Essay “The Essence of Raskolnikov’s Theory” based on the novel by Dostoevsky

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A very appropriate word for this theory is “collapse.” She did not “leave” from Rodion’s consciousness, but rather crashed. Unfortunately, Raskolnikov managed to do something because of her that he will regret and cannot be corrected in any way.

Actually, his theory is simple and ugly. He divided people into those who were worthy and those who were not. “Real” people are allowed everything. They have ideas and power to change our lives. (Rodion cites Napoleon as an example.) And these people, for the sake of their great plans, are allowed more than others. Society itself is ready to forgive them for any crimes; they themselves are ready to commit murder. And the rest is biomass, which, it seems, is not a pity. All these ordinary people are needed only so that one day a genius will be born from the masses.

This all sounds terribly cruel. The investigator immediately saw the inhumanity of these ideas, and even postponed Raskolnikov’s article. Sonechka was horrified by such thoughts, which were absolutely not Christian. Parents and friends were all horrified by these ideas of the young man. Raskolnikov committed a crime, but did not take the money. In vain he asked himself a question like “is it weak”: if I kill, go through everything, then I’m a man, but no, no. Have you proven it to yourself? No, he committed a crime, but by doing so he doomed himself to torment: nightmares and remorse.

Another big question would Napoleon be able to kill the old woman, even for money? Sending troops into battle (and the military also understands what they are doing) is one thing, but to kill with your own hands... I think I would be disdainful! And those who were sent to execution were also tormented by their conscience. For example, Ivan the Terrible, as I read, often repented in church and had nightmares... But the era, by the way, was more cruel.

In general, Raskolnikov’s theory does not stand up to criticism. She pushes her creator to commit a crime, which drives the hero almost to the point of insanity. And he himself gets confused, he himself admits to his sin. His life is almost destroyed; he can no longer believe in anything in hard labor. The main critic of this philosophy is the investigator, but also, on the other hand, Sonechka. There are two forces here - reason and love. I think that they saved the hero from another crime - suicide, this theory and its consequences ate him up from the inside. He may have ended up in hard labor, but he is still ready to start life over!

Essay 2

The hero of the novel F.M. Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" - former student Rodion Raskolnikov, crushed by poverty. Observing the lives of the people around him, Raskolnikov sees human suffering, poverty, humiliation. Petersburg appears before him as a city of slums and luxurious quarters, in which theft, poverty, vagrancy, and prostitution flourish. A feeling of protest is born in Raskolnikov. How can I change the existing order? We must rise above this world.

Raskolnikov creates a theory in which all people are divided into two categories: “lords” and “trembling creatures.” The first are the people who rule the whole world. They can destroy everything in their path to achieve their goal. According to Raskolnikov, Mohammed, Napoleon, and Newton belong to this group. The latter must obey the former. Raskolnikov has no doubt about the infallibility of his theory. She justifies “blood according to conscience.” He just needs to find out who he is. To check this, Raskolnikov goes on a murder spree.

Raskolnikov's idea fails not only after, but also at the very moment of its implementation. A squeamish disgust for what he is doing grows in him. After the murder of the old woman, Raskolnikov “wanted to give up everything and leave,” and when Lizaveta became his second victim, he wanted to get away from here quickly.

After the crime, Raskolnikov experiences shock, alienation from loved ones and self-loathing. The hero realizes that he did not “kill the old woman, but himself.” He couldn’t step over the blood, which means he’s not one of the people of the “highest” rank. It was as if the crime had erased him from life, stood as a wall between him and people, and this loneliness becomes unbearable.

To debunk the idea of ​​a strong personality, the author uses a system of doubles. Luzhin and Svidrigailov also believe that “everything is permitted” to the “powers of this world.” Raskolnikov feels that the false theory brings him closer to them, but he, on the contrary, wants to protect people from the Luzhins and Svidrigailovs. The theory led the hero into a hopeless dead end.

Sonya Marmeladova has the strongest influence on Raskolnikov and on his decision to stop the “rebellion”. She suffers with him, but cannot accept his theory. Sonya helped save Raskolnikov's soul. Dostoevsky shows that a person can understand the truth only by being close to others.

