One of the main characters of the work is Alena Ivanovna, an elderly widower who, in her old age, is engaged in the usury business.
The writer presents the heroine in the form of a tiny, dry old woman, long-necked, with evil small eyes and a small, sharp nose reminiscent of a beak. Alena Ivanovna’s head is framed by thin, sparse hair, slightly grey, which she generously greases with greasy oil and braids into a kind of braid that looks like a rat’s tail.
The woman dresses casually in flannel rags, wraps her thin, wrinkled neck like a scarf, and in any weather throws a jacket, yellowed with age, lined with torn fur, over her shoulders.
Alena Ivanovna looks sickly, suffering from tuberculosis, which was widespread at that time, and constantly coughing and groaning.
By nature, the old woman is angry, capricious, indifferent and stupid. Living in an apartment with her weak-minded younger sister Lizaveta, a harmful and cruel woman uses a quiet and modest girl as a servant, oppressing and humiliating her, and sometimes using physical violence in the form of beatings, without having any warm and kindred feelings for Lizaveta. At the same time, the old woman is terribly religious and worries about her posthumous fate, having drawn up a will in favor of the monastery, and complacently inheriting only apartment furniture and clothes to her only relative.
The heroine practically never leaves the house, because she is distrustful of the people around her, and local residents They mutually do not feel sympathy for the old woman and call her an old witch behind her back.
Engaged in usury, Alena Ivanovna has a very decent income, since she buys back pawned valuables from clients at meager prices and does not forgive delays in mortgages even for one day, remaining completely indifferent to the circumstances due to which people are forced to pledge valuables dear to them .
With her simple craft, the old woman earned a huge fortune, but since Alena Ivanovna is painfully greedy, pathologically thrifty and stingy, her wealth brings her neither pleasure nor benefit.
Raskolnikov, main character Roman, being a poor student, also falls into the cunning web of a cunning old woman. Seeing that Alena Ivanovna evokes a reaction in those around her in the form of disgust, fear and disgust, Raskolnikov decides to cleanse this world of a worthless person and commits her murder, while the innocent Lisa becomes an unplanned victim of the protagonist.
Revealing the image of the old usurer, the writer emphasizes the immutable truth that taking the life of any person is a crime against moral laws.
Essay Characteristics and image of the old woman-pawnbroker Alena Ivanovna
The novel “Crime and Punishment” by F.M. Dostoevsky is a most brilliant work of Russian literature, known throughout the world. It is replete with a variety of reasoning and deep guesses. Many foreigners study Russian in order to read this work in the original. Central image in the novel - Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, a poor St. Petersburg student. During the course of the plot, he happens to kill the local old pawnbroker Alena Ivanovna, not so much to rob, but to prove his own theory about “trembling creatures” and those who “have the right.”
Alena Ivanovna was an old woman of about sixty and took valuable things as pawn. Raskolnikov was one of her clients. The old woman’s character can be called unpleasant, cold and somewhat cruel: she gave mere pennies for things, not paying attention to any circumstances in the lives of her pawnbrokers. The complete opposite of Alena Ivanovna was her sister Lizaveta, with whom they lived in the same apartment. Lizaveta is a thirty-five-year-old woman, with a submissive and flexible character, trouble-free, listened to her sister in everything and became an accidental victim of Raskolnikov.
Despite everything, Alena Ivanovna cannot be called a fraudster. Although she is heartless, she does not charge extra interest from anyone, but calculates everything according to her own tariff, knowing that this will not make her less popular. However, Raskolnikov considers the old woman’s life completely useless, and she herself as a “louse.” There is no person next to her to whom she can give love. Alena Ivanovna simply controls her sister for her own benefit.
Of course, the old woman-pawnbroker cannot be called positive hero, but at the same time, if not for her, Raskolnikov would not have been able to find a suitable victim for testing his theory, would not have been able to experience the corresponding torment and find the path to renewing his soul.
I believe that the role of each of the characters in the work is justified and has its own meaning. If you exclude any of them from the novel, you get a completely different story, devoid of any interesting details or reflections.
