Who almost immediately became a household name in Russian literature. This character at the beginning of the novel is faced with a dilemma - he is a superman or an ordinary citizen.
In the novel “Crime and Punishment,” Fyodor Dostoevsky guides the reader through all stages of decision-making and repentance after the crime.
Crime and Punishment
Rodion Raskolnikov's theory of crime, with which he tries to solve more global issues, subsequently fails. Dostoevsky in his novel shows not only questions of evil and good and crime with responsibility. Against the backdrop of moral disagreements and struggles in the soul of a young man, it shows the daily life of St. Petersburg society in the nineteenth century.
Raskolnikov, whose image literally became a household name after the first release of the novel, suffers from the discrepancy between his thoughts and plans and reality. He wrote an article about the chosen ones, who are allowed everything, and is trying to check whether he belongs to the latter.
As we will see later, even hard labor did not change what Raskolnikov thought about himself. The old pawnbroker became for him just a principle that he stepped over.
Thus, in the novel by Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, many philosophical, moral and ethical issues are revealed through the prism of the suffering of a former student.
The beauty of the work lies in the fact that the author shows them not from the point of view of the monologues of the main character, but in a clash with other characters who act as both doubles and antipodes of Rodion Raskolnikov.
Who is Raskolnikov?
Rodion Raskolnikov, whose image is stunningly described by Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, was a poor student. Life in St. Petersburg has never been cheap. Therefore, without a regular income, this young man slides into hopeless poverty.
Rodion was even forced to quit studying at the university, as there was not enough money for anything. Subsequently, when we understand the different facets of his personality, we will be convinced that this student lived for a long time in a world of illusions.
So, why did Raskolnikov consider murder the only right step towards the future? Was it really impossible to go the other way? Next, we will look at the motives for the action and the situations in life that led to such an idea.
First, let's give a description of Raskolnikov. He was a slender young man of twenty-three years of age. Dostoevsky writes that Rodion's height was above average, his eyes were dark, and his hair color was dark brown. The author goes on to say that because of the poverty, the student’s clothes looked more like rags, in which an ordinary person would be ashamed to go out into the street.
In the article we will look at what events and meetings led to Raskolnikov’s crime. An essay at school usually requires revealing his image. This information can help you complete this task.
So, in the novel we see that Rodion, having read Western philosophers, is inclined to divide society into two types of people - “trembling creatures” and “those with the right.” The Nietzschean idea of the superman is reflected here.
At first, he even considers himself to be in the second category, which actually leads to his murder of the old pawnbroker. But after this crime, Raskolnikov turns out to be unable to withstand the burden of the crime. It turns out that the young man initially belonged to ordinary people and was not a superman to whom everything was permitted.
Criminal prototypes
Literary scholars have debated for many years where such a character as Rodion Raskolnikov came from. The image of this man can be traced both in press reports of that time, in literary works, and in the biographies of famous people.
It turns out that the main character owes his appearance to various people and messages that were known to Fyodor Dostoevsky. Now we will highlight the criminal prototypes of Rodion Raskolnikov.
There are three cases known in the nineteenth-century press that could have influenced the formation of the storyline of the protagonist of Crime and Punishment.
The first was the crime of a young twenty-seven-year-old clerk, described in September 1865 in the newspaper Golos. His name was Chistov Gerasim, and among his acquaintances the young man was considered a schismatic (if you check the dictionary, this term in an allegorical sense means a person who acts contrary to generally accepted traditions).
He killed two old servants with an ax in the house of a bourgeois woman, Dubrovina. The cook and laundress prevented him from robbing the premises. The criminal took out gold and silver objects and money, which he stole from an iron-lined chest. The old women were found in pools of blood.
The crime practically coincides with the events of the novel, but Raskolnikov’s punishment was slightly different.
The second case is known from the second issue of the magazine “Time” for 1861. The famous “Lacenaire trial”, which took place in the 1830s, was outlined there. This man was considered a French serial killer, for whom the lives of other people meant absolutely nothing. For Pierre-François Lacenaire, as contemporaries said, it was the same “to kill a man and to drink a glass of wine.”
After his arrest, he writes memoirs, poems and other works in which he tries to justify his crimes. According to him, he was influenced by the revolutionary idea of “the fight against injustice in society,” which was instilled in him by utopian socialists.
