From birth, every person is greatly influenced by his family. Dostoevsky did not violate this truth, portraying Raskolnikov’s relatives as poor but honest. The characterization of his family in the novel “Crime and Punishment” shows how much upbringing influenced the character’s character and that thanks to him, the hero has every chance of saving his soul after committing a crime.
Analysis of the work
Rodion Raskolnikov is the main character of the novel by F. M. Dostoevsky. He is mired in impenetrable poverty, but this is not the only thing that pushes him to crime. The hero is devoted to his idea that people are divided into two types:
- “Trembling creatures” are the majority of individuals. None of them are able to change anything for the better and improve their situation.
- “Lords” are a minority, they are ready from birth to rule other people, they are outside the law and overstep restrictions, interrupt order.
Rodion is a talented and intelligent young man, and the theory awakens in him pride in his work. Throughout his life, poverty constantly prevented him from stepping into a new world of opportunities and helping his family. At first, Raskolnikov does not consider his offense a sin. The murder of the old pawnbroker was the embodiment of a plan to eradicate evil in the world, because all she does is profit from people’s misfortunes. However, then the hero begins to be overcome by other feelings: panic, conscientiousness.
Watching other unfortunate people with unenviable fates, Raskolnikov finally realizes that he is not the only one. For example, Sonechka Marmeladova, because she has to sacrifice a lot, but her heart did not harden, and her faith in God helped to overcome her feelings of anger towards people. It is Sonya who will help the main character take the path of truth and conscience , revive his faith in man and awareness of his own place in the world.
Problems of the novel
F. M. Dostoevsky managed to convey the internal suffering of Rodion Raskolnikov before and after the crime. The theory of the main character is clearly presented, the endless questions in his mind, an attempt to explain his actions. But this is followed by melancholy and hopelessness, constant panic, the search for the truth. The author wanted to show that a person’s soul can be saved, and evil can grow into hope, faith and virtue.
Dostoevsky liked to build a philosophical concept in his works and raise important topics. His idea in the novel grew into the formation of moral laws that people should not ignore, and if they do step over them, they will pay. Raskolnikov's moral state after the murder was greatly shaken, and he began to feel remorse and pangs of conscience.
Here the theme of the struggle between good and evil arises. Virtue is associated with love for relatives and family. Dunya was the name of Raskolnikov’s sister. Because of Rodion, or more precisely, to help her brother, she gets a job where she is endlessly bullied. Sonechka, the hero’s beloved, also suffers and commits sins to help her relatives. Compassion is another path of good , and Marmeladova sincerely tries to support and listen to Raskolnikov, no matter what terrible act he has committed.
The topic of poverty is also important, so the author describes the world of people humiliated and insulted by society. The characters are oppressed by social disorder and stifling poverty. And the beliefs of some heroes only lead to false thoughts and delusions. For example, Raskolnikov’s idea of “lords” who are not “trembling creatures”, and therefore can afford to step over the letter of the law for a good purpose.
Theme of family relationships
It is the family that reflects the inner world of a person. It forms the personality and moral attitude towards everything that happens. The novel “Crime and Punishment” presents two main families that are a reflection of this theme: the Raskolnikovs and the Marmeladovs.
It would seem that such problems are not fundamental, and Rodion’s ideological plan about the crime comes first. However, it is his family that helps reveal the character’s inner world and the plot of the work, because upbringing and relationships with family shape a person’s personality.
The feeling of responsibility for loved ones oppresses and exhausts Raskolnikov, especially the fate of his sister Dunya, who decides to sacrifice her well-being for the sake of her brother and gets a job with the Svidrigailovs.
Mother and sister relied too much on Rodion. As a result, the hero develops in his head his plan to kill the old pawnbroker. The poverty of his relatives and their torment haunt the hero. He tries to find a solution to all the problems of the family in a bad crime.
It is noticeable how much Raskolnikov’s attitude towards his sister and mother changes after the crime. He still loves them infinitely, but, having committed a crime, he can no longer see his family and look them in the eyes. After all, they are sincerely confident that he is innocent.
The complete opposite of the Raskolnikov family is the Marmeladovs. Poverty reigns here too, but the situation is much worse. They, without a doubt, can be called the most unfortunate family:
- The husband drinks constantly and sells the remaining things in the house.
- The wife suffers from consumption and looks after the children.
- Sonya suffers and lives on a yellow ticket.
- Young children are completely abandoned and do not see their mother’s love.