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Characteristic literary hero The old woman-pawnbroker (Alena Ivanovna). “...a dry old woman, about 60 years old, with sharp and angry eyes and a small pointed nose... Her blond, slightly gray hair was greasy with oil. Around her thin and long neck, similar to a chicken leg, there was some kind of flannel rag tied... “This image is a symbol of a worthless and even harmful life. Alena Ivanovna profits from the grief of other people. She takes interest on valuables. Taking advantage of the fact that her clients are often in a hopeless situation, the old woman charges huge percentages and essentially robs people. Her image should be disgusting and partly justify the murder of Raskolnikov. But, according to Dostoevsky, this old woman is also a person. Therefore, violence against her, like against any other person, is a crime of the moral law.
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The character of the novel F.M. Dostoevsky "Crime and Punishment" (1866)
In the tortured brain of the protagonist of the novel “Crime and Punishment,” Rodion Raskolnikov, a terrible theory was born, the main idea of which justifies the murder for the common good by a representative of the “highest” category of people, a “useless” person.
The image of an old woman-pawnbroker
The old pawnbroker becomes such a victim in the name of an idea. Her name was Alena Ivanovna. She was the widow of a minor official. Skinny, as if dried up by years, grandmother short, who is about sixty years old. Sickly looking, perhaps suffering from consumption, which was common at that time, for many years. A cough or grunt is constantly escaping from her throat. The eyes are small and angry, the nose is like a beak, the hair is shiny with oil and collected in a thin pigtail.
Alena Ivanovna wore a kind of scarf around her neck and threw a decrepit jacket lined with fur yellowed from age over her shoulders. But the old woman’s poverty is a visual deception; the pawnbroker earned quite good money without leaving her home, giving out cash on bail.
The price for the valuable items offered is shamelessly tiny (25% of the cost), and the percentages are simply cosmic. Alena Ivanovna did not forgive anyone for delays; in case of even a slight delay, the collateral became her property and was resold for a good price. Due to such fraud, the old woman increased her capital, which she did not spend anywhere. For her pettiness, stinginess and malice, she was nicknamed a witch. And there was not a single person in the whole world who was dear to her.
Her sister Lisa lived under the same roof with Alena Ivanovna. A woman of small intelligence, but quiet and modest by nature. Despite the relationship, the pawnbroker did not have any warm feelings for her and kept her as a servant, sometimes even beating the poor fellow. And she even denied her an inheritance.
. The old woman had already made her will, which was known to Lizaveta herself, who, according to the will, did not receive a penny except movable property, chairs and other things; the money was all assigned to one monastery in H province, for eternal remembrance of the soul.
Role in the plot
Raskolnikov chooses this old woman as his victim, because she only evokes fear and disgust in those around him. He hopes to steal money from her and at the same time “test” himself, proving that he is capable of “deed.” It’s unlikely that anyone will feel sorry for the disgusting, sickly grandmother who will soon say goodbye to life. Unfortunately, Lisa becomes an unplanned victim, having done no harm to anyone. Dostoevsky emphasizes that the murder of any person is a crime of moral laws. This is how Rodion Raskolnikov’s theory about the justification of killing by “higher” people and “worthless” people is shattered.
Dispute between a student and an officer about an old woman
. Let me ask you a serious question,” the student became excited. “I was joking now, of course, but look: on the one hand, a stupid, senseless, insignificant, evil, sick old woman, useless to anyone and, on the contrary, harmful to everyone, who herself does not know what she lives for, and who tomorrow will die by itself. Understand? Understand?
“Well, I understand,” answered the officer, carefully staring at his excited comrade.
- Listen further. On the other hand, young, fresh forces are wasted without support, and this is in the thousands, and this is everywhere! A hundred, a thousand good deeds and undertakings that can be arranged and the old woman’s money doomed to the monastery can be repaid! Hundreds, thousands, perhaps, of existences directed towards the road; dozens of families saved from poverty, from decay, from death, from debauchery, from venereal hospitals - and all this with her money. Kill her and take her money, so that with their help you can then devote yourself to serving all of humanity and the common cause: do you think that one tiny crime will not be atone for with thousands of good deeds? In one life - thousands of lives saved from rot and decay. One death and a hundred lives in return - but this is arithmetic! And what does the life of this consumptive, stupid and evil old woman mean on the general scale? Nothing more than the life of a louse or a cockroach, and it’s not worth it, because the old woman is harmful. She eats up someone else's life: the other day she bit Lizaveta's finger out of spite; almost cut off.