Finally, the last case is connected with one acquaintance of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky. Professor of history, Muscovite, relative of the merchant Kumanina (the writer’s aunt) and the second contender for her inheritance (along with the author of Crime and Punishment).
His last name was Neofitov, and he was detained during the process of issuing counterfeit domestic loan notes. It is believed that it was his case that prompted the writer to put into the thoughts of Rodion Raskolnikov the idea of instant enrichment.
Historical prototypes
If we talk about famous people who influenced the formation of the image of a young student, then we will talk more about ideas than about real events or personalities.
Let's get acquainted with the reasoning of the great people who could formulate the description of Raskolnikov. In addition, all of their treatises are visible on the pages of the novel in the remarks of minor characters.
So, without a doubt, the work of Napoleon Bonaparte comes first. His book The Life of Julius Caesar quickly became a bestseller of the nineteenth century. In it, the emperor showed society the principles of his worldview. The Corsican believed that among the general mass of humanity, “supermen” are occasionally born. The main difference between these individuals and others is that they are allowed to violate all norms and laws.
In the novel we see a reflection of this thought constantly. This is Rodion’s article in the newspaper, and the thoughts of some characters. However, Fyodor Mikhailovich shows a varied understanding of the meaning of the phrase.
The most cynical version of bringing an idea to life comes from a former student. Who did Raskolnikov kill? The old woman-pawnbroker. However, Rodion himself sees the event differently in individual parts of the novel. At first, the young man believes that “this is the most insignificant creature” and “by killing one creature, he will help hundreds of lives.” Later the thought degenerates into the fact that the victim was not a person, but a “crushed louse.” And at the last stage, the young man comes to the conclusion that he killed his own life.
Svidrigailov and Luzhin also introduced Napoleonic motives into their actions, but they will be discussed later.
In addition to the book of the French emperor, similar ideas were in the works “The One and His Property” and “Murder as One of the Fine Arts.” We see that throughout the novel, the student is running around with an “idea-passion.” But this event looks more like a failed experiment.
At the end of the novel we see that in hard labor Raskolnikov understands the error of his behavior. But the young man does not finally give up on the idea. This can be seen from his thoughts. On the one hand, he laments the ruined youth, on the other, he regrets that he confessed. If I had endured it, maybe I would have become a “superman” for myself.
Literary prototypes
The description of Raskolnikov, which can be given to the image of the character, accumulates various thoughts and actions of the heroes of other works. Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky examines many social and philosophical problems through the prism of the doubts of a young man.
For example, the lone hero challenging society exists in most romantic writers. Thus, Lord Byron creates the images of Manfred, Lara and the Corsair. In Balzac we recognize similar traits in Rastignac, and in Stendhal we recognize similar traits in Julien Sorel.
If we consider who Raskolnikov killed, we can draw an analogy with Pushkin’s “Queen of Spades.” There, Hermann tries to gain wealth at the expense of the old countess. It is noteworthy that Alexander Sergeevich’s old woman’s name was Lizaveta Ivanovna and the young man kills her morally. Dostoevsky went further. Rodion really takes the life of a woman with that name.
In addition, there are quite a lot of similarities with the characters of Schiller and Lermontov. The first in the work "The Robbers" has Karl Moor, who faces the same ethical problems. And in “A Hero of Our Time,” Grigory Aleksandrovich Pechorin is in a similar state of moral experimentation.
Yes, and in other works of Dostoevsky there are similar images. First it was “Notes of the Underground”, later - Ivan Karamazov, Versilov and Stavrogin.
Thus, we see that Rodion Raskolnikov combines an opponent of society and a realistic character with his environment, origin and plans for the future.
Pulcheria Alexandrovna
Raskolnikov's mother, with her provincial naivety and simplicity, sets off the images of the capital's residents. She perceives events in a more simplified way, closes her eyes to many things, and seems unable to understand. However, at the end of the novel, when her last words break out in her dying delirium, we see how wrong we were in our assumptions. This woman perceived everything, but did not show the whirlpool of passions that raged in her soul.
