/ / / The image of Semyon Marmeladov in Dostoevsky’s novel “Crime and Punishment”
In the novel Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky depicted the hardships ordinary people and degradation high society. The poor man did not live, but rather survived as best he could. But for a proud man filled with a sense of justice, such a life was unbearable. This is exactly what it is main character novel, . Disillusioned with the laws of his contemporary society, a poor former student is plotting a crime that, according to his theory, will be done for the greater good. But everything is ideal only in his theory, and the decision to act is not easy for him.
Raskolnikov is pushed to action by another character, Marmeladov.
The full name of the hero is Semyon Zakharovich Marmeladov. He served as a titular councilor for a long time. But at the time of his acquaintance with Raskolnikov, he was already a retired official, drunk and degraded. Marmeladov finds an understanding listener in Rodion and trusts him with his story.
When he was still an official, and therefore had a certain wealth and respect in society, he took pity on one widow and took him as his wife. The young wife did not love Semyon, but for the sake of her three children she agrees to the marriage. They lived well for about a year, Marmeladov did not drink and behaved decently, and his wife “loved” him for this. But her love quickly disappeared after Semyon was laid off at work. Without work and without the support of his wife, Marmeladov seeks solace in drunkenness. And he is so addicted to this matter that he can no longer cope with his vicious habit. Even when he was lucky to be restored to rank, he only lasted until his first paycheck. By bringing the money he earned to the family, Marmeladov makes everyone happy. But he lacks self-control, and he steals money and goes on a drinking binge.
Semyon Zakharovich is already over 50 years old, but he has never made any money. He was a man of average height, stocky. The head was “decorated” by a huge bald spot. The face was swollen from constant drunkenness, and only some kind of liveliness was still visible in the eyes.
Marmeladov walked around in rags and did not wash or comb his hair for many days. And yet, in his habits and appearance one could still discern bureaucratic habits. It was clear that Marmeladov had once been shaved, as befits an official, and the rags were the remnants of a once respectable tailcoat. Such artistic detail shows that the hero is not just a drunkard, but a degraded man who used to be a respected member of society. And now he steals money from his family to drown his conscience in drinking.
Raskolnikov also learns about Marmeladov’s unfortunate daughter, who was forced for the sake of her family to go with a yellow ticket.
Semyon Marmeladov does not feel sorry for himself, but admits his guilt and weakness. But Raskolnikov sees in the example of this man the terrible fate of many poor people. The story of the former official Marmeladov encourages young man implement your theory.
Dostoevsky wrote his novel Crime and Punishment after hard labor. It was at this time that Fyodor Mikhailovich’s beliefs took on a religious overtone. The denunciation of an unjust social system, the search for truth, the dream of happiness for all mankind were combined during this period in his character with disbelief that the world could be remade by force. The writer was convinced that evil cannot be avoided under any social structure. He believed that it came from human soul. Fyodor Mikhailovich raised the question of the need for moral improvement of all people. Therefore, he decided to turn to religion.
Sonya is the writer's ideal
Sonya Marmeladova and Rodion Raskolnikov are the two main characters of the work. They seem to be two counter flows. The ideological part of “Crime and Punishment” is made up of their worldviews. Sonechka Marmeladova is a writer. It is the bearer of faith, hope, empathy, love, understanding and tenderness. According to Dostoevsky, this is exactly what every person should be. This girl is the personification of truth. She believed that all people have an equal right to life. Sonechka Marmeladova was firmly convinced that through crime one cannot achieve happiness - neither someone else's nor one's own. Sin always remains sin. It doesn’t matter who committed it and in the name of what.
Two worlds - Marmeladova and Raskolnikov
Rodion Raskolnikov and Sonya Marmeladova exist in different worlds. Like two opposite poles, these heroes cannot live without each other. The idea of rebellion is embodied in Rodion, while Sonechka Marmeladova personifies humility. This is a deeply religious, highly moral girl. She believes that life has a deep inner meaning. Rodion’s ideas that everything that exists is meaningless are incomprehensible to her. Sonechka Marmeladova sees divine predestination in everything. She believes that nothing depends on a person. The truth of this heroine is God, humility, love. For her, the meaning of life is great power empathy and compassion for people.