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The image and characteristics of the old money-lender in the novel “Crime and Punishment”: description of appearance and character (Alena Ivanovna)
The old pawnbroker Alena Ivanovna is one of the brightest minor characters novel "Crime and Punishment" by Dostoevsky.
This article presents quotation image and the characterization of the old money-lender in the novel “Crime and Punishment”: a description of Alena Ivanovna’s appearance and character in quotes.
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The image and characteristics of the old money-lender in the novel “Crime and Punishment”: a description of Alena Ivanovna’s appearance and character in quotes
The old money-lender is a heartless, indifferent, but at the same time religious woman. Her will speaks eloquently about this. The old woman does not care about the future of her weak-minded sister Lizaveta, although this is exactly what she should be worried about.
According to the old woman's will, Lizaveta should receive her sister's movable property (furniture, clothes, etc.). The old woman bequeaths her savings not to her poor sister, but to a monastery in the New province:
People around him call the old pawnbroker a witch:
". Hey, Alena Ivanovna, old witch! Lizaveta Ivanovna, indescribable beauty! Open it. " ". The witch sits all year round, sour, her legs hurt, and then suddenly she’s out for a walk. "
This was a quotation image and characterization of the old money-lender in the novel “Crime and Punishment” by Dostoevsky: a description of Alena Ivanovna’s appearance and character in quotes.
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Old woman-pawnbroker
Old woman-pawnbroker: character story
A minor character in Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel Crime and Punishment. An old woman of sixty years old, the widow of an official, is engaged in usury. She was killed by the main character of the novel, Rodion Raskolnikov.
History of creation
The old pawnbroker from Dostoevsky's novel has several prototypes. While working on the novel, the writer probably used materials about a murder that occurred in Moscow in the summer of 1865. Then two women, a cook and a laundress, became the victims of the killer. The killer turned out to be a 27-year-old clerk, the son of a merchant, a certain Mr. Chistov. A note about this crime was published in the magazine “Voice”. The details of the murder largely coincide with what is described in the novel, so researchers of Dostoevsky’s work believe that the writer could have used information about this crime in his work on the text.
The murderer Chistov was a schismatic by religion, which probably became the impetus for the appearance of the surname of the main character of the novel - Raskolnikov. The killer entered the apartment between seven and nine o'clock in the evening and killed two old women - a cook and a laundress. The murder weapon turned out to be an ax, and the purpose of entry was robbery. The killer gutted the chest and stole money, as well as gold and silver items. The things taken out of the chest were scattered around the apartment.
Illustration for the novel “Crime and Punishment”
Researchers consider another prototype of the old pawnbroker to be the writer’s aunt, a certain A.F. Kumanin. This woman was the sister of Dostoevsky's mother. She was an unusually rich but crazy old woman. Kumanina had many poor relatives, but the woman bequeathed her own fortune not to them, but to the church - for decorating churches and commemorating her soul. The old money-lender in Dostoevsky's novel left the same will and also left her own feeble-minded sister Lizaveta without a livelihood.
"Crime and Punishment"
The real name of the old woman-pawnbroker is Alena Ivanovna, the heroine's surname is unknown. This is a woman of sixty years old, a widow, married to an official - either a collegiate secretary, or a collegiate registrar. At her age, the heroine looks like a “tiny, dry old woman” with a thin and long neck, evil eyes and a small, sharp nose.
Old woman-pawnbroker
The heroine's hair is faintly touched with gray, Alena Ivanovna is blonde. The heroine greases her hair with oil, probably for the sake of care, and braids it in a thin rat braid. The author calls the heroine “small and nasty.” The heroine’s clothes are shabby - “flannel rags”; in addition, the heroine is cold even in hot weather and wears a fur jacket. Alena Ivanovna is sick with tuberculosis, constantly coughing and groaning.
The heroine lived in St. Petersburg, according to researchers, in one of the houses on the embankment of the Griboyedov Canal, known as the Walch house. The old woman is engaged in usury - she lends money to those in need on the security of valuables. Main character In the novel, poor student Rodion Raskolnikov learns about Alena Ivanovna and her trade from a friend. Raskolnikov turns to the old woman when there is an urgent need for money, and pawns the thing from that woman.
