Description of Raskolnikov at the beginning of the novel. Character history

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

The reader meets Rodion Raskolnikov as soon as he opens the book. The life of the hero and the circumstances of the story make us think about the problems of social development. 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 characteristics of the character of Fyodor Dostoevsky

Facts about the hero

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 look at some milestones in the biography of the main character in more detail:

Rodion Romanovich is described as a poor young man (the hero’s age is 23 years old), 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.
Rodion was forced to leave his studies at the Faculty of Law. Previously, Raskolnikov was a student at St. Petersburg University.
Because of 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 the apartment and pay off debts.
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 to be humiliation.
Raskolnikov is depicted as a young man of extraordinary intelligence. Razumikhin repeatedly notes that his friend is very smart.
In addition, the young man has a good education. Marmeladov emphasizes that Rodion is educated and knows German, as he reads “German article sheets.”

Reading is cool! 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 brown hair, equally dark eyes and pale skin color. Rodion gives the impression of a sick person. Raskolnikov walks around in old clothes that look so worn that the woman once intended to help the young man with alms.

The character and inner world of Raskolnikov

The main character of Fyodor Mikhailovich’s work is distinguished by his gloominess, isolation and thoughtfulness. Rodion avoids society, he is uncommunicative and shows a commitment to Nietzschean philosophy and nihilism. Raskolnikov's gloominess contributes to the hero's tendency towards self-isolation: unnecessary things in common with people cause him irritation. The melancholy of the main character is combined with hot temper, which sometimes transforms into coldness. Fyodor Dostoevsky describes Raskolnikov as a young man with contrasting features: sometimes the coldness of the protagonist reaches the point of inhumanity and even insensibility. The reader notices that in Rodion two opposing personalities are fighting, which alternately dominate the character of the hero.

Raskolnikov is emotionally reserved, rarely expresses feelings and emotions. The young man avoids society, motivating his own reticence by being busy. However, the hero’s busyness 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 arrogance. These traits are combined with manifestations of pride and vanity. Poverty did not defeat the main character, leaving arrogance and domineering traits alive. It seems that Raskolnikov values and extols himself for no reason.

Education leads to arrogance and self-confidence, as well as seriousness. Meanwhile, Raskolnikov also has positive traits that Sonechka Marmeladova saw in the hero. This is generosity and kindness, nobility. The main character’s mother 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 of: Rodion repeatedly helps Sonya with money, and once even gave his 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 writing and literary gift. The reader knows about this from the novel: while staying in a rented apartment belonging to Lizaveta, whom he killed, Rodion writes a newspaper article “On the Crime,” which is deeply symbolic, given 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, in the opinion of 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 the influence of the ideas of German philosophy of the late 19th century and Friedrich Nietzsche, in particular, is evident. The essence of the socio-philosophical ideas is as follows: the hero classified all people into two groups - ordinary people (“trembling creatures”), and outstanding individuals “having the right.”

Raskolnikov certainly considers himself to be “those who have the right.” Connoisseurs of Nietzsche's doctrine of the superman will easily notice that this group of people correlates with the image of the superman: a rope stretched over an abyss, like lightning striking from a thundercloud. Nietzsche thinks of man as a bridge between the animal and the superman.

“Eligible” superhumans are not limited by generally accepted rules. Therefore, having gained inner confidence in permissiveness, Raskolnikov kills the unfortunate old woman, the owner 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 something that is always moving away; the ideal is something unattainable. Raskolnikov did not take into account that he was going to destroy the embodiment of universal evil (in the opinion of the hero), lurking in the image of the old money-lender, greed and social injustice. But the death of the old woman also led to the death of Lizaveta - an unhappy old woman who did not cause any inconvenience and tried to survive - like the main character himself.

Raskolnikov stole the money, but it turned out to be useless: using what was taken from Lizaveta was disgusting and disgusting for Rodion. The hero was overtaken by the most terrible punishment, which cannot be hidden from view - 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 a person’s soul. This is also true for Raskolnikov, since the murder of the old woman turned into a moral crime for the hero, 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 admits to what he did.

Raskolnikov reconsiders his own personality, rethinks himself. The offense contributed to the hero looking 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 himself off.

But a fateful incident transforms the hero’s behavior - towards himself and those around him. Raskolnikov is trying to improve his communication with people. The offense awakens in the hero feelings that were dormant 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 ones. Rodion helps the widow of the official Marmeladov, saving the girl from violence.