Raskolnikov realized the disastrous nature of his theory and its inhumane essence and abandoned it.

The main idea of ​​the work and the origin of Raskolnikov’s theory

“Crime and Punishment” by F. M. Dostoevsky is an ideological novel in which non-human theory collides with human feelings. The writer, a great expert in human psychology, an attentive and sensitive artist, tried to understand reality, to find out the degree of influence of popular ideas of individualistic theories and the reorganization of life on a person. In his novel, he sought to show how the delusion of still fragile minds can lead to the shedding of blood, murder, breaking and crippling young destinies.

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Note 2

The main idea of ​​the work is revealed in the image of Rodion Raskolnikov, a poor student, a gifted, intelligent person who does not have the opportunity to continue his studies and drags out a miserable existence, unworthy of a person.

The writer, depicting the wretched and pitiful world of the St. Petersburg slums, reveals step by step how a terrible theory arises in the hero’s mind.

This theory is not a figment of the imagination of a great writer. Among his contemporaries there were quite a lot of young educated people who were seriously interested in Nietzsche's ideas. It was his teaching that gave rise to this kind of belief, which was popular among young people who were in search of a way out of their humiliating, beggarly situation. Dostoevsky's works raise current problems of modern society. The vices generated by social inequality - drunkenness, crime, prostitution - have overwhelmed Russia. People, in an attempt to escape from the terrible reality, became carried away by the idea of ​​individualism and forgot about eternal moral values ​​and the commandments of the Christian religion.

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Raskolnikov, possessing very extraordinary abilities and dreaming of a brilliant future, is forced to live in poverty and endure humiliation. These circumstances had a detrimental effect on the psychological state of the protagonist of Crime and Punishment. Raskolnikov leaves his studies at the university, locks himself in his stuffy room and ponders the plan of a terrible crime. The conversation he overheard by chance seems like a strange omen to Rodion Raskolnikov. Certain phrases and thoughts repeated the theses of the article “On Crime” he wrote for the newspaper. Fascinated by this idea, the main character of the work decides to bring his theory to life.

Raskolnikov's theory in the novel Crime and Punishment

The novel “Crime and Punishment” can be classified as social and philosophical. It was written by Dostoevsky in 1866, when a turning point was brewing in Russia, a time of confrontation between revolutionary forces. People did not agree with the social structure of society, the shortcomings of which the author drew attention to in his work. The people were in such a situation that crime was often the only way out.

The main character of the work is Rodion Raskolnikov, a former student. He found himself in such a situation that he had absolutely nothing to live on, and he could not hope for the opportunity to improve his financial situation. Rodion is kind, sympathetic, smart, but the need and hopelessness around him prompted him to think, during which a cruel theory was born. According to Raskolnikov, all humanity is divided into “trembling creatures” and “those who have the right.” The latter have the right to commit crimes for a specific purpose. To achieve a great goal for the sake of humanity, people of the second group have the right to humiliate all the “tremblers” who come across their path.

The young man is inclined to believe that the well-being of the majority justifies the destruction of the minority. It is important for the hero to determine which group of people he himself belongs to. For this reason, he decides to commit a terrible act: to kill the old money-lender. In order to establish justice, the young man commits a crime. From this moment the refutation of Raskolnikov's ideas begins. What he has done becomes torment and hard labor for him. The hero's conscience turned out to be higher than reasoning. He can't think about anything other than the murder he has committed. Rodion concludes that he is just a “trembling creature,” like everyone else around him. He realizes the senselessness of what he did, but tries with all his might not to admit that his theory is untenable. What seemed like a way out to him led to a dead end. The hero is tormented by loneliness, he needs to confess to someone. He decides to confess everything to Sonya Marmeladova, who is also a criminal, but her crime is completely against her own soul. The girl persuades Raskolnikov to confess to what he did. For murder, Rodion receives a well-deserved punishment. But even in prison, he continues to believe in his theory. Only Sonechka’s kindness influences him in such a way that he truly repents and renounces his beliefs. A complete renunciation of the theory occurs after a dream in which people kill each other for the sake of world well-being. The result is the extermination of all living things. Only after these dreams does the hero become completely convinced of the meaninglessness of what he has invented. He understands that everyone deserves to live, has the right to happiness, but well-being must be achieved by doing good, and not by exterminating those who are undesirable. Life shows Rodion Raskolnikov how unfair his beliefs were, and he begins to put Christian values ​​at the forefront of everything.