The Old Woman Pawnbroker and Rodion Raskolnikov
The usurious trade brings Alena Ivanovna a good income. The old woman gives clients an amount four times less than the real value of the things they leave with her. Some clients are not able to redeem the pledged items, then the old woman keeps what was left as collateral. It is enough to be overdue for one day. The pawnbroker probably resells the pledged items at a higher price. The heroine is indifferent to people and circumstances that force them to delay the payment of their debt.
Thus, Alena Ivanovna made a good fortune. The characters say that the old woman is “rich as a Jew” and is capable of handing over five thousand at once. Despite her wealth, the heroine is greedy and pathologically thrifty, wears worn-out clothes and spends practically nothing; the income does not bring the heroine any benefit or pleasure.
Sister of the old pawnbroker Lizaveta (still from the film)
Alena Ivanovna has a bitchy character - angry and capricious. The heroine is stupid, her life is meaningless. Alena Ivanovna “is not needed by anyone” and she herself does not know why she lives. The heroine lives with her younger sister, the weak-minded Lizaveta, whom she constantly beats, oppresses and uses as a servant. Moreover, the old woman bequeathed her fortune not to her sister, but to a certain monastery for the sake of remembering her own soul. After the death of her elder sister, Lizaveta will receive only movable property - furniture, clothes, etc., but not a penny of money.
The heroine is indifferent to her sister's future and is heartless by nature, but at the same time she is religious. Further fate the incapacitated Lizaveta does not care at all about the pawnbroker, but she is worried about her own posthumous fate.
Alena Ivanovna is distrustful of people, does not go anywhere and all year round sits at home, complaining of sore legs. Those around her openly call the heroine an “old witch” and have no sympathy for her.
The murder of the old woman-pawnbroker
Student Raskolnikov plans to kill an old money-lender. The hero studied to become a lawyer, but dropped out of university, also gave up giving private lessons and fell into poverty. The hero lies around at home all day, messing around and thinking about life. Raskolnikov took money from the old woman as bail, but he planned the murder not for pure profit, but to confirm the theory he had invented and prove to himself that he, Raskolnikov, belongs to the best part of humanity.
Raskolnikov kills Alena Ivanovna and her weak-minded sister, robs the dead and escapes from the crime scene unnoticed. In fact, the old woman-pawnbroker is Raskolnikov’s psychological double. The hero emphasizes the insignificance of the woman he killed, calling her a “louse.” However, at the end of the novel, Raskolnikov comes to the conclusion that he himself is exactly the same louse.
Film adaptations
In 1956, a French film adaptation of the novel Crime and Punishment entitled Crime Et Chatiment was released. This is a crime drama, the plot of which is noticeably altered in relation to the novel. The setting was France in the 40s of the twentieth century. The main character, a poor student Rene, decides to kill the old Madame Orvai for romantic reasons. The hero wants to get money to save his sister from an unwanted marriage, and at the same time help the beautiful prostitute Lily quit her indecent profession and live a better life. new life. Madame Orvai is played by actress Gabrielle Fontaine in this film.
Vera Karpova in the series “Crime and Punishment”
In 1969, a Soviet film adaptation of the novel was released, a two-part drama directed by Lev Kulidzhanov. The role of Alena Ivanovna is played here by actress Elizaveta Evstratova. Critics called Kulidzhanov’s film a “cold intellectual interpretation” of Dostoevsky’s novel. The next film adaptation will be released in 2007. This is an eight-episode television series directed by Dmitry Svetozarov, where the role of the old pawnbroker was played by actress Vera Karpova.
Characteristics of the hero Alena Ivanovna, Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky. Image of the character Alena Ivanovna
Characteristics of the hero Alena Ivanovna
Alena Ivanovna is one of the main characters in F. M. Dostoevsky’s novel “Crime and Punishment”; a dry old woman of about sixty who takes valuable things from students at interest; Raskolnikov's victim. The heroine has no last name. Her image is rather associated with worthlessness and a harmful life. Taking advantage of the fact that her clients are in a hopeless situation, she charges huge interest rates, thus profiting from them. Raskolnikov sees in her an evil from which society needs to be rid of.