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

The reluctance to be caught and spend time in prison forces Rodion to hide and be cunning. The investigation is led by the smart and wise investigator Porfiry Petrovich, while Raskolnikov spends all his energy trying to confuse the investigative work. The need to lie and 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 burdened by his conscience and a vague awareness 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 lies in Christianity and a return to God.

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

Sonya was 18 years old when the girl met Raskolnikov. Rodion felt a spiritual kinship with Marmeladova, because she was also in distress. Poverty and the need to take care of her family pushed the girl to sell her own body. Prostitution did not break Sonya's spirit and did not make the girl less pure in moral terms - this is a paradox. Sonya, despite life's adversities, managed to preserve the light in her soul that she shared with Raskolnikov. The heroes find the salvation they need 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 suffers humiliation, insults, and a target for the expression of anger on the part of others. The principle of talion is alien to Sonya: rather, the girl lives guided by the “golden rule of morality.” The writer, creator of the Crime and Punishment universe, calls the heroine “unresponsive.” The girl is not characterized by vindictiveness: the owner of a kind heart and compassionate soul, Sonya lives according to her conscience, without losing faith in a bright future and God.

The relationship between Sonya and Raskolnikov develops gradually. At first, Rodion feels hostility towards 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 influences Rodion. The main character’s feelings for Marmeladova cannot be called love, but Raskolnikov understands that he has no one closer to Sonya. He stopped communicating with Raskolnikov’s family, and also with his friend. Only a person who has himself gone through similar suffering and schism can understand the suffering and split of the soul.

Raskolnikov struggles with himself. But in this battle there are no winners - only losers. As a result, exhausted and devastated, Rodion comes to Sonya and reveals his soul and moral wound to the girl. 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 and attempts to overcome the spiritual schism 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 understand the path of salvation. Repentance helps to start a new life.

Several conclusions from the novel “Crime and Punishment”

The characteristics of the main character of the work - Rodion Romanovich - are placed by the author in the center, in the skeleton of the novel. This is where the writer's arguments about the essence of crime and punishment begin.

Punishment, punishment does not come at the time of arrest or trial. The criminal feels the consequences of his crime, guilt, and the pressure of conscience immediately after committing the crime. Doubts, isolation, social vacuum, loss of contact with family, tormenting conscience - this is a punishment worse than hard labor and exile. You cannot hide from your conscience, you cannot 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 demonstrates to the reader the dangers of dangerous philosophy, nihilism, and apostasy from faith.

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

Raskolnikov is the main character in one of the best novels by the Russian classic Fyodor Dostoevsky - “Crime and Punishment,” which also influenced world literature. Crime and Punishment was published in 1866.

The novel was immediately noticed in the Russian Empire - it caused a wave of indignant as well as admiring reviews. Dostoevsky's work became known abroad almost immediately, and as a result, 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 delay in describing 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 in the best physical condition - his appearance can well be called sickly.

For many years, Rodion has been closed off from the rest of the world, he is gloomy and constantly flies around in his own thoughts. Previously, Raskolnikov was a student at a prestigious university, where he studied for a fairly respectable position - as 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 since run out of money to pay for his apartment and studies. However, despite all this, Raskolnikov was handsome - 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 test whether he can start a new life and benefit society. The hero gets the idea that some people are truly great and have the right to commit murder, because they are the engine of progress. He considers himself just such a person and he is greatly depressed 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 to achieve goals. Murder, he believes, will allow him to reveal himself, test his theory and show whether he is capable of more - completely changing his life. Raskolnikov is even more irritated by the fact that he is far from a stupid person, but on the contrary, he is quite smart 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 does not provide the opportunity to realize these abilities.

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

After Raskolnikov killed a man, he considered that he no longer deserved to communicate with people. Completely withdrawing into himself, Raskolnikov is on the verge of madness and does not accept the help of his family and friends at all. 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 look after him. The criminal longs for no one to love him, and for him to feel no feeling in return.

After the crime, Raskolnikov changes seriously; if he avoids relationships with loved ones, then he enters into relationships with strangers without any doubts, and also helps them. For example, he helps the Marmeladov family. At this time, the investigation into the murder committed by Raskolnikov continues. The smart investigator Petrovich continues to look 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 meets a young girl, Sonya Marmeladova, who, like the main character, was at that moment in an extremely poor condition. In order to help her family, Sonya works as a prostitute and has a yellow ticket - a document that allows the girl to officially earn her living. Sonya is only eighteen years old, she believes in goodness and in God. Her family doesn’t even have enough money for food; they spend all the money they earn on food, leaving practically not a penny for themselves. Raskolnikov doesn’t really like the fact that she sacrifices everything - her destiny and her body, in order to help others. At first, Sonya’s personality causes Raskolnikov’s indignation, but very soon the young hero falls in love with the girl. Raskolnikov tells her that he committed 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 forces Raskolnikov to repent to God about what he has done, after which he comes to the police and confesses.

