Dostoevsky, "The Insulted and Injured": a summary, analysis and feedback

The works of the great Russian writer Fedor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky should be known to every self-respecting person. If the time for a full reading of all the books is categorically not enough, read to begin with "Humiliated and insulted." The summary (1 part and the following will be considered in this review) will tell you about the difficult history of two families and teach you to recognize good and evil, sincerity and lies, love and false feelings.

The main characters of the novel

Fyodor Dostoevsky introduces Ivan Petrovich - writer, who completes his novel by the end of the work. He started a diary not from a good life: in the childhood his parents left him an orphan, and the boy was brought up in the house of Nikolai Sergeyevich Ikhmenev. He was a good, but impoverished name, lost his estate, but soon became the owner of a small village and married Anna Andreevna Shumilova. In subsequent chapters, the family faces troubles. The reader understands that the title of the work is not chosen by chance, and it is the Ichmenians who are humiliated and offended.

The summary tells that Prince Pyotr Aleksandrovich Valkovsky began to visit old men with his son Alyosha. Ichmenev soon became manager, but after the conflict his family was forced to again go to Petersburg. The daughter of Nikolai Sergeevich and Anna Andreeva, Natasha, was a stumbling block between Alyosha and writer Ivan. The subsequent events of this love triangle will be described in the book "Humiliated and Injured". A summary of the parts and chapters will convey the complexity of the relationship between the two families.

The minor characters of the novel and their role

Actions begin in a German confectionery, where the old man Smith goes with the dog Azorka. In the room, he irritates those present with his many hours pastime, but he is no longer destined to return here ... Azorka suddenly dies of old age or hunger, after which the old man hurried out and also died unexpectedly.

Become an eyewitness to the actions of the novel "The Insulted and the Injured": a summary of the chapters will tell you how important it is in this cruel world to remain a good person, which was the protagonist Ivan. Smith calls him his address, and soon the young man moves to his apartment, where he meets the old man's granddaughter - Helen. Anna Trifonovna Bubnova - the proprietress of this orphan girl, often beats her and humiliates her. Philip Philipovich Masloboev - school friend Vanya, to whom he tells the story of Smith.

Princess Katerina Fedorovna Filimonova first becomes a friend of Alyosha, and then a bride, thereby destroying his relationship with Natasha. The heroine appears infrequently in the novel, but the reader immediately becomes aware that under the guise of this rich woman lies a naive child.

Contents of the 1 part "Humiliated and Injured" (short)

Reviews about this novel fluctuate from enthusiastically positive to disapproving, but to appreciate the writer's idea, it is necessary to delve deeper into the era of the 19th century and understand the complexity of the relationship of the main characters.

On the first pages of his book, Dostoevsky acquaints the reader with the life of Ivan Petrovich, the family of Ichmenovs and Valkovsky. The prince sends for educational purposes in the house of Nikolai Sergeevich his son Alyosha, and there a young man and Natasha are fastened a novel. All this happened during the absence of Ivan, who went to study in Petersburg. On his return, the young writer understands that Natasha is his destiny. Ivan makes her an offer, which the girl accepts, but the old men do not hurry with the wedding, and this mistake becomes fatal ... Soon Natasha goes to Alyosha, who later turned out to be a scoundrel.

Unfortunate Ivan moves to Smith's apartment and meets there with his granddaughter Elena. Alyosha and Natasha lived in a poor apartment on the Fontanka. The girl was often sad and was sure that the groom would leave her for Katerina Fedorovna's sake - a young lady whom Prince Valkovsky had chosen as his wife for his son. Natasha spoke with all intimate things about Ivan, who often visited her.

Contents 2 parts

Prince Valkovsky wants to be related to Katerina Filimonova, but at the same time she understands that only Natasha will bring real happiness to his son. Ivan often sees Elena and becomes witness to how cruelly she is treated by old Bubnov: after the beating, the girl begins to have seizures. It's hard to believe that such cruel women still live on the ground, but the description of such atrocities is given in the book "The Humiliated and the Injured". The summary, fortunately, does not convey the horror of the fourth chapter of the second part.

The young man decides to take the girl away, hires a doctor for her, buys good clothes, but she was anxious to work and ready to go back to the old tyrant. The poor woman begins to take care of her savior herself and asks her to call her Nellie from now on - that's the name of her foreign mother.

Contents 3 parts

Approaching Natasha's apartment on Fontanka, Ivan noticed the carriage of Prince Valkovsky, with whom they then entered the house together. The girl was alone and told that Alyosha had not appeared for several days, but when she started a speech, how suddenly he returned from Katerina Filimonova. Natasha flushed, deciding that the prince was only trying to seem kind, but actually yearning for the bride's son to be this rich young lady ...

Alyosha swore by Ichmeyeva in eternal love and in the fact that she treats Katya only as a sister. But the girl did not believe and asked Ivan to visit the countess. It's easy to guess that fate over the family of Ihmenevs was cruelly jested, and they are the ones who are humiliated and insulted. A brief description of the subsequent events reveals this idea. Soon the Prince's proposal came to visit the Countess. Gradually the reader will learn that Katerina is in love with Ivan, and he already almost does not love Natasha. The drunken prince at the party opened on the other side: he confessed his own selfish intentions and announced the desire to marry his son and the countess.