Through Raskolnikov's repentance, Dostoevsky wants to convey to everyone that crime cannot be justified by any goals, that it will never lead to happiness. A person gets what he gives. To achieve well-being you need to follow the path of goodness.

The essence of the theory

The essence of Rodion's theory was the division of people into “trembling creatures” and “those with the right.” He believed that “extraordinary” people were capable of murder, so the young man set himself the goal of killing the old pawnbroker and proving to himself that he was one of those like Napoleon Bonaparte or Alexander the Great.

His methods of testing theories are inhumane to others . He believes that the injustice lies in the fact that the old woman profits from suffering, and he decides to rob her in order to help the sick. Some will say that his act was good, since the woman took on many obligations and morally humiliated people, but it was possible to do without a crime. Murder is one of the most terrible acts, as it takes away the most precious thing a person has - life.

The committed act led to the fact that in Raskolnikov’s soul a contradiction arose between human nature and following his own theory. As an educated person with moral principles, Rodion could not come to terms with the thought of crime and throughout the entire novel he called himself a scoundrel.

The former confidence in actions and in the right decision disappeared, so he began to explore his inner world more often, despising himself for his weakness and cowardice. The young man did not know why he was tormented, but he was not disappointed in his theory. As a result, Raskolnikov became so obsessed with his idea that he could not communicate with his family, because he believed that they belonged to “trembling creatures” and were unworthy of communication .

He begins to worry about what he has done, cutting himself off from society. The young man is afraid that he will be discovered, despite the fact that no evidence was found. Rodion was unable to distribute the money to those in need and kept it in a secluded place, so he was unable to achieve his main goal. He could not accept the fact that he belonged to the “trembling creature”, because he became cowardly and realized his insignificance.

In Dostoevsky's novel, Raskolnikov's end does not justify the means, since he committed a terrible crime.

After realizing the mistake he had made, due to mental anguish, the hero was unable to realize his desire. No matter how noble the goal, a person should not forget about basic moral principles and treat society selfishly.

Essay-reasoning Theory of Raskolnikov

F. M. Dostoevsky’s novel “Crime and Punishment” is the greatest work of Russian literature. The novel describes the events of the sixties of the nineteenth century, when revolutionary ideas were widespread in Russia. All actions take place in St. Petersburg - a sick, joyless and immoral city, which shows the state of the heroes.

The main character of the work is Rodion Raskolnikov, a former student who, due to a difficult financial situation, had to leave his studies at the university. The hero lives very poorly, rents a small closet that resembles a closet or a coffin. His room was only ten steps long, all shabby, dirty, yellow curtains hung on the windows.

Rodion observed the lives of ordinary people for a long time; he wanted to change their lives for the better. This is how Raskolnikov’s theory was born. His theory assumes the division of all people into two types: ordinary, that is, simple people, whose significance is only in reproducing their own kind, and extraordinary - great people who are allowed to break laws to achieve their brilliant plans and goals. The hero was thinking about the question of what type he himself belongs to: “Am I a trembling creature or do I have the right?” Finally, Raskolnikov considers himself one of the great people, comparing himself with Napoleon, and decides to commit a crime - the murder of the old pawnbroker. Rodion was sure that his action was a good deed, because the old woman was deceiving poor people and making money at the expense of others. He believed that the pawnbroker only interferes with everyone, poisons the lives of others, and her murder cannot be called a crime at all.

But Rodina Raskolnikov had to kill and the innocent Lizaveta, the pregnant sister of the pawnbroker. The hero’s conscience did not give him peace; he constantly experienced mental anguish, because he was able to kill, but was never able to cross the line. The money that Raskolnikov took after the murder of the old woman was never used, that is, the good deeds that the hero planned were never accomplished.

