Little People in Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment

The work of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky "Crime and Punishment" has become one of the most important books of Russian classical literature. It has a very important meaning, since it does not simply refer to the books of fiction, but is deservedly considered a philosophical masterpiece. "Little People" in Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" play the most important role.

"Little people"

The theme of the "little man" in "Crime and Punishment" plays almost a leading role. If you look at and carefully analyze the heroes of the work, you can see that almost all actors in the book point to the reader on the vital features of a person's character.

In general, speaking of "little people" in the novel "Crime and Punishment", it must be said that Fyodor Mikhailovich singled out several criteria that distinguish these characters from others. In the literature, the phrase "little man" denotes those lyrical heroes who are not able to resist the surrounding problems, are forced to wage a constant struggle for survival with the most powerful people. In addition, as Dostoevsky himself points out in the work Crime and Punishment, "little people" tend to live and stay on the lowest level of life, spending most of their existence beyond the poverty line.

In addition, Fyodor Mikhaylovich himself portrays his heroes not just beggars and incapable of providing themselves with the necessary means, but with an offended life, humiliated by others and feeling an absolute nonentity in the external world.

Hero Rodion Raskolnikov

"Little Man" "Crime and Punishment" Raskolnikov leads the main storyline. It is around him that all events unfold. The image of Raskolnikov as a "little man" in "Crime and Punishment" is indicated by his low social position, which pushes him to kill the old woman-interest. It is his poverty and the inability to earn money, to provide for himself and his family to break the protagonist. In addition, because of his poverty, Raskolnikov can not help his sister, who eventually has to marry a rich man, greedy and calculating, as it turns out later.

Already quite desperate in his position, Raskolnikov takes a decisive step - agrees with himself to kill. Despite the fact that initially such a thought came to the hero solely because of poverty, in the end Rodion comes to the conclusion that he did it not to help the family or to get out of the plight. Raskolnikov admits that the murder, for which only he was responsible, he committed exclusively for himself.

Hero Semyon Marmeladov

In Crime and Punishment, the "little man" Marmeladov also has an important role. A former military man, having lost his job, falls into depression. All the money that this "little man" of "Crime and Punishment" receives, he drinks, because of what he can not provide for his family. Despite this, Marmeladov perfectly understands his position, but he can no longer correct it - so impossible is the struggle with his own drunkenness. Because of his alcoholism, the hero dies, and his death is too stupid for a man who was once respected - he just gets drunk and gets under the wheels of the wagon. Killing, Marmeladov tells his eldest daughter that she is the only support of the family, thus he discards any responsibility and obligations to his family.

The image of Marmeladov

Marmeladov is a lyrical hero who could not resist his financial difficulties, but he found a great way to get away from them: the alcohol dependence that appeared allowed the former ladle to at least forget himself for a while. However, he was the master of his own destiny - he himself ruined his family by drinking all the family means; He himself borrowed from a very greedy person who then gave no rest to the family; He himself lost his essence.

In one of the conversations with Raskolnikov, Marmeladov asks Rodion if he knows the feeling that arises in circumstances where a person has nowhere to return. After all, Semyon believed that he did not have a home, that he had nowhere to go. But all because it was that leaving the house, he took all the money, after which the family again remained without a livelihood. It was only his own fault that Marmeladov was not happy at home.

Sonechka Marmeladova

Among all the "little people" of Crime and Punishment, Sonechka Marmeladova was distinguished for her dedication. Sonya, seeing in what a difficult situation the family is, got a job, which is not suitable for a young girl. Sonechka and her image of the "little man" in "Crime and Punishment" also has an important role. Despite her work as a corrupt girl, Sonia still lives by the principles of the heart. Her religious views became for Sonechka a guide to life. The Christian norms that guided the heroine, are an important reason for the recognition of Raskolnikov in the murder.