According to the author himself, Alena Ivanovna is also a person and has the right to life. Therefore, he does not approve of the protagonist’s action. He sees in him only a chance for rebirth and purification of the soul. As Dostoevsky writes, violence against any other person in highest degree immoral. The following is known about the old woman’s appearance: she has sharp teeth and evil eyes, thin hair and a pointed nose. On a neck like chicken leg, she always wears some kind of unkempt rags, long yellowed and frayed. The old woman is sick with consumption and coughs unpleasantly every minute.
Despite the fact that she is a capricious, stupid and mischievous woman, she has a half-sister, Lizaveta Ivanovna, who has never hurt a fly in her life. She treats her badly and even disgustingly. At every opportunity he beats him like a small child and keeps him in complete enslavement. Being a distrustful woman, she bequeaths all her savings not to her only sister, but to some unknown monastery.
Alena Ivanovna
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("Crime and Punishment")
Old woman-pawnbroker; Lizaveta's older sister (step-sister). There is some confusion with her “rank” in the novel: at first she is presented by the narrator as a collegiate registrar (14th grade), and literally two pages later it is said (in the scene of a conversation overheard by Raskolnikov in a tavern) that “the student tells the officer about the pawnbroker, Alena Ivanovna, college secretary,” and this is already much higher - 10th grade. “She was a tiny, dry old woman, about sixty years old, with sharp and angry eyes, a small pointed nose and bare hair. Her blond, slightly graying hair was greased with oil. Around her thin and long neck, similar to a chicken leg, there was some kind of flannel rag wrapped around her, and on her shoulders, despite the heat, a frayed and yellowed fur coat was hanging. The old woman coughed and groaned every minute. “The same student characterizes her in a conversation with his friend in a tavern: “She’s nice,” he said, “you can always get money from her.” She is rich like a Jew, she can give out five thousand at once, and she does not disdain a ruble mortgage. She visited a lot of our people. Just a terrible bitch.
And he began to tell how angry and capricious she was, that if she only missed the mortgage one day, the thing would disappear. He gives four times less than the item costs, but takes five or even seven percent a month, etc. The student blabbed and said, moreover, that the old woman has a sister, Lizaveta, whom she, so small and disgusting, beats every minute and keeps in complete enslavement, like a small child, while Lizaveta is at least eight inches tall. “It is the student who, with his reasoning that “a stupid, senseless, insignificant, evil, sick old woman, of no use to anyone and, on the contrary, harmful to everyone, who herself does not know what she lives for, and who will die by herself tomorrow,” can saving many from poverty and death by death - finally pushed Raskolnikov to commit a “crime.”
And here is the murder scene: “The old woman, as always, was bare-haired. Her blond, grey-streaked, thin hair, greased with oil as usual, was braided into a rat braid and tucked under a fragment of a horn comb sticking out at the back of her head. The blow hit the very crown of the head, which was facilitated by her small stature. She screamed, but very weakly, and suddenly sank to the floor, although she still managed to raise both hands to her head. She still held the mortgage in one hand. Here he struck with all his might, once and twice, all with the butt and all on the crown of the head. Blood gushed out as if from an overturned glass, and the body fell backwards. He stepped back, let him fall, and immediately bent down to her face; she was already dead. The eyes were bulging, as if they wanted to jump out, and the forehead and whole face were wrinkled and distorted by convulsions. »
But Alena Ivanovna would still appear in all her disgusting form to Rodion Raskolnikov in a feverish delirious dream, when he dreamed that he had come to her apartment again: “At that very moment, in the corner, between a small wardrobe and a window, he saw as if hanging on wall cloak He approached slowly and guessed that someone seemed to be hiding behind the cloak. He carefully pulled back his cloak with his hand and saw that there was a chair standing there, and an old woman was sitting on a chair in the corner, all hunched over and her head bowed, so that he could not see her face, but it was her. He stood over her: “Afraid!” - he thought, quietly released the ax from the loop and hit the old woman on the crown, once and twice. But it’s strange: she didn’t even move from the blows, like she was made of wood. He got scared, leaned closer and began to look at her; but she also bent her head even lower. He then bent down completely to the floor and looked into her face from below, looked and froze: the old woman was sitting and laughing - she burst into quiet, inaudible laughter, trying with all her might so that he would not hear her. Suddenly it seemed to him that the door from the bedroom opened slightly and that there, too, seemed to be laughing and whispering. Fury overcame him: with all his might he began to hit the old woman on the head, but with each blow of the ax, laughter and whispers from the bedroom were heard more and more loudly, and the old woman was shaking all over with laughter. He started to run. »
Dostoevsky from the very early years he had to communicate with moneylenders and moneylenders (like A.I. Reisler, Eriksan), so he had more than enough material to depict Alena Ivanovna, her essence and way of life. He was even going to write separate work with the same name - “The Moneylender”.