Raskolnikov mercilessly and passionately judges the world. He cannot tolerate injustice. It is from here that his crime and mental torment stems in the work “Crime and Punishment.” Sonechka Marmeladova, like Rodion, also steps over herself, but she does it completely differently than Raskolnikov. The heroine sacrifices herself to other people rather than killing them. In this, the author embodied the idea that a person has no right to personal, selfish happiness. You need to learn patience. True happiness can only be achieved through suffering.
Why does Sonya take Rodion's crime to heart?
According to the thoughts of Fyodor Mikhailovich, a person needs to feel responsible not only for his actions, but also for any evil done in the world. That is why Sonya feels that the crime committed by Rodion is also her fault. She takes this hero’s action to heart and shares it hard fate. Raskolnikov decides to reveal his terrible secret to this heroine. Her love revives him. She resurrects Rodion to a new life.
High internal qualities of the heroine, attitude towards happiness
The image of Sonechka Marmeladova is the embodiment of the best human qualities: love, faith, sacrifice and chastity. Even being surrounded by vices, forced to sacrifice her own dignity, this girl maintains the purity of her soul. She does not lose faith that there is no happiness in comfort. Sonya says that “a person is not born to be happy.” It is bought through suffering, it must be earned. The fallen woman Sonya, who ruined her soul, turns out to be a “person of high spirit.” This heroine can be put in the same “category” with Rodion. However, she condemns Raskolnikov for his contempt for people. Sonya cannot accept his “rebellion”. But it seemed to the hero that his ax was raised in her name.
The clash between Sonya and Rodion
According to Fyodor Mikhailovich, this heroine embodies the Russian element, the national principle: humility and patience, and towards people. The clash between Sonya and Rodion, their opposing worldviews are a reflection of the writer’s internal contradictions that troubled his soul.
Sonya hopes for a miracle, for God. Rodion is convinced that there is no God, and there is no point in waiting for a miracle. This hero reveals to the girl the futility of her illusions. Raskolnikov says that her compassion is useless, and her sacrifices are ineffective. It is not because of her shameful profession that Sonechka Marmeladova is a sinner. The characterization of this heroine given by Raskolnikov during the clash does not stand up to criticism. He believes that her feat and sacrifices are in vain, but at the end of the work it is this heroine who revives him to life.
Sonya's ability to penetrate a person's soul
Driven by life into a hopeless situation, the girl tries to do something in the face of death. She, like Rodion, acts according to the law of free choice. However, unlike him, she did not lose faith in humanity, which Dostoevsky notes. Sonechka Marmeladova is a heroine who does not need examples to understand that people are kind by nature and deserve the brightest fate. It is she, and only she, who is able to sympathize with Rodion, since she is not embarrassed by either the ugliness of his social fate or his physical deformity. Sonya Marmeladova penetrates into the essence of the soul through its “scab”. She is in no hurry to judge anyone. The girl understands that behind external evil there are always incomprehensible or unknown reasons that led to the evil of Svidrigailov and Raskolnikov.
The heroine's attitude towards suicide
This girl stands outside the laws of the world that torments her. She's not interested in money. She, of her own free will, wanting to feed her family, went to the panel. And it was precisely because of her indestructible and firm will that she did not commit suicide. When the girl was faced with this question, she carefully thought about it and chose an answer. In her situation, suicide would be a selfish act. Thanks to him, she would be spared pain and shame. Suicide would get her out of the "fetid pit." However, the thought of family did not allow her to take this step. Marmeladova’s measure of determination and will is much higher than Raskolnikov expected. In order to refuse suicide, she needed more fortitude than in order to commit this act.
For this girl, debauchery was worse than death. However, humility excludes suicide. This reveals the full strength of character of this heroine.
Love Sonya
If you define this girl’s nature in one word, then this word is loving. Her love for her neighbor was active. Sonya knew how to respond to the pain of another person. This was especially evident in the episode of Rodion’s confession to murder. This quality makes her image “ideal”. The sentence in the novel is pronounced by the author from the standpoint of this ideal. Fyodor Dostoevsky, in the image of his heroine, presented an example of all-forgiving, all-encompassing love. She does not know envy, does not want anything in return. This love can even be called unspoken, because the girl never talks about it. However, this feeling overwhelms her. It comes out only in the form of actions, but never in the form of words. Silent love only becomes more beautiful from this. Even the desperate Marmeladov bows before her.