The image of Sonia

A disinterested heroine, capable of accepting any person, without blaming him for anything, like a ray of light in the whole work. The image of Sonechka is an example of a righteous person, placed in the framework of a forced existence, which makes him do absolutely wrong things. However, Sonechka's position is justified - she became the savior for the family. It was thanks to her work that younger brothers and sisters could at least occasionally eat well, and the mother could work and manage to solve domestic problems.

Katerina Marmeladova

The problem of the "little man" in "Crime and Punishment" was also reflected in Katerina Marmeladova - Sonechka's mother. A thirty-year-old woman, who became a widow at an early age, marries a second time unsuccessfully-in spite of the fact that once Semyon was a decent and respected man, over time he becomes an intolerable drunkard. Katerina, who is a mother of many children, tries to fight her husband, trying to explain to him that his children are suffering from his drinking, the whole family lives very poorly, they have a huge amount of debts, and the eldest daughter because of her work will never be able to leave Married. Katerina constantly speaks about this to her husband, showing him that it is not necessary to break down lives and to other children, that the eldest daughter has already sacrificed her future so that the family can still survive. However, all her moralizing does not affect her husband - he still drinks and comes home only when he needs money again.

The exhausted woman is no longer able to tolerate such behavior of her husband and one day just begins to shovel Semyon. The witness of this scene is Rodion Raskolnikov, which has a strong impression on him. He leaves the last money on the windowsill to help at least something to this family. However, Katerina, who was from a decent family, does not accept his money. This immediately characterizes the personality of Marmeladova - despite her position, she is too proud to accept handouts from the side. "Little Man" Katerina Marmeladova is not able to humble herself before others.

Razumikhin

The image of Razumihin personifies the opposite of the images of "little people" in the work "Crime and Punishment". Despite the fact that he is as poor as all the other heroes of the book, he still does not despair and tries to cope with his difficulties. A poor student, in love with Dunya and caring for the distraught Raskolnikov, he tries to survive in his difficult situation. His love for life and optimism lead his actions and worldview. Despite the fact that he is just like Raskolnikov himself, is on a social "bottom", he is trying to get out of him in honest and righteous ways. Fyodor Dostoyevsky depicted this hero as a mirror image of Raskolnikov, showing readers that another outcome of such a life situation is possible.

The image of Razumikhin

Razumikhin is the embodiment of faith in the best and ability to survive even in the most difficult conditions. The hero manages not to go insane in his poverty, which equally hinders his normal life, as well as the lives of all other heroes. This ability, how to remain true to its principles, greatly helps Razumihin not to fall into the apathy into which Raskolnikov fell. But apart from these moral qualities, Razumikhin is also not disappointed in people, does not notice their true nature. He fully believes in Raskolnikov that he is not a murderer. In addition, he is sure that all the confessions of Rodion are spoken in delirium, as the news of the death of the old woman-interest woman had a strong impression on the hero - he was her debtor.

The main thing in the work

Looking at all the statements and quotes of "little people" in "Crime and Punishment", we can say that Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky was the first writer who paid attention not to the financial situation of a person, but to his spiritual qualities. All the heroes of Dostoevsky's work are too proud to accept the help of others. They all try to survive, each follows his own path. However, they share a common goal - to get out of poverty, start your life anew and live it happily. The roads along which the heroes go lead them to different decisions. Raskolnikov she led to penal servitude, Sonechka to humiliation, Katerina to illness, Marmeladov to drunkenness.

General conclusion

Dostoevsky excellently shows in his work how much people themselves are to blame for the fact that their lives evolve in this way. An excellent example of this is Raskolnikov: he might not have gone to the murder, but tried to find a job that would eventually bring him a decent income. So Marmeladov, who could try to quit drinking and find a good job, what to provide for his family. Katerina could forget for a moment her pride, return to her parents' house, and not marry again for the second time.

All the heroes faced serious consequences because of their pride and attempts to get out of their situation by dishonest means. This is exactly what the author shows, which is what became the main theme of the work.