In the first chapters of the novel, when Rodion Raskolnikov is introduced to us, his mother's letter has a significant influence on his decision. Information that the sister is preparing to “sacrifice herself for the good of her brother” plunges the student into a gloomy mood. He finally becomes convinced of the idea of killing the old pawnbroker.
Here the desire to protect Dunya from crooks is added to his plans. The loot, according to Raskolnikov, should be enough not to require financial handouts from his sister’s future “husband.” Subsequently, Rodion meets Luzhin and Svidrigailov.
Immediately after the first one came to introduce himself to him, the young man received him with hostility. Why does Raskolnikov do this? The mother's letter directly says that he is a scoundrel and a cheat. Under Pulcheria Alexandrovna, he developed the idea that the best wife is from a poor family, since she is completely in the power of her husband.
From the same letter, the former student learns about the dirty harassment of the landowner Svidrigailov towards his sister, who worked as their governess.
Since Pulcheria Alexandrovna did not have a husband, Rodya becomes the only support of the family. We see how the mother takes care of him and takes care of him. Despite his rude behavior and unfounded reproaches, the woman strives to help with all her might. However, she cannot break through the wall that her son has built around himself in an attempt to protect the family from future shocks.
Dunya
In the novel, Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky illustrates various life positions and personal philosophies through the contrast of characters. For example, Dunya and Raskolnikov. The characteristics of brother and sister are similar in many respects. They are outwardly attractive, educated, think independently and are prone to decisive actions.
However, Rodion was crippled by poverty. He lost faith in kindness and sincerity. We see the gradual degradation of his social life. At the beginning of the novel, it is reported that Raskolnikov is a former student, but now he is hatching plans to “get rich overnight.”
Avdotya Romanovna, his sister, strives for a better, happy future, but in more realistic positions. She, unlike her brother, does not dream of instant wealth and does not harbor romantic illusions.
The culmination of their opposition is expressed in readiness to kill. If Raskolnikov succeeds and goes to this length to prove his own superiority, then with Dunya things are completely different. She is ready to take Svidrigailov’s life, but only out of self-defense.
We see Raskolnikov's punishment throughout most of the novel. It begins not at hard labor, but immediately after the death of the old woman. Gnawing doubts and worries about the progress of the investigation torment the student more than the subsequent years in Siberia.
Dunya, having defended her right to freedom, is rewarded with a happy life in St. Petersburg.
Thus, Raskolnikov’s sister turns out to be more active than her mother. And her influence on her brother is stronger because they mutually care about each other. He sees a certain outlet in helping her find her soul mate.
Raskolnikov and Marmeladov
Marmeladov and Raskolnikov are actually complete opposites. Semyon Zakharovich is a widower, a titular councilor. He is quite old for this rank, but his actions explain this turn of events.
We find out that he drinks shamelessly. Having married Ekaterina Ivanovna and their children, Marmeladov moved to the capital. Here the family gradually sinks to the bottom. It gets to the point that his own daughter goes to the panel to feed the family while Semyon Zakharovich is “lying around drunk.”
But in shaping the image of Raskolnikov, one episode with the participation of this minor character is important. When the young man was returning from a “reconnaissance” of the future crime scene, he found himself in a tavern, where he met Marmeladov.
One phrase from the latter’s confession is key. He, outlining the abject poverty, says “there are absolutely no barriers.” Rodion Romanovich finds himself in the same position in his thoughts. Inaction and dark fantasies led him to an extremely disastrous situation, from which he saw only one way out.
It turns out that the conversation with the titular adviser is superimposed on the despair that the former student experienced after reading the letter from his mother. This is the dilemma Raskolnikov faces.
The characterization of Marmeladov and his daughter Sonya, who will later become a window into the future for Rodion, boils down to the fact that they submitted to fatalism. At the beginning, the young man tries to influence them, help, change their lives. However, in the end he dies under the pressure of guilt and partly accepts Sonya’s views and life philosophy.
Raskolnikov and Luzhin
Luzhin and Raskolnikov are similar in their irrepressible vanity and egoism. However, Pyotr Petrovich is a much smaller soul and stupider. He considers himself successful, modern and respectable, and says that he created himself. However, in fact, he turns out to be just an empty and deceitful careerist.
The first acquaintance with Luzhin occurs in a letter that Rodion receives from his mother. It is from marriage with this “scoundrel” that the young man tries to save his sister, which pushes him to commit a crime.