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Works by F.M. Dostoevsky is included in the golden fund of world literature, his novels are read all over the world, and they still do not lose their relevance. "Crime and Punishment" is one of these eternal works, touching on themes of faith and unbelief, strength and weakness, humiliation and greatness. The author masterfully depicts the setting, immersing the reader in the atmosphere of the novel, helping to better understand the characters and their actions, making them think.
The plot centers on Rodion Raskolnikov, a student who is mired in poverty. And it’s not just a lack of money for some kind of pleasure, it’s poverty that destroys and drives you crazy. This is a closet that looks like a coffin, rags and not knowing whether you will eat tomorrow. The hero is forced to leave the university, but cannot improve his affairs in any way; he feels the injustice of his situation, sees around him the same disadvantaged and humiliated people.
Raskolnikov is proud, sensitive and smart, the atmosphere of poverty and injustice weighs on him, which is why a terrible and destructive theory is born in his head. It lies in the fact that people are divided into lower (“ordinary”) and higher (“people”). The first ones are needed only to maintain the human population; they are useless. But the latter move civilization forward, putting forward completely new ideas and goals that can be achieved by any means. For example, the hero compares himself with Napoleon and comes to the conclusion that he is also capable of changing the world and putting his own price on the changes. In this sense, he is no different from the old money-lender who valued the things brought to her. Be that as it may, Rodion decided to test this theory on himself (“Am I a trembling creature or do I have rights?”), killing the old money-lender and not only that, saving thousands of people from her tyranny, and improving his own financial situation.
Why did Raskolnikov kill the old pawnbroker?
The hero hesitates for a long time and nevertheless confirms his decision after meeting with the official Marmeladov, who drinks heavily, driving himself, his wife Katerina Ivanovna, her children, and daughter Sonya into poverty (she is generally forced to work as a prostitute to help the family) . Marmeladov understands his fall, but cannot help himself. And when he was run over by a horse while drunk, the family’s situation turned out to be even more disastrous. He decided to help these people destroyed by poverty. Comparing their plight with the unfair contentment of Alena Ivanovna, the hero came to the conclusion that his theory was correct: society can be saved, but this salvation will require human sacrifice. Having decided and committed the murder, Raskolnikov falls ill and feels lost for people (“I didn’t kill the old woman... I killed myself”). The hero cannot accept the love of his mother and sister Dunya, or the care of his friend Razumikhin.
Raskolnikov's doubles: Luzhin and Svidrigailov
Also a double is Svidrigailov, who tried to seduce Dunya. He is the same criminal, guided by the principle “a single evil is permissible” if the final goal is good.” It would seem that it is similar to Rodion’s theory, but that’s not the case: his goal should be good only from a hedonistic point of view and for Svidrigailov himself. If the hero did not see pleasure in it for himself, then he did not notice anything good. It turns out that he did evil for the benefit of himself, and, moreover, for the benefit of his depravity. If Luzhin wanted a caftan, that is material well-being, then this hero longed to satisfy his base passions and nothing more.
Raskolnikov and Sonya Marmeladova
Suffering and languishing, Raskolnikov becomes close to Sonya, who also broke the law, like the hero. But the girl remained pure in her soul, she is more a martyr than a sinner. She sold her innocence for a symbolic 30 rubles, just as Judas sold Christ for 30 pieces of silver. At this price she saved her family, but betrayed herself. The vicious environment did not prevent her from remaining a deeply religious girl and perceiving what was happening as a necessary sacrifice. Therefore, the author notes that the vice did not touch her spirit. With her timid demeanor and her incessant shame, the girl contradicted the vulgarity and impudence of the representatives of her profession.