The Marmeladov family plays a special role in the novel. Each of them affects the plot. The head of the family, at the first meeting, reinforces Raskolnikov’s thought about the murder of the old pawnbroker. Also, all the scenes with this family reveal the main character as deeply feeling, kind and warm-hearted. And also the invaluable help of Sonya, who supports Rodion at a difficult moment and pushes him to take the path of faith. Trying to tell the reasons why he committed crimes, Rodion checks their authenticity by his facial expression and her answers, as if in front of a mirror.
In both families, F. M. Dostoevsky points out how the heroes’ priorities are incorrectly structured, because it is the relatives who can lead the way to peace of mind and happiness. The destinies of the characters in the work are intertwined, their view of the world changes.
The Raskolnikov family in the novel Crime and Punishment
However, there were still not enough funds, and the young man began giving private lessons. Such a difficult financial situation forced Rodion to leave his studies at the university. The history of the Raskolnikov family played a huge role in Rodion’s life. It is worth saying that poverty became the cause of many misfortunes that occurred in the life of the main character.
However, in spite of everything, Rodion loved his family very much and was ready to give his life for it. Raskolnikova’s mother Pulcheria Alexandrovna is Rodion’s mother, who loved her son with all her heart. She represents a simple Russian woman who was not only a good and kind person, but also an affectionate mother who loved her children.
The author shows the reader that Pulcheria looked good, despite her age, as well as her ugly and unkempt clothes. The protagonist’s mother was compliant and could always agree to a lot. However, despite this, she was an honest person and it was this trait that did not allow her to overstep herself. The Raskolnikov family in the novel “Crime and Punishment” appeared before the reader as poor, but honest.
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Its members were ready to do anything for each other. Rodion’s sister Dunya is Raskolnikov’s beloved sister. It is worth saying that a warm, trusting relationship has long been established between her and her brother, which can safely be called friendly. Dunya loved Rodion and her mother very much, which is why she decided to marry Luzhin in order to save her relatives from poverty.
She wanted Raskolnikov to continue studying at the university,
Rodion Raskolnikov: image in the novel “Crime and Punishment”
The girl helps the hero realize his guilt. Under her influence, Rodion surrenders to the police and is sent to hard labor. The girl follows him and helps Raskolnikov find strength for future achievements. The image of Raskolnikov F.
Dostoevsky was taken from real life. So, in 1865, a certain Gerasim Chistov, during a robbery, killed two female servants with an ax. It was he who became the prototype of Rodion Raskolnikov.
After all, Chistov was an Old Believer, that is, a “schismatic” - hence the surname of the hero of the novel. Analyzing the image of Raskolnikov in the novel “Crime and Punishment”, first of all it is worth paying attention to how a good-natured young man from a decent family decided to become a murderer.
In those years, the work “The Life of Julius Caesar,” written by Napoleon III, was popular in Russia.
The author argued that people are divided into ordinary people and individuals who make history.
These chosen ones can ignore the laws and go towards their goal, without stopping at murder, theft and other crimes. This book during the years of writing “Crime and Punishment” was very popular in the Russian Empire, and therefore many intellectuals imagined themselves to be precisely these “chosen ones”. Raskolnikov was like that. However, his fascination with the ideas of Napoleon III had a different background.
As stated above, the hero was a provincial who had recently arrived in the capital. Judging by his good disposition, which he (contrary to his own wishes) often demonstrates in the novel (he helped Sonya with the funeral, saved an unfamiliar girl from a scoundrel), initially the young man was full of the most
Raskolnikov family
In the novel Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky describes that Rodion was brought up in an atmosphere of sincere human relationships built on respect and kindness. The text says nothing about the class of the family. The hero's parents and sister are decent and honest people who are forced to constantly work. But the writer makes it clear to readers that a person’s fate is formed not only by upbringing and origin story. That is why Raskolnikov was subjected to life's delusions. However, to create an image, the theme of family is necessary, because relatives influence the hero.
Mother's appearance
Pulcheria Aleksandrovna Raskolnikova is a beautiful older woman.
Dostoevsky notes in the work that thanks to her honesty and kindness she was able to maintain her appearance.
Her husband died a long time ago, and as a widow she is paid a small allowance. Her very bright image, filled with maternal love for her children, becomes an indicator of tender relationships in the family. raise Rodion and Dunya as honest and decent people:
- meekness;
- calm;
- pliability
The mother believes in her son, wants to support him in his studies and hopes that he will rescue them from extreme poverty. Sacrifice is her main quality. Even with impaired vision, Pulcheria strives to work harder to provide her children with a normal life.