If you compare these two images, both imagine themselves to be practically “superhuman”. But Rodion Raskolnikov is younger and susceptible to romantic illusions and maximalism. Pyotr Petrovich, on the contrary, tries to force everything into the framework of his stupidity and narrow-mindedness (although he considers himself very smart).
The culmination of the confrontation between these heroes takes place in the “rooms”, where the unlucky groom, out of his own greed, settled the bride with her future mother-in-law. Here, in an extremely vile environment, he shows his true colors. And the result is a final break with Dunya.
Later he will try to discredit Sonya by accusing her of theft. With this, Pyotr Petrovich wanted to prove Rodion’s inconsistency in choosing the acquaintances whom he introduces into the family (previously, Raskolnikov introduced Marmeladov’s daughter to his mother and sister). However, his nefarious plan fails and he is forced to escape.
Raskolnikov and Svidrigailov
In the novel “Crime and Punishment,” Raskolnikov, whose image undergoes evolution in the course of events, encounters his antipodes and doubles.
However, there is no direct resemblance to any character. All heroes act as the opposite of Rodion or have a more developed certain characteristic. So Arkady Ivanovich, as we know from the letter, is inclined to the constant pursuit of pleasure. He does not disdain murder (this is his only similarity with the main character).
However, Svidrigailov appears as a character with a dual nature. He seems to be a reasonable person, but he has lost faith in the future. Arkady Ivanovich tries to coerce and blackmail Dunya into becoming his wife, but the girl shoots him twice with a revolver. She failed to get in, but as a result, the landowner loses all hope of being able to start life from scratch. As a result, Svidrigailov commits suicide.
Rodion Raskolnikov sees his possible future in Arkady Ivanovich’s decision. He had already gone several times to look at the river from the bridge, thinking of jumping down. However, Fyodor Mikhailovich helps the young man. He gives him hope in the form of Sonechka's love. This girl forces a former student to confess to a crime, and then follows him to hard labor.
Thus, in this article we got acquainted with the bright and ambiguous image of Rodion Raskolnikov. In Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky dissects the soul of a criminal with surgical precision to show the evolution from determination inspired by illusions to depression after a collision with reality.
Roman F.M. Dostoevsky is essentially a socio-psychological and philosophical work. Dostoevsky showed the bottom of the capitalist city, the world of the humiliated and insulted. The author exposes a society where money rules, a society that is merciless towards those who do not have money.The main character of the novel, Rodion, also becomes a victim of the capitalist world.
Raskolnikov. This image is recreated psychologically subtly, with characteristic
Dostoevsky's ability to penetrate into the inner world of his heroes. The author draws
Extremely difficult living conditions for your hero.
Raskolnikov lived in a room that had the most pitiful appearance with its yellow, dusty wallpaper falling off the wall everywhere. Raskolnikov himself had such a pitiful appearance that he even sometimes received alms on the street, because his whole appearance evoked a feeling of compassion. Raskolnikov was expelled from the university because he did not have money for further studies. He couldn't even pay his rent on time.
The conditions in which Raskolnikov lives cause him to protest. A rebellion is brewing, but it is individual in nature. Raskolnikov believes that all people can be divided into two groups. The first group is ordinary people, while others have
The gift or talent to accomplish new things in society. This category of people can break the law; breaking the law for such people is not a crime. Creating his theory, Raskolnikov brought himself to the line beyond which there was a crime. Under the influence
Life circumstances, he gradually comes to the idea that his theory
Explains the actions of not only historical figures, but also ordinary people. Raskolnikov
He finally came to the idea of murder under the influence of Marmeladov’s confession. This
A conversation about Marmeladov’s seventeen-year-old daughter Sonechka, about the fact that a person can come to terms with any circumstances and get used to them.
Raskolnikov felt sorry for Sonya, because in order to save her family from hunger she stood up to
A humiliating path, but even her father is not ashamed to take money from her. Raskolnikov rejects the idea that man is vile by nature and concludes that this is the law of life and society. There is a victim and there are those who take advantage of it. And then he comes to the conclusion that his sister Dunya’s desire to marry a rich man who would support their family and give Raskolnikov the opportunity to complete his studies is essentially the same sacrifice as Sonechka’s. Rodion's decision was clear - not to suffer passively, but to act.