Although the hero did not admit his guilt, he gradually became disillusioned with his theory. He realized that it was in vain to classify himself as an extraordinary person. Ultimately, Raskolnikov realized that he had not killed a useless old woman, but himself. Rodion didn’t need her money at all, his goal was to find out whether he could cross over or not. He tells Sonya about this.

Thus, Raskolnikov’s theory, which at first glance seems quite logical and truthful, ultimately brings suffering and torment to the hero and leads to the repentance of the criminal.

Other topics: ← Razumikhin in the novel Crime and Punishment ↑ Dostoevsky Raskolnikov's Doubles →

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Division of people

In his theory, Raskolnikov divides all people into two types. Some are completely ordinary, their purpose is only to multiply and produce their own kind. Raskolnikov calls them “trembling creatures.” The second, “extraordinary” ones, are people called to accomplish great things. Among them the hero counts Newton, Mohammed, Napoleon (with whom he compares himself). These people, according to the hero, “have the right” to even commit crimes for the sake of accomplishing great deeds and discoveries. These people must destroy everything in their path in order to achieve their goal, which will ultimately benefit all of humanity. Raskolnikov sincerely believes that crimes can be committed for good. He believes that killing a person from the first category, destroying a “louse” is not a real crime for a person who “has the right.”

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Raskolnikov's theory - social and philosophical origins of the theory and its meaning

The famous classic work by F. M. Dostoevsky “Crime and Punishment” is the story of a student who decided to commit a terrible crime. In the novel, the author touches on many social, psychological and philosophical issues that are relevant to modern society. Raskolnikov's theory has been manifesting itself for decades.

What is Raskolnikov's theory?

The main character, as a result of lengthy deliberation, came to the conclusion that people are divided into two groups. The first includes individuals who can do whatever they want without paying attention to the law.

To the second group he included people without rights, whose lives can be neglected. This is the main essence of Raskolnikov’s theory, which is also relevant for modern society.

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Many people consider themselves superior to others, breaking laws and doing whatever they want. An example is the majors.

Initially, the main character of the work perceived his own theory as a joke, but the more he thought about it, the more real the assumptions seemed.

As a result, he divided all the people around him into categories and evaluated them only according to his own criteria. Psychologists have already proven that a person can convince himself of various things by thinking about them regularly.

Raskolnikov's theory is a manifestation of extreme individualism.

Reasons for creating Raskolnikov's theory

Not only literature lovers, but also specialists in various fields carefully studied Dostoevsky’s work in order to highlight the social and philosophical origins of Raskolnikov’s theory.

  • The moral reasons that prompted the hero to commit a crime include the desire to understand what category of people he belongs to and pain for the humiliated poor.
  • There are other reasons for the emergence of Raskolnikov’s theory: extreme poverty, the concept of injustice in life and the loss of one’s own guidelines.
  • How did Raskolnikov come to his theory?

    The main character himself throughout the novel tries to understand what caused the terrible act.

    Raskolnikov's strong personality theory confirms that in order for the majority to live happily, the minority must be destroyed.

    As a result of lengthy reflection and consideration of various situations, Rodion came to the conclusion that he belongs to the highest category of people. Literature lovers put forward several motives that prompted him to commit the crime:

  • influence of the environment and people;
  • desire to become great;
  • desire to get money;
  • dislike for the harmful and useless old woman;
  • desire to test one's own theory.

What does Raskolnikov's theory bring to the disadvantaged?

The author of Crime and Punishment wanted in his book to convey suffering and pain for all humanity. Almost every page of this novel shows poverty, loneliness and harshness of people.

In fact, the novel, published in 1866, has much in common with modern society, which is increasingly showing its indifference to its fellow man.

Rodion Raskolnikov’s theory confirms the existence of disadvantaged people who do not have a chance for a decent life, and the so-called “leaders of life” with big wallets.

What is the contradiction in Raskolnikov’s theory?

The image of the main character consists of only inconsistencies that can be traced throughout the entire work. Raskolnikov is a sensitive person who is not alien to the grief of those around him, and he wants to help those in need, but Rodion understands that he is not able to change the way of life. At the same time, he proposes a theory that completely contradicts life principles.