The crazy Katerina Ivanovna also prostrates herself in front of the girl. Even Svidrigailov, that eternal libertine, respects Sonya for her. Not to mention Rodion Raskolnikov. Her love healed and saved this hero.
The author of the work through reflection and moral quest came to the idea that any person who finds God looks at the world in a new way. He begins to rethink it. That is why in the epilogue, when the moral resurrection of Rodion is described, Fyodor Mikhailovich writes that “it begins new story"The love of Sonechka Marmeladova and Raskolnikov, described at the end of the work, is the brightest part of the novel.
The immortal meaning of the novel
Dostoevsky, having rightly condemned Rodion for his rebellion, leaves victory to Sonya. It is in her that he sees the highest truth. The author wants to show that suffering purifies, that it is better than violence. Most likely, in our time, Sonechka Marmeladova would be an outcast. The image of this heroine in the novel is too far from the norms of behavior accepted in society. And not every Rodion Raskolnikov will suffer and suffer today. However, as long as “the world stands,” the soul of a person and his conscience are always alive and will live. This is the immortal meaning of the novel by Dostoevsky, who is rightfully considered a great psychological writer.
Marmeladov has a daughter from his first marriage, eighteen-year-old Sonya. His second wife, consumptive Katerina Ivanovna, has three children. Due to his addiction to wine, Semyon Zakharovich Marmeladov lost his position as a provincial official, and his family is in complete poverty. Having gone to the capital Petersburg, he again managed to get a job, but he can no longer do without wine, he has no serious desire to work, so he soon finds himself out of work again. He steals the salary given to his wife, hangs out in taverns, and turns into a worthless person who has no means of subsistence. This aging drunkard skillfully extracts money for drinks from Sonya, who is forced to earn money by selling her body. However, Marmeladov, who looks like an example of an insignificant drunkard, has features that distinguish him from an “ordinary” alcoholic.
In the novel “Crime and Punishment,” Marmeladov has an ineradicable desire to tell people about his insignificance and vices. Of course, he is an outsider who does not want an active life and seeks to find oblivion in wine, but he is not the type to get drunk alone under a fence. He needs listeners at all costs, and if he sees someone who is even remotely suitable for this role, he grabs him by the sleeve and picturesquely talks about how insignificant he is. Without any shame or embarrassment, with colorful gestures and playing with his voice, he, dripping with sweat, leads his detailed story. Katerina Ivanovna - from good home, she is an honest woman, and he torments her; she was so happy when he managed to get a job again, and he so cruelly crushed her hopes; his family's life is so poor, and he even drank away his wife's stockings; his daughter has " yellow ticket” and engages in prostitution... Feeling that his listener is imbued with contempt and interest, Marmeladov becomes even more furious and sets up a real one-man theater at a dirty tavern table. As he tells all this not for the first time, his skill as a storyteller grows. Marmeladov in the novel “Crime and Punishment” gives the whole narrative a peculiar liveliness. He doesn’t want to work, but his stories about his own insignificance captivate him completely.
Marmeladov, of course, is a drunkard. A real drunkard feels his loneliness, he wants to show that he has his own pride, he is proud of what is hardly worth being proud of. But Marmeladov in the novel “Crime and Punishment” is not just a drunkard. Behind the eloquent and proud confessions of one’s own insignificance and worthlessness, another desire is hidden.
By blaspheming himself with fervor, he turns himself into a humiliated man, and therefore must be forgiven - this is Marmeladov’s hidden logic. He doesn't think he has anything to be proud of. If he became good father and a reliable husband, he would no longer be able to achieve salvation. His train of thought is this: precisely because I am so insignificant and there is no pride left in me, nothing needs to be done, and Last Judgment God will take pity on me and forgive me - even if he is the least of all people. This is how this cunning and selfish drunkard reasons. He has no desire to improve, he expects to be forgiven, being as he is. He dreams of being forgiven the last nonentity that he is. His desire to leave everything as it is is unshakable.