Contents 4 parts

Now Ivan's heart hurts for two girls: for Natasha and Nelly. The second became disobedient and joked about her doctor. The unfortunate one was diagnosed with heart disease, and even drugs can not prolong her life. Nellie could not live with Ivan calmly, so she fled, leaving a note. The doctor, who at first seemed to be her friend, refused to take her to be raised, and the girl did not want to stay with the Ichmenovs.

Then follows the culmination of the novel "Humiliated and Injured" - a brief summary of the subsequent chapters reveals the vile nature of the entire Valkovsky family. Alyosha claims that he loves Katerina Filimonova, but hurries to marry Natasha, since she does not represent life without her. But their happiness is hindered by the conflict of the fathers, so Ichmenev deprives the daughter of the parental blessing and curses her. However, the wedding of Alyosha and Natasha did not take place, and the winner in this battle was the prince, who married his son on the decanter. The old people of Ichmenev found a different happiness: they forgave their daughter and started to bring Nelly home.

Epilogue

Nellie continued to live in the house of the old Ichmenyevs, and soon became quite used to them, and Ivan finished writing his story, over which he worked for so long. Philip Masloboev often visited the family and did not stay away, after learning about the tragic fate of the girl. He secretly tells Ivan that Nellie is not really an orphan, but the daughter of Prince Valkovsky - this is the turning point in the book "The Insulted and the Injured". It turned out that the girl knew everything, but was silent ... She is living out her last days in torment. Before his death, Nelly hands Ivan a cross with an incense, where the message of her mother to Valkovsky was kept.

The story of the fall and resurrection of the protagonist

The first love is always the most sincere, passionate and entails grave consequences - for Natasha Alesha was probably the first, therefore she left her father's house for him. She herself executed herself, deciding to give up everything and become a slave to this "adult child", an eternal player and a favorite of women. Because of the Valkovskys, the Ichmenians are not only unhappy, but also humiliated and insulted.

The summary goes on to say that Alyosha complained to Katerina without a twinge of conscience, as if Natasha did not sacrifice anything for him ... Did he really care for the girl leaving the parental home? Nikolai Ihmenev forbade the daughter's name to be pronounced, and he himself stole a gold medallion with her portrait from his wife in order to admire, remember, suffer from everyone secretly ... Natasha inflicted a lot of suffering on the old people, but she can not be blamed for what she did - actions were done for love, and this is The main justification. At the end of the fourth part, the father forgives the daughter and falls to her knees in front of her. Ichmenyvy, humiliated and insulted, still reunite, and for them this is true happiness.

The role of the heroine of Nellie in the concept of the book

The tragedy of the novel is strengthened by the description of the hard fate of a girl with a heart defect, which, as it seems at first glance, became a participant in the actions accidentally. The illegitimate Nelly, who lost her mother as a child, is doomed to hate humanity for the rest of her life, which caused her so much pain. They suffer all the beatings, humiliation and itself refuses happiness - this little creature does not know what it means to be happy, perhaps, therefore, can not live with people who are just like her, humiliated and offended.

The summary reveals the true story of her family: Smith once cursed and drove his daughter, who fled with the lover, who turned out to be Valkovsky. It is Nelli who returns harmony and understanding to the family of the Ichmenians. Nikolai Sergeyevich realizes the sinfulness of his deed and himself throws himself at Natasha's feet with a request to forgive him. Thus, poor Nelly sacrificed herself for the sins of her mother, her father, and for the happiness of the Ichmeny family.

History of creation

The book "The Insulted and Injured" was published in 1861 in the magazine "Time", during the life of Dostoevsky twice reprinted. In Russia, wary of writers who returned from exile, so the brilliant novel was not greeted enthusiastically, although critics responded positively (in particular, VG Belinsky).

The work was filmed three times: in 1915, the troupe of artists of the Solovtsov Theater, in 1976, a play was staged by E. Velikhanov. In 1991, the film directed by A. Eshpai was shot; In 2005 a musical was made for A. Zhurbin's music. To understand the idea of the novel, it is important not only to watch the production from the screen, but also to read "The Insulted and the Injured" (summary).

Hugo and his novel "Les Miserables"

The theme of the humiliated and insulted not the first century remains actual in the world literature. The protagonist of the work of Victor Hugo - Jean Valjak - spent almost 20 years in penal servitude for petty theft, and after being released, opens his own factory and becomes mayor. All this he does under a false name, but the authorities become aware of the whole truth: the poor fellow is again imprisoned, but this time he makes an escape. Jean brings up Cosette, the daughter of an unhappy woman who died of consumption. Beloved girl participated in the republican uprising and was convicted, but Valjak saves him and blesses the young. The next year he dies in poverty at the hands of Cosette and her husband. "Les Miserables" is the story of a sinner who has become a great righteous man. Thus, works on the theme "Humiliated and insulted" are available not only for Fyodor Dostoevsky, but also for Victor Hugo.