When figuring out what is wrong with Raskolnikov’s theory for the hero himself, it is worth noting the fact that he expected that it would help him get out of the impasse and start living in a new way.

At the same time, the hero achieved the exact opposite result, and he finds himself in an even more hopeless situation.

Rodion loved people, but after the murder of the old woman, he simply cannot be around them, this even applies to his mother. All these contradictions show the imperfection of the put forward theory.

What is the danger of Raskolnikov's theory?

If we assume that the idea put forward by Dostoevsky through the thoughts of the protagonist has become large-scale, then the result for society and the world as a whole is very deplorable.

The meaning of Raskolnikov’s theory is that people who are superior to others by some criteria, for example, financial capabilities, can “clear” the road for their own good by doing whatever they want, including committing murder.

If many people lived according to this principle, then the world would simply cease to exist; sooner or later, the so-called “competitors” would destroy each other.

Throughout the novel, Rodion experiences moral torment, which often takes on different forms.

Raskolnikov's theory is dangerous because the hero is trying in every possible way to convince himself that his action was correct, since he wanted to help his family, but he did not want anything for himself.

A huge number of people commit crimes thinking this way, which in no way justifies their decision.

Pros and cons of Raskolnikov's theory

At first it may seem that the idea of ​​dividing society does not have any positive aspects, but if you sweep aside all the bad consequences, then there is still a plus - a person’s desire to be happy.

Raskolnikov's theory of the right of a strong personality shows that many strive for a better life and are the engine of progress.

As for the disadvantages, there are more of them, and they matter to people who share the ideas of the main character of the novel.

  • The desire to divide everyone into two classes, which can have dire consequences, for example, such ideas are identical to Nazism. All people are different, but they are equal before God, so striving to become superior to others is wrong.
  • Another danger that Raskolnikov’s theory brings to the world is the use of any means in life. Unfortunately, many people in the modern world live by the principle “the ends justify the means,” which leads to dire consequences.
  • What prevented Raskolnikov from living according to his theory?

    The whole problem is that while creating the “ideal picture” in his head, Rodion did not take into account the peculiarities of real life. You can't make the world a better place by killing another person, no matter who he was.

    The essence of Raskolnikov’s theory is clear, but what was not taken into account was that the old pawnbroker was only the initial link in the chain of injustice and, by removing it, it is impossible to cope with all the world’s problems.

    People who try to profit from the misfortunes of others are not correctly called the root of the problem, since they are only a consequence.

    Facts confirming Raskolnikov's theory

    In the world you can find a huge number of examples where the idea proposed by the main character of the novel was applied. You can remember Stalin and Hitler, who sought to cleanse the people of unworthy people, and what the actions of these people led to.

    Confirmation of Raskolnikov’s theory can be seen in the behavior of rich youth, the so-called “majors”, who, without paying attention to the laws, ruined the lives of many people.

    The main character himself commits murder to confirm his idea, but in the end he understands the horror of the act.

    Raskolnikov's theory and its collapse

    A strange theory not only appears in the work, but is also completely refuted. To change his decision, Rodion has to endure a lot of mental and physical torment.

    Raskolnikov's theory and its collapse occurs after he has a dream where people destroy each other and the world disappears. Then he begins to gradually restore faith in goodness.

    As a result, he understands that everyone, regardless of their situation, deserves to be happy.

    When figuring out how Raskolnikov’s theory is refuted, it is worth citing as an example one simple truth - happiness cannot be built on crime.

    Violence, even if it can be justified by some high ideals, is evil. The hero himself admits that he did not kill the old woman, but destroyed himself.

    The collapse of Raskolnikov’s theory was visible at the very beginning of its proposal, since the manifestation of inhumanity could not be justified.

    Is Raskolnikov's theory still alive today?

    No matter how sad it may sound, the idea of ​​dividing people into classes exists. Modern life is tough and the principle of “survival of the fittest” forces many to commit actions that do not correspond to morality.

    If you conduct a survey of who lives today according to Raskolnikov’s theory, then each person will most likely be able to cite as an example some personalities from his environment.

    One of the main reasons for this state of affairs is the importance of money, which rules the world.

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