The surname Marmeladov is “sweet”, all these hot speeches of the hero about his forgiveness also smack of “sweetness”. In coming up with such a surname for his hero, Dostoevsky may have been filled with bitter irony. Dostoevsky is critical of his hero, but the idea of a dissolute person that an insignificant person who unconditionally admits his insignificance and worthlessness will be forgiven by God was not alien to the writer himself. Emelya from “The Honest Thief” also grows from this root. The same can apparently be said about Myshkin from The Idiot and Snegirev from The Brothers Karamazov.
But no matter how much the drunkard Marmeladov, immersed in his dreams, talks about “forgiveness” in the novel “Crime and Punishment,” real life he has no prospects. No matter how much he talks about the Last Judgment, in this cruel world it is not so easy for a loser and a nonentity to find consolation. And Marmeladov’s life is real torture.
On an evening street, a drunken Marmeladov runs out onto the roadway, falls under a luxury carriage drawn by two horses and dies. His wife Katerina Ivanovna suspected his secret desire to commit suicide, and when she finds out that her husband was in such trouble, she exclaims: “I achieved it!”
The hardships of life haunt the drunkard Marmeladov and, in the end, he runs away from the arena.
The author focuses on the terrible reality of Russia in the 19th century - poverty, lack of rights, a morally decaying individual, suffocating from his own powerlessness, as a result of which he rebels against an unjust environment. And so Raskolnikov challenges reality - he decides to commit a pre-planned murder in order to help disadvantaged and unhappy people. One of these heroes is Semyon Zakharych Marmeladov - one might say, an oppressed man who has reached the edge - a man truly tragic fate. His role in the work is important. It is he who, with his stories in the tavern about the sacrifice of his daughter Sonya and the poverty of the family, provokes, in addition to other circumstances, Raskolnikov’s desire to “cleanse the world” of the evil and stupid old woman in the name of justice. Thus, marmalade influences the decision - to kill - not to kill (and killed - get punished), which in fact is the entire basis of the novel.
Enough detailed description The author provides Marmeladov almost at the very beginning of the novel, immediately after the trial of the crime, however, the meeting and conversation (or rather confession) takes up literally a few pages of the first part, and what a role it plays! This episode draws full picture unfair life of that time, the real truth that society that cannot but arouse pity.
Let's move on to the portrait description of Marmeladov. “He was a man over 50 years old, of average height and heavy build, with gray hair and a large bald spot, with a yellow, even greenish face swollen from drunkenness and with swollen eyelids, from behind which tiny, like slits, but animated eyes shone... his gaze seemed to even glow with enthusiasm - perhaps there was meaning and intelligence - but... there was also a flash of madness...” The author dwells in detail on the description of Marmeladov’s eyes and gaze, as they say, eyes are the mirror of the soul, and here, despite his entire external ugly appearance, his “greenish face”, he has kind heart, sincere character, he knows how to love and sacrifice, he remained human - this is what can be emphasized from his animated and enthusiastic look against the background of his terrible appearance (“... sticks of hay could be seen stuck to his dress and hair, ... he did not undress or wash himself for 5 days . Especially the hands were dirty, greasy, red, with black nails..."). “Dressed in an old, completely tattered tailcoat with crumbling buttons..., a crumpled and stained shirtfront was sticking out from under the vest; the face is shaved like an official, but for a long time already...; and in his grip... there was something respectably bureaucratic..." The clothes he wears speak of a man who has been pretty battered by life, who has seemingly seen everything in his path in his insignificant existence. His “solid official” face and disheveled, dirty appearance are an indicator that he is a person who does not care about the opinions of others; perhaps the author is even trying to show the reader such a trait of Marmeladov as pride, although not clearly expressed, but still some kind of pride in the fact that I am a person, and it doesn’t matter who is a drunkard or anyone else, I don’t care about the opinion of the “stupid” people, the main thing is that I am a person, even if my fate is like road dust. “There was laughter and curses..., looking only at one figure of a retired official...”; He evokes laughter from those around him with his florid speech and dignified bureaucratic bearing, which is deplorable. In my opinion, he can only evoke pity (or rather his whole image, appearance), but how can you feel sorry for a person who stole the last penny from his children? Dostoevsky makes us feel sorry for those unworthy of pity, to feel compassion for those unworthy of compassion. But Marmeladov is acutely aware of his guilt. “Doesn’t my heart hurt that I’m groveling in vain?...” “...I am a born beast!” Through portraiture, it seems to me, author's attitude is this: Dostoevsky does not justify the hero’s behavior, he speaks of a completely capable personality, but already lost, perishing and bringing torment to himself and his loved ones. “...perhaps there was meaning and intelligence...”