Raskolnikov commits murder. The victim he has chosen is an old money-lender. He thought of the old woman as an unnecessary, evil and greedy person. The reasoning boiled down to the fact that such a stingy person should not live, and that many needy people could be made happy. After the murder of the old woman, a second crime immediately occurs. He kills her sister Lizaveta, who was an unexpected witness to the murder.
Rodion’s condition is painful after the atrocities committed. The author shows that the main punishment is not punishment from society, not hard labor, but deep internal suffering, moral suffering. A person who recognizes himself as a murderer is different
Perceives the world. Raskolnikov is trying to fight his condition. Rodion is not
Understands the true reasons for his torment. It seems to him that the main reason is
The fact that he turned out to be a “trembling creature”, that life showed his weakness, that is why he tells his sister, who invites him to follow the advice of the investigator, that he does not consider himself a criminal, that he is only to blame for the fact that he could not, was unable to carry out planned.
The most intense moment of the struggle is a conversation with investigator Porfiry Petrovich, who realized who committed the murder and is trying to expose Raskolnikov. Dostoevsky explores such a problem as the moral revival of the individual. That is why the investigator, offering Rodion a confession, asked if he believed the legend of Lazarus, whom Christ resurrected and made true
Christian.
Dostoevsky himself was against any rebellion. Raskolnikov's rebellion is selfish, and this is where his weakness and doom lie. But revolt against
Existing conditions, aiming to change unjust conditions
Society is justified. It was at hard labor
Raskolnikov comes to the conclusion that his theory makes no sense and he needs to start a new life.
But there are people for whom there is no moral law at all. These are the people
Taking advantage of the power that money gives them. The strength of the novel lies in the fact that
It has an emotional impact on the reader thanks to deep psychologism and
Realism, causes a protest against an unjust world where money has power over a person.
Dostoevsky traces in detail the collapse of his hero's theory. He shows Raskolnikov’s growing moral torment both before the murder, and at its moment, and especially after it. These torments are intensified by the weakness of Rodion’s nature - not Napoleonic nature at all, on the contrary! - awareness of his weakness deeply offends him, since he was proud and had the highest opinion of himself and his abilities. The author puts his hero in different positions, brings him together with different people, and this makes it possible to deeper reveal his moral torment. Everything hurts an already sick soul: contact with the cynic Svidrigailov, and communication with the kind Razumikhin. But the meeting with those who were previously infinitely close and dear - his mother and sister - is especially painful; every minute of his well-being is paid for at a high price - their labor and tears.
The mother thinks about her son in confusion: “And how well everything turns out for him... And so, so, it seems, she would rush to him and hug him, and... cry, - but I’m afraid, I’m afraid! Well, what am I afraid of? ?." The observant Dunechka is also perplexed: “What, is he answering us out of duty? And he makes peace and asks for forgiveness, as if he were serving a service or had confirmed a lesson.” Everyone involved in this scene suffers. But Raskolnikov himself suffers most of all. The author's remarks accompanying his words reveal the unbearable state in which he is, saying seemingly the most ordinary things: “he continued as if he had learned a lesson in the morning,” “as if he had woken up”; “he added with annoyance and fell silent, biting his nails and thinking again.” Raskolnikov’s facial expressions are also expressive. He does not smile, but “curls his mouth into a smile”; “His face was distorted as if from a convulsion.” Dostoevsky conveys the disorderly flow of thoughts of the killer: “The main thing is that they don’t even hide and don’t want to stand on ceremony!” He took a hard breath. “What if it only seems so to me! What if it’s a mirage? And I’m wrong in everything, due to inexperience I’m angry, I can’t stand my vile role! All their words are ordinary, but there is something in them...? Why do they speak in such a tone? Yes... tone... Did Porfiry wink at me just now? That’s right, why wink? Either everything is a mirage, or they know! Even Zametov is daring... Is Zametov daring? Do they know about the apartment?!