The mother worries about Rodion, especially after the crime, her heart is restless. In short, she feels what is happening to her son, but does not know how to help him. After the trial, Pulcheria falls into madness and falls ill, and later dies.
Sister Dunya
This is another bright image in the Raskolnikov family. She is younger than her brother, attractive with a strong character and a big open heart. The girl wants to help her family in any way and gets a job as a governess for rich landowners, and also teaches lessons. In this family, she endlessly endures humiliation and harassment from Svidrigailov. Ignoring his bullying and trying to cope with the shame, Dunya quits.
The girl is offered marriage by Luzhin, a court councilor, a man of high position and money. His main desire is to feel like a noble savior and to be obeyed unquestioningly. Dunya understands perfectly well that her family needs money and wants to accept his proposal for an arranged marriage.
Rodion Raskolnikov speaks out categorically against this idea, because he is not indifferent to the fate of his sister, and he wishes only the best for her. Dunya and the main character have a very trusting and tender relationship, so she listens to his opinion, becoming disappointed in Luzhin as the plot progresses, and later marries Razumikhin, a close friend of her brother.
Self-sacrifice is the main quality of this character. Dunya loves her family very much and is ready to do anything to support them in this moment of endless poverty.
Father image
The reader knows very little about Roman Raskolnikov. It has been established that he died quite a long time ago, but from childhood he managed to influence the main character and raise him as a man of principle with a sense of dignity and honesty.
It is assumed that the father held a position in military circles or minor bureaucracy. After his death, Pulcheria receives benefits as a widow. It was also established that Raskolnikov Sr. loved poems and even wrote stories himself.
The description of Rodion's family shows that it consists of wonderful people with a pure soul and a kind heart. However, we must remember that not only upbringing influences a person, but also his own misconceptions. In any case, it is Raskolnikov’s past upbringing that saves him even from world-scale theories. The hero is pushed to repentance by the kindheartedness of his relatives and their confidence in his innocence.
Essay: The Raskolnikov family in the novel “Crime and Punishment” (F. M. Dostoevsky)
(395 words) Such an outstanding Russian classic as Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky simply could not ignore the theme of family values in his works.
In the novel Crime and Punishment, the main character's family plays an important role in the development of the plot.
The Raskolnikov family consists of a mother, Pulcheria Alexandrovna, and a sister, Avdotya. Raskolnikov's mother is a decent and honest, but soft and rather spineless woman.
Like any mother, she loves her son more than anything in the world, and for his sake Pulcheria Alexandrovna is ready to give her last money.
Rodion's sister is strikingly different from her mother. She has a strong character and is similar to her brother both internally and externally.
The Raskolnikov family first appears in the story when the main character receives a letter from home.
It describes the latest events that happened to the Raskolnikovs, their problems and difficulties. Trying to make money, Dunya gets a job as a governess in Svidrigailov’s house, where she is forced to endure harassment from the owner.
Most of the advance payment for the work goes to Rodion in St. Petersburg. After this, the letter conveys even more unpleasant news for Raskolnikov: in an effort to provide for her family, the sister agrees to marry Mr. Luzhin. All the gloomy news from his mother and sister contributes to the maturation of a crime plan in the hero’s head.
He wants to prove to himself that he is able to provide for his family. Particular significance can be attached to the way Raskolnikov prepares to read the letter.
“With trepidation and excitement, he raised it to his lips and kissed it. His hands trembled and his heart sank.” In this simple gesture, the author shows us how much Rodion loves his family.
Both his sister and especially his mother loved him even more deeply.
When Raskolnikov was sentenced to hard labor, Pulcheria Alexandrovna fell ill, and her illness was more mental than physical. The main character himself is also tormented, realizing how his mother is suffering.
She, like any other mother, simply could not come to terms with the idea that her own son was a murderer and a convict.
After Raskolnikov’s departure, Pulcheria Alexandrovna tells everyone fictitious stories that Rodion left on business, that he came to see her to say goodbye. In the end, the elderly woman’s exhausted imagination inspires her with the idea that her son will certainly come after the wedding of Dunya and Razumikhin.
But Raskolnikov did not come, and the mother suffered more and more. Soon she died. Unlike her mother, Dunya was able to maintain her mental strength and overcome the thought of her brother’s crime.
She could not approve of Raskolnikov's theory, but this did not stop loving him. With the help of images of Raskolnikov’s relatives, Dostoevsky demonstrates the importance of family in the life and destiny of any person.
Author: Denis Petrov