If, for example, we compare Marmeladov with other heroes - Luzhin, then, of course, a bright contrast emerges, the contrast between the poor and disadvantaged and those individuals to whom everything is allowed in life. Luzhin: “The whole dress was just from the tailor... his face, very fresh and beautiful, already seemed younger than his 45 years. And if there was something repulsive, it happened for other reasons.” If we compare the portraits of Marmeladov and Luzhin, we can trace the following feature: Luzhin is a man with beautiful face, appearance, but he makes a repulsive impression, the arrogant character and typicality of the “Luzhins” is immediately visible, and in relation to Semyon Zakharych he does not evoke such associations, the author says “his animated eyes shone.”
In general conclusion: portrait characteristic the hero Marmeladov reflects the image of all the disadvantaged; Raskolnikov, seeing him for the first time and hearing his confession about Sonya’s sacrifice and the poverty of the family, rushes from edge to edge - he is tormented by terrible mental anguish, which subsequently leads to the decision that it is necessary to break the vicious circle; one might say, Marmeladov helped Rodion to commit “a crime against himself” “, this was Dostoevsky’s idea.
The Marmeladov family and its role in the novel “Crime and Punishment”
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky’s novel “Crime and Punishment” is one of the most complex works of Russian literature, in which the author told about the story of the death of the soul of the main character after he committed a crime, about the alienation of Rodion Raskolnikov from the whole world, from the people closest to him - his mother, sister, friend. Dostoevsky rightly asserted that one can return to this world, again become a full member of society, only by resisting misanthropic ideas and purifying oneself through suffering.
Reading the novel thoughtfully, you involuntarily realize how deeply the author penetrated into the souls and hearts of his characters, how he comprehended human character, and with what genius he told about the moral upheavals of the main character.
The central figure of the novel is, of course, Rodion Raskolnikov. But there are many others in Crime and Punishment characters. These are Razumikhin, Avdotya Romanovna and Pulcheria Alexandrovna, the Raskolnikovs, Pyotr Petrovich Luzhin, Arkady Ivanovich Svidrigailov, the Marmeladovs.
The Marmsladov family plays special role in the novel. After all, it was Sonechka Marmeladova, her faith and selfless love Raskolnikov owes his spiritual rebirth. Her great love, a tormented but pure soul, capable of seeing a person even in a murderer, empathizing with him, suffering with him, saved Raskolnikov. Yes, Sonya is a “harlot,” as Dostoevsky writes about her, but she was forced to sell herself in order to save her stepmother’s children from starvation. Even in her terrible situation, Sonya managed to remain human; drunkenness and debauchery did not affect her. But in front of her was shining example a fallen father, completely crushed by poverty and his own powerlessness to change anything in his life. Patience of Sonya and her life force largely stem from her faith. She believes in God, in justice with all her heart, without going into complex philosophical reasoning, she believes blindly, recklessly. And what else can an eighteen-year-old girl believe in, whose entire education is “a few books of romantic content,” seeing around her only drunken quarrels, squabbles, illnesses, debauchery and human grief?
Dostoevsky contrasts Sonya's humility with Raskolnikov's rebellion. Subsequently, Rodion Raskolnikov, not accepting Sonya’s religiosity with his mind, decides with his heart to live by her beliefs. But if the image of Sonya appears to us throughout the entire novel, then we see her father, Semyon Zakharych and stepmother Katerina Ivanovna with her three small children only in a few episodes. But these few episodes are incredibly significant.
