viewed the Christian doctrine as 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 did not break the spirit of Sonya and did not make the girl less morally pure - this is a paradox. Sonya, despite the hardships of life, managed to keep in her soul the light that she shared with Raskolnikov. The heroes find the salvation they need by turning to each other.

The fate of Sonya is a “yellow ticket”, because the girl gave all the money she earned to a needy family. Marmeladova is a victim undergoing humiliation, insults, a target for expressing anger on the part of others. Sonya is alien to the principle of the talion: rather, the girl lives, guided by the "golden rule of morality." The writer, creator of the Crime and Punishment universe, calls the heroine "unrequited." The girl is not characterized by vindictiveness: the owner of a kind heart and a compassionate soul, Sonya lives according to her conscience, without losing faith in a brighter future and God.

Relations between Sonya and Raskolnikov develop gradually. At first, Rodion feels dislike for the girl, because he believes that she shows 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 with a friend, too. Only a person who himself has gone through similar suffering and split is capable of understanding the suffering and split of the soul.

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

Following the instructions of Sonya, Raskolnikov comes with a confession, 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 the 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 to start a new life.

Some conclusions from the novel "Crime and Punishment"

The characterization of the protagonist of the work - Rodion Romanovich - is placed by the author in the center, in the skeleton of the novel. From here begins the writer's reasoning about the essence of crime and punishment.

Kara, punishment does not come at the moment of arrest or trial. The offender feels the consequences of the deed, guilt, pressure of conscience immediately after committing the offense. Doubts, isolation, social vacuum, loss of contact with the family, a tormentor-conscience - this is a punishment worse than hard labor and exile. From conscience do not hide, do not hide.

Crime and Punishment contains a lesson, something that 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 shows the reader what threatens dangerous philosophy, nihilism, apostasy from faith.

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

We note right away that on our website you can get acquainted not only with the characteristics of Raskolnikov, but also read a summary of Crime and Punishment, as well as an analysis of the novel.

So, the events basically revolve around a few characters in total, that is, there are not so 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 gets acquainted with the main character. This is a young man, his general condition can be called painful and mixed. He is gloomy, all the time thinking about something and closed in himself. Rodion Raskolnikov abandoned his studies at the university, where he studied law, and now lives in a meager environment, in a small, miserable-looking room. His clothes are already worn out, and he has no money to buy new things, however, as well as to pay debts for an apartment and study.

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

The character and personality of Raskolnikov 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 found himself in such a humiliating financial situation affects his mood, he walks gloomy and looks at everyone frowningly. Raskolnikov does not want to communicate with others, and he considers it a shame and humiliation to accept help even from close people, such as Dmitry Razumikhin (his friend) or an elderly mother.

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 those with the right. Raskolnikov thinks about what his purpose is and prepares a crime. By killing the old woman, the hero will understand whether his idea is true 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 own needs, but at the same time, Raskolnikov's characterization is overshadowed by two murders - an old pawnbroker and a wretched Lizaveta. He becomes disgusted with himself, and now he begins to understand that he did not have to imagine himself as Napoleon and perform a feat. Now the moral line has been crossed, he has become a murderer. Raskolnikov cannot communicate with people, and practically goes crazy.

Punishment and the idea of ​​Dostoevsky

Close people of Raskolnikov are trying to help the young man get rid of the oppressive state and provide support, but the pride of the young man does not allow him to accept help. In the end, he ends up alone.

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

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

This article presented the characteristics of Raskolnikov in the novel "Crime and Punishment". You might be interested in more articles

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

The whole work is, in fact, an exposure of the first near-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, most of all subject to the most diverse trends and unrest.

Rodion is an attractive, smart, but extremely poor young man, he lives in a shabby apartment and cannot continue his studies. The idea of ​​the superiority of some people over others takes root in the head of the hero. He, of course, refers himself to 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 deeds.

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, as a child, he cries over a downtrodden horse, and understands that he cannot kill a person, but when he accidentally hears that the old woman will be at home alone, he nevertheless decides to commit a crime. Our hero has developed an impeccable plan, but everything ends with a real massacre: he kills not only Alena Ivanovna, but also her pregnant sister, and runs away in a 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 his 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 from within the hero is tormented by conscience, although he himself does not admit it. Another feeling that became an integral part of Raskolnikov was loneliness. Crossing the law and morality, he separated himself from other people, even his best friend Razumikhin, his sister Dunya and mother Pulcheria become alien and incomprehensible to him. He sees his last hope in the prostitute Sonya Marmeladova, who, in his opinion, has also crossed the law and morality, and therefore can understand the killer. Perhaps he was hoping for an acquittal, but Sonya urges him to repent and accept the punishment.

In the end, Raskolnikov is disappointed in himself and surrenders to the police. However, Rodion still continues to believe in his theory of "they have the right" and "trembling creatures." Only in the epilogue does he 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.