Raskolnikov's torment is depicted with such force that we seem to feel together with him alienation from all people, fear, and despair. His confusion in the scenes with Porfiry Petrovich, who managed to unravel Raskolnikov’s nature, is conveyed with amazing knowledge of the psychology of a person who is mortally afraid of somehow giving himself away. The writer simultaneously reproduces what Raskolnikov says and what he thinks, and Porfiry’s thoughts and feelings are hidden from the reader in the same way as from the hero of the novel. From the expression on the investigator’s face, from his deliberately vague remarks, we, together with Raskolnikov, are trying to guess: does Porfiry understand who the killer is, is he catching Raskolnikov, or is he just having an innocent conversation?
Spiritually exhausted by endless thoughts, he wants to separate from this world irrevocably and forever, but he cannot stand his loneliness, he cannot refuse the love of loved ones, completely break with them, and therefore is unable to bear his crime. Tormented by loneliness, doubt and torment of conscience, Raskolnikov takes the path of humility, refuses any protest, takes the final step, which should at least somehow reduce his torment - he decides to confess to what he has done.
Dostoevsky Raskolnikov crime punishment
Philological sciences Literary studies
Russian literature
Ma Wenying, graduate student of Moscow State University
them. M.V. Lomonosov
THE SPLIT OF RODION RASKOLNIKOV
This article examines the motive for the split of the hero Rodion Raskolnikov in the novel “Crime and Punishment”. The text analyzes three signs of the hero’s split: the split of his personality, the split of his morality and the split of his faith, with the help of which the motive for the hero’s split is more easily understood for readers.
Key words: Rodion Raskolnikov; split; personality; morality; faith.
The surname Raskolnikov is immediately perceived as “speaking”. The root of this word is “schism.” The verb “split” means “to dismember, to disrupt unity, introducing discord into something.” Wednesday." The usual association brings to mind schismatics, schism, that is, it connects the surname with the name of a religious and social movement in Russia in the 17th century. In Ozhegov’s explanatory dictionary, “schism” has the following explanation: “in Russia from the mid-17th century: a religious and social movement directed against the official church, headed by Patriarch Nikon (who changed some rituals and texts of liturgical books according to Greek images), and by the end of the 17th century V. called the Old Believers." And “schismatic” in the second explanation means “one who introduces a split, discord into something.” organization".
From here we can guess that our hero is an unusual person. He is a schismatic in relation to the people and circumstances of that time. He wants to split something and establish something new, which for him is right and decent. But this does not mean that he goes to extreme measures, because a split is an act of breaking unity, after which the whole often falls apart. Therefore, the hero in the novel is a complex person, with versatility in personality and soul. Thus, his very last name - Raskolnikov - indicates a painful split in his personality. The split of the hero's soul into two parts: one part of his soul is selfless, compassionate and childishly innocent, the other is cold, proud, filled with pride and individualism.
As for the split in Raskolnikov, its most typical sign is the split in his personality. We must admit that Raskolnikov is a strange person, unlike others. Although he has a handsome appearance, he always looks like an eccentric. He is weak, and often has teasing monologues about his own impotence, not only due to his feverish illness, but also from his already frayed nerves. In most cases, he is sad, gloomy, as if he has nothing good in life and everything turns out to be difficult for him. He loses interest in communicating with people, as it is written in the novel: “Raskolnikov was not used to the crowd and, as already said, ran away from any society, especially lately.” He prefers to live in his own world, and thus he does not want others to enter his hidden world. “He resolutely withdrew from everyone, like a turtle into its shell, and even the face of the maid, who was obliged to serve him and who sometimes looked into his room, aroused bile and convulsions in him. This happens with other monomaniacs who are too focused on something.”
In addition, Raskolnikov suffers from nervous fever. He is a sensitive, emotional person. It is easy for him to lose his composure in an instant and begin to feel agitated, irritated and upset under the influence of something. Sometimes all this is not clear to readers. For example, after he hid the old woman's purse, he went to Razumikhin. On the way to him, thinking that at that moment he was least inclined to come face to face with anyone in the world, Raskolnikov almost choked with anger at himself. And then all the bile was realized in him. “His nervous trembling turned into a kind of feverish one; in such heat he felt cold.”