The first meeting of Semyon Zakharych Marmeladov and Rodion Raskolnikav occurs at the very beginning of the novel, precisely when Raskolnikov decides to kill, but has not yet fully believed in his “Napoleonic” theory. Rodion is in some kind of feverish state: the world around him exists, but as if in unreality: he sees and hears almost nothing. The brain drills only one question: “To be or not to be?” For Raskolnikov, Marmeladov is just a drunken regular at the tavern. But, at first inattentively listening to Marmeladov’s monologue, Raskolnikov soon becomes imbued with curiosity and then sympathy for the narrator. This dirty retired official, who has lost all human dignity, robs his own wife and asks his prostitute daughter for money for a hangover, somehow touches Raskolnikov, he remembers him. In Semyon Zakharych, through his repulsive appearance, something human still peeks through. One feels that his conscience is tormenting him, that his current situation is painful and disgusting to him. He does not blame his wife for the fact that she, perhaps, unwittingly (“this was not said in common sense, but with agitated feelings, in illness and with the crying of children who had not eaten, and it was said more for the sake of insult than to in the exact sense..."), pushed Sonya out into the street. Marmeladov’s daughter generally considers him a saint. Semyon Zakharych repents of his “weakness”, it’s hard for him to see hungry children and consumptive Katerina Ivanovna, in his temper he shouts: “...I am a born beast!” Marmeladov is a weak, weak-willed person, but, in my opinion, he is better and more honest than those who laughed at him in the tavern. Semyon Zakharych is able to acutely feel other people's pain and injustice. His soul did not harden, and, in spite of everything, did not become deaf to the suffering of people. Marmeladov loves his wife and her small children. Particularly touching are the words of Katerina Ivanovna at Marmeladov’s wake that after his death a mint cockerel was found in her husband’s pocket.
Marmeladov may be ridiculous and pathetic with his plea for forgiveness, but he is sincere in it, and this unfortunate man doesn’t need much: just to be listened to without ridicule and at least tried to understand.
Sonya was able to understand the murderer Raskolnikov, which means Marmeladov deserves, if justification, then at least compassion. Katerina Ivanovna is a completely different person. She is of noble origin, from a bankrupt noble family, so it is many times harder for her than for her stepdaughter and husband. The point is not even in everyday difficulties, but in the fact that Katerina Ivanovna does not have an outlet in life, like Sonya and Semyon Zakharych. Sonya finds solace in prayers and in the Bible, and her father forgets himself at least for a while in a tavern. Katerina Ivanovna is a passionate, daring, rebellious and impatient person. The surrounding environment seems like a real hell to her, and the human meanness that she encounters at every step hurts her painfully. Katerina Ivanovna does not know how to endure and remain silent, like Sonya. Her strongly developed sense of justice prompts her to take decisive action, which leads to a misunderstanding of her behavior by those around her.
The author of “Crime and Punishment” talks about the plight of the Marmeladov family, the death of Katerina Ivanovna and Semyon Zakharych so that the reader feels that stuffy, cramped, unbearable atmosphere of St. Petersburg in the sixties of the nineteenth century, in which the lower classes of society were forced to live.. But after all the main character of the novel belonged to them, and the theory of the “superman” was born precisely in such a situation.
The term “Dostoevsky’s Petersburg” is widely known. In “Crime and Punishment”, “Dostoevsky’s Petersburg” is entertainment establishments, taverns, drunken suicidal women, meanness, anger and cruelty of most people, petty quarrels, terrifying external living conditions: “dust, brick and mortar, the stench from shops and taverns ...", rooms - "coffins" in dilapidated houses.
The Marmeladov family is one of thousands of poor families like it. The history of this family is, as it were, the prehistory of Raskolnikov’s crime. However, the role of the Marmeladov family is not limited to just creating the background against which the tragedy of Rodion Raskolnikov’s crime developed.
F.M. Dostoevsky, by contrasting the characters of Marmeladov and Luzhin, Raskolnikov and Razumikhin, Svidrigailov and Dunechka Raskolnikova, emphasizes the contrasts between his contemporary reality and its social inequality, oppression of some and wealth, permissiveness of others. And, perhaps, the most important thing is that in the depiction of the Marmeladov family, the reader clearly sees Dostoevsky - a humanist with his love for “little people” and the desire to understand the soul of even the most terrible criminal.