Next comes hard labor, where he finds God. A new life began for him, in which he began to see not only the bad, but also the good. It was his love for Sonya that made him think that his whole idea about different types of people, one of whom is “entitled”, and the rest are just consumables, makes no sense at all. Raskolnikov’s theory was completely inhumane, because no one, under any circumstances, can control a person’s life. Such actions violate all 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 man is a trembling creature, then after realizing it he understands that every person deserves the right to life and the right to choose his own destiny. In the end, Raskolnikov realizes that goodness is the basis of life and doing good to people is much more pleasant than living only in one’s own interests, not caring about the fates of the people around him.

conclusions

Raskolnikov became a hostage to his position in society. Being a fairly smart, capable and educated person, he did not have the opportunity and means to live a normal life. Greatly upset by his situation, Raskolnikov sees no other way than 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 believe in goodness again 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 causing pain. Under its influence, Raskolnikov begins to believe in God and repents of his sins. In addition, the hero independently surrenders to the police and starts a new life.

Schoolchildren meet the proud romantic Rodion Raskolnikov, who imagines himself the “arbiter of destinies,” in the 10th grade. The story of the murder of an old pawnbroker, which happened in St. Petersburg in the mid-60s of the 19th century, leaves no one indifferent. gave world literature the most prominent 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 Petrashevsky’s circle. In 1859, the author of the imperishable novel wrote to his brother from Tver exile:

“I’ll start a novel in December. (...) I told you about one confessional novel that I wanted to write after everyone else, saying that I still had to experience it myself. My whole heart and blood will pour into this novel. I conceived it while lying on my bunk, in a difficult moment of sadness and self-destruction.”

The convict experience radically changed the writer's beliefs. Here he met with personalities who conquered Dostoevsky with the power of spirit - this spiritual experience was to form the basis of the new novel. However, his birth was delayed for six years, and only when faced with complete lack of money did the “parent” take up his pen.

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

The list of prototypes was supplemented by the French killer. From Pierre-François Lacenaire, Dostoevsky borrowed the “high ideals” that underlie crimes. The man did not see anything reprehensible in his murders; moreover, he justified them, calling himself a “victim of society.”

And the main core of the novel appeared after the publication of the book “The Life of Julius Caesar,” in which the emperor expresses the idea that the powers that be, unlike the “gray mass of ordinary people,” are endowed with the right to trample moral values and even kill if they consider 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 main character, which did not exceed five or six printed pages in volume. The author mercilessly burned the completed initial version and began to work on an expanded version, the first chapter of which appeared in January 1866 in the Russian Messenger magazine. After 12 months, Dostoevsky put an end to his next work, consisting of six parts and an epilogue.

Biography and plot

Raskolnikov's life is unenviable, like that of all young people from poor families of the 19th century. Rodion Romanovich studied to become a lawyer 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. One day he pawned the old pawnbroker Alena Ivanovna’s last valuable thing - his father’s silver watch, and that same evening in a tavern he met an unemployed drunkard, former titular councilor Marmeladov. He spoke about the terrible tragedy of the family: due to lack of money, his wife sent her daughter Sonya to the panel.

The next day, Raskolnikov received a letter from his mother, which outlined the troubles of his family. In order to make ends meet, sister Dunya is going to be married off to the calculating and already middle-aged court councilor Luzhin. In other words, the girl will be sold, and with the proceeds Rodion will have the opportunity to continue his studies at the university.

The goal of killing and robbing the pawnbroker, born even before meeting Marmeladov and the news from home, became stronger. In his soul, Rodion experiences a struggle between disgust for the bloody act and the high 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 to the apartment at the wrong time. The young man hid the stolen goods in a hole under the wallpaper, without even finding out how rich he was now. Later, he prudently hid money and things in one of the St. Petersburg courtyards.

After the murder, Raskolnikov is overtaken by deep spiritual experiences. The young man was going to drown himself, but changed his mind. He feels an insurmountable gap 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 failed to persuade the young man to come to the police and confess, because he intended to “fight some more.” But soon he could not stand it, paying for the double murder with hard labor in Siberia. Sonya followed Raskolnikov, settling next to his place of imprisonment.