Sonya reads to Rodion about the resurrection of Lazarus, and he confesses to the murder, believing in his own resurrection. He did not confess to investigator Porfiry Petrovich, who already knew about his guilt, did not confess to his mother, sister, Razumikhin, but chose Sonya, feeling salvation in her. And this intuitive feeling was confirmed.
The meaning of the epilogue in the novel “Crime and Punishment”
However, Raskolnikov did not repent at all, he was only upset that he could not withstand moral torment and turned out to be an ordinary person. Because of this, he worries again spiritual crisis. Finding himself in hard labor, Rodion looks down on the prisoners and even on Sonya, who followed him. The convicts respond to him with hatred, but Sonya tries to make Raskolnikov’s life easier, because she loves him with all her pure soul. The prisoners responded sensitively to the heroine’s affection and kindness; they understood her silent feat without words. Sonya remained a martyr to the end, trying to atone for both her sin and the sin of her lover.
In the end, the truth is revealed to the hero, he repents of his crime, his soul begins to be reborn, and he is imbued with “endless love” for Sonya. The hero's readiness for a new life is symbolically expressed by the author in the gesture when Rodion joins the sacraments of the Bible. In Christianity he finds the consolation and humility necessary for his proud character to restore inner harmony.
“Crime and Punishment”: the history of the creation of the novel
F.M. Dostoevsky did not immediately come up with a title for his work; he had options “On Trial”, “The Tale of a Criminal”, and the title we know appeared only at the end of work on the novel. The meaning of the title “Crime and Punishment” is revealed in the composition of the book. At the beginning, Raskolnikov, overwhelmed by the delusions of his theory, kills the old money-lender, breaking moral laws. Next, the author debunks the hero’s misconceptions, Rodion himself suffers, then ends up in hard labor. This is his punishment for putting himself above everyone around him. Only repentance gave him a chance to save his soul. The author also shows the inevitability of punishment for any crime. And this punishment is not only legal, but also moral.
In addition to the variation in the title, the novel initially had a different concept. While in hard labor, the writer conceived the novel as a confession of Raskolnikov, wanting to show the spiritual experience of the hero. Further, the scale of the work became larger, it could not be limited to the feelings of one character, so F.M. Dostoevsky burned the almost completed novel. And he started again, already as the modern reader knows him.
Subject of the work
The main themes of “Crime and Punishment” are the themes of poverty and oppression of the majority of society, about which no one cares, as well as the themes of rebellion and personal errors under the yoke of social disorder and suffocating poverty. The writer wanted to convey to readers his Christian ideas about life: for harmony in the soul, you need to live morally, according to the commandments, that is, not to give in to pride, selfishness and lust, but to do good to people, love them, sacrificing even your interests for the good of society. That is why at the end of the epilogue Raskolnikov repents and comes to faith. The problem of false beliefs raised in the novel is still relevant today. The main character's theory of permissiveness and the crime of morality for the sake of good goals leads to terror and tyranny. And if Raskolnikov overcame the split in his soul, repented and came to harmony, overcoming the problem, then in larger cases this is not the case. Wars began because some rulers decided that the lives of thousands of people could easily be sacrificed for their goals. That is why the novel, written in the 19th century, does not lose its sharp meaning to this day.
"Crime and Punishment" is one of the greatest works world literature, imbued with humanism and faith in man. Despite the apparent depressive nature of the story, there is hope for the best, that one can always be saved and saved.
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The old woman-pawnbroker (Alena Ivanovna). “...a dry old woman, about 60 years old, with sharp and angry eyes and a small pointed nose... Her blond, slightly gray hair was greasy with oil. On her thin and long neck, similar to a chicken leg, some kind of flannel rag was wrapped... “This image is a symbol of a worthless and even harmful life. Alena Ivanovna profits from the grief of other people. She takes interest on valuables. Taking advantage of the fact that her clients are often in a hopeless situation, the old woman charges huge percentages and essentially robs people. Her image should be disgusting and partly justify the murder of Raskolnikov. But, according to Dostoevsky, this old woman is also a person. Therefore, violence against her, like against any other person, is a crime of the moral law.
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