However, in Raskolnikov we can notice another side. In fact, his true human nature lurks beneath the feverish surface. He is essentially a simple, kind and honest person, full of deep love for ordinary people. He helped his poor university friend with the last of his funds. When he died, he followed his old and weakened father. During the fire, Raskolnikov pulled out two children from one apartment that had already caught fire, and was burned in the process. He sympathizes with such a little man as Marmeladov and his poor family. He gives Katerina the last thirty rubles for Marmeladov's funeral. He protects an unfamiliar prostitute from a bully and treats Sonya not with contempt, but with strong pity. He deeply loves his family and does not agree with the wedding of Dunya, who is ready to sacrifice herself and save her family. He strongly hates Luzhin's hypocrisy and fraud, openly criticizes him and exposes his intrigues, exposing himself to protect his sister. He does all this not for himself, but for others. This also confuses investigator Porfiry Petrovich. Raskolnikov even killed the old woman not for money, but to prove his theories.
From this it is clear that Raskolnikov is not one person, but two: external and internal. An angel and a demon, good and evil, live in him. Vyach clearly formulates this idea. Ivanov: “...The soul seems to itself to be unusually multi-stringed and all-encompassing. She seems to find in herself a corresponding analogy for all the experiences of someone else’s self.”
The hero's split is also manifested in the split in his morality. This is where the theme of this work begins - “crime and punishment”. In the work, the most key problem is Raskolnikov’s attitude to crime, or more precisely, his definition of what a crime is. Indeed, his definition of crime is identified with his definition of his morality. By all accounts, murder is an absolutely brutal crime. And this is not allowed according to human and public morality. But in Raskolnikov’s opinion, he cannot be judged in the usual way. According to his theory, he divides people into two categories: ordinary and extraordinary. Ordinary people live in obedience and love to be obedient. And extraordinary people have the right to commit a crime, to allow themselves to break the ancient law and step over at least blood and corpses in order to realize their goal. Taking the example of Newton, Mohammed and Napoleon, he even believes that “most of these benefactors and founders of humanity were especially terrible bloodsheds.”
This is Raskolnikov’s theory, giving him a theoretical justification for the murder of the old pawnbroker. He does not consider his murder a crime, but on the contrary, some kind of feat that such extraordinary people did, because he killed such an evil person, like a louse, which many hate. He received unexpected confirmation of this in one poor tavern, having heard the words of one student: “on the one hand, a stupid, senseless, insignificant, evil, sick old woman, useless to anyone and, on the contrary, harmful to everyone, ... On the other hand, .. 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! ... - and all this with her money. Do you think that one tiny crime will not be atoned for by thousands of good deeds? In one life - thousands of lives saved from rot and decay. ...No more than
the life of a louse, a cockroach, and even that is not worth it, because the old woman is harmful.” In fact, all these words are a cry from Raskolnikov’s heart. This is a split in his morality.
But it should be noted that his soul is captured by human morality and kindness. This is precisely the reason why he was deeply worried about his act, fell into torment of the spirit and experienced inner grief, both before the murder and after that. He hesitates in this matter and thought about it for a long time, even to the point of fever, because he is on the border between moralism and immoralism. He killed the old woman not for money, but to testify to his theory. After that, he would believe that his conscience did not gnaw at him, but in fact he was subjected to torment of conscience every day. Having received a summons from the office from Nastasya, he felt fear. His legs were trembling, his head was spinning and he ached from the heat. In the police, he felt a terrible disorder in everything, afraid of giving himself away because of some minor indiscretion. All these prove that in fact Raskolnikov really felt guilty despite his unconsciousness. And his morality is precisely the punishment of his crime. This shows the paradox in Raskolnikov’s soul: a mixture of moral nature and immoral theory.
The final sign of Raskolnikov's schism is the split in his faith, which is the most key religious issue in this work. About this issue we must begin with his hatred of reality. Firstly, the city of St. Petersburg is largely to blame for Raskolnikov’s mental split. The point is that the influence of St. Petersburg on Raskolnikov: the hero is cut off from the native soil of this city, which is the brainchild of Petrov, imbued with his anti-people and anti-soil spirit with such force that the city itself becomes like a spirit or ghost, having lost touch with real life. As a result, “Raskolnikov’s inner world, cut off from his native soil, is devoid of integrity, fragmented, split into separate, seemingly incompatible parts: the ideal and disbelief in the ideal coexist together; the longing for world harmony and the cold-blooded thoughts of a killer converge in the soul of one person in the most incredible way.”