Image and main idea

Dostoevsky gives an accurate description of Raskolnikov's appearance: he is a handsome young man with delicate features and dark eyes, above average height, slender. The impression is spoiled by the poor clothes and the malicious contempt that flashes every now and then on the hero’s face.

The psychological portrait of Rodion Romanovich changes throughout the narrative. At first a proud personality appears, but with the collapse of the theory of the “superman”, pride is pacified. Deep down, he is a kind and sensitive person, he devotedly loves his mother and sister, once saved children from a fire, and gave his last money for Marmeladov’s funeral. The thought of violence is alien and even disgusting to him.

The hero painfully thinks about the Napoleonic idea that humanity is divided into two parts - ordinary people and arbiters of destinies. Raskolnikov is worried about two questions: “Am I a trembling creature or do I 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 break moral laws without consequences; he will have to go through the path of spiritual suffering and come to repentance. Raskolnikov can safely be called a marginalized man who failed to defend his own convictions. His teaching and rebellion were a fiasco, the drawn theory did not stand the test of reality. By the end of the novel, the characteristics of the main character change: 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.

Film adaptations

The main characters of the novel “Crime and Punishment” appeared in many films of Russian and foreign cinema. The work debuted in its homeland in 1910, but modern lovers of Dostoevsky’s work lost the opportunity to watch the work of director Vasily Goncharov - the picture was lost. Three years later, Raskolnikov again “called” the audience to the cinemas, introducing himself in the person of the artist Pavel Orlenev.

But these were insignificant films. The chronicle of glorious film works based on the imperishable novel was opened by 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. Slovakian Peter Lorre and Frenchman starred in two more foreign films “Crime and Punishment”.

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

The beginning of the 2000s was marked by a boom in the creation of films based on classic works. The directors did not ignore Dostoevsky. “Crime and Punishment” was filmed in eight episodes by Dmitry Svetozarov. In the 2007 film, the role of Rodion Raskolnikov went to, Sonya Marmeladova played, and Porfiry Petrovich. The film was received coldly by critics, calling it controversial. In particular, the song accompanying the credits was confusing:

“Whoever dares a lot is right, he is the ruler over them.”

The magazine "Russian Messenger" owes Dostoevsky's novel its rise in popularity. After the publication of Crime and Punishment, the publication acquired 500 new subscribers - an impressive number for those times.
According to the author's original idea, 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 the address st. Grazhdanskaya, 19 – Stolyarny lane, 5 there is a house called Raskolnikov’s house. It is believed that the main character of the novel lived there. There are exactly 13 steps leading to the attic, as it is written in the book. Dostoevsky also describes in detail the yard where his character hid the loot. According to the writer’s memoirs, the courtyard is also real - Fyodor Mikhailovich noticed this place when he relieved himself there during a walk.

Georgy Taratorkin was approved for the role based on a photograph. The actor was in the hospital with a serious illness, the diagnosis was disappointing - according to doctors' forecasts, his legs would have to be amputated. In the photo, Taratorkin impressed the director with his sickly, haggard face, which is how Raskolnikov appeared to him. When the young actor received the good news that his candidacy had been approved, he immediately rose to his feet. So the role saved the man’s limbs.
In Kulidzhanov's film, the episode of Raskolnikov's destruction of evidence after the murder is accompanied by a muffled rhythmic knock. 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 generation of their own kind, and into people proper, that is, those who have the gift or the talent to say a new word among oneself... The first category is always the master of the present, the second category is the master of the future. The first preserve the world and increase it numerically; the latter move the world and lead it to the goal.”

“A scoundrel of a man gets used to everything!”

“Science says: love yourself first, first of all, 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 nothing easier than flattery.”

“If you fail, everything seems stupid!”

“Who in Rus' doesn’t consider himself Napoleon now?”

“Everything is in the hands of man, and yet he blows it all away, purely out of cowardice. Curious what people fear most? They are most afraid of a new step, a new word of their own.”

Rodion Raskolnikov is a poor student who decided to check whether he is a trembling creature or a man” 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 narrative, around whom 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 first chapter of the novel, we meet its main character, Radion Raskolnikov, a former student at the Faculty of Law of the capital’s university. He lives in a gloomy and cramped room, poorly dressed, which indicates his very poor situation, and has a thoughtful, extremely withdrawn and sickly appearance. Having no means of subsistence, he is in a difficult financial situation; he has no money for food, or for study, or to pay for the apartment.

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

In order to somehow survive, he is forced to go to the old pawnbroker living next door and pawn his last valuables with her for mere pennies. Gradually, in his brain, exhausted by the problems of survival, the idea arises of dividing all people into the most ordinary and those who have the right to do whatever they want. 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 evil and suffering of poor people, thus testing 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 still 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 brutal crime. Being in a terrible state after what he had done, Raskolnikov realizes that he could not become a “superman” as he wanted, and cannot even take back the money that he had previously planned to steal from the “ugly old woman,” as he calls her.

(In his closet, Raskolnikov is haunted by mental torment.)

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 shed blood, a feeling of complete hopelessness and loneliness. He comes to the understanding that his action was absolutely senseless and brought grief to both him and everyone around him. And yet Rodion does not repent of what he did; he is disgusted and sickened by the fact that he did not prove his theory. Tormenting and suffering, he perceives this as the lot of strong people who are able to withstand such trials, but he does not yet understand that he is already beginning to repent and needs forgiveness and understanding.

Only having met the meek and sincere Sonya Marmeladova on his life’s path, who is also in a difficult and disastrous situation, does he open up to her and confess to the crime he has committed. This is how the revival of Raskolnikov’s almost dead soul begins, he returns to goodness and light, finds God. Not the first time, but still Rodion publicly admits to the crime he committed 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 beliefs, and was in a serious state of moral decay and degradation. There he met personalities who captivated him with their strength of spirit 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-François Lacenaire, who called himself a “victim of society” and did not see anything wrong in his crimes. The idea of a “superman,” as well as the division of people into gray masses and those who have 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 main character Raskolnikov was taken by Dostoevsky as an example for everyone around him, for us to understand the main problem of all humanity throughout the history of its existence. No crimes can go unpunished, life will put everything in its place and it will turn out to be much smarter and more inventive than us, everyone will be rewarded according to their deserts.

Through moral torment and psychological trials, Dostoevsky raises the moral and ethical problems of society, once again proving 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 in our troubled times is still relevant, because it shows us the path to the revival of material and spiritual values.

The main character of the novel F.M. Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" Raskolnikov is a poor, thoughtful student who is forced to live in a small room that looks like a coffin. Extreme poverty pushes him to create a theory according to which he divides people into “trembling creatures” (there are many such people and they are ordinary people who are needed to continue the human race), and into “those with the right” (this is a special group of people). The latter, in order to achieve their goals, can cross the law, moral principles, they are allowed to kill people, because their actions develop society and move forward.

He considers himself to be in a special group. And in order to accurately determine who he himself is, Raskolnikov decides to kill the old pawnbroker. The hero justifies the act by saying that by killing the old woman, he will save many from poverty and suffering. Having carefully planned his actions, he commits a crime.

But this crime is followed by punishment, it begins with Raskolnikov’s mental torment. After robbing his victim, Raskolnikov strives to quickly hide the loot; the sight of everything he stole makes his mind cloudy. The main character runs from home, finds a large stone, and puts money and jewelry there. This act demonstrates to the reader that Raskolnikov is not a cold-blooded killer, despite the fact that he created such a terrible theory, there is nothing human left in him.

This is manifested in caring for the Marmeladov family. A chance meeting with Marmeladov in a bar firmly connects Raskolnikov with this family. He helps a drunken acquaintance get home, having seen the conditions in which he lives, taking pity on his children and wife. Raskolnikov, poor and beggarly, leaves money on the windowsill. He also tries to help a young drunk girl on the street who is forced into prostitution; he gives money to the cab driver so that no one can take advantage of her in this state. These merciful impulses prove that the hero’s soul is alive, that he has a chance to return to normal life.

Gradually Raskolnikov comes to the idea that he needs to repent. Svidrigailov’s suicide helps him understand this. Svidrigailov is one of Raskolnikov’s doubles, to some extent his reflection. He realized that the same fate awaited him if he did not repent.

Doubts about the theory begin, the main character understands that the theory is inhumane and vulnerable. Seeing his reflection in Svidrigailov, he rethinks his life and understands that he needs to improve.

He decides to confess to Sonechka, he chooses her because she herself is a criminal, she has stepped over herself. At Sonya's command, he went to the square and began to kiss the ground. But this did not mean that he repented; rather, Raskolnikov tried to try any methods so as not to suffer. Because when Raskolnikov was in hard labor, he did not immediately repent there either; this can be seen in the attitude of the convicts towards him, who do not accept him, although their crimes are much worse. They tell Raskolnikov, “You don’t believe in God.”

After a while, Raskolnikov abandons his theory when he has a second dream about the illness of all humanity and finds salvation in love, “the heart of one contained endless sources of life for the heart of another.”