What, according to Raskolnikov, was he wrong about? Raskolnikov's theory - social and philosophical origins of the theory and its meaning
In the novel by F.M. Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" reflected the contradictions of reality and social thought“twilight” era of the 60s of the XIX century. The writer saw how the post-reform breakdown social relations gradually led to a deep crisis social ideals, unsteadiness moral life Russia.
“Some trichinae appeared, microscopic creatures that inhabited people’s bodies,” Dostoevsky noted in his novel, referring to ideas that occupied the minds of younger generation, divorced from the norms of universal and Christian morality, separated from cultural traditions, carefully preserved by previous generations. But these ideas, due to special treatment writer to nature human existence, his recognition of the presence of otherworldly forces in real life, appear before the reader of Crime and Punishment as “spirits gifted with intelligence and will.”
From these positions, Dostoevsky evaluates the ideas and actions of the main character of his novel, Rodion Raskolnikov, portraying him as a person “infected” with an idea, a victim of the forces of evil that are actually present in everyday life.
So, what are the main points of this hero's theory? What is Raskolnikov's mistake?
Raskolnikov is trying to prove the idea of justice of “blood according to conscience.” To do this, he divides all people into two categories: “the lower (ordinary) ..., the material that serves solely for the generation of their own kind, and the people themselves, that is, those who have the gift or talent to say a new word in their midst.”
Further, Dostoevsky’s hero proves the right of these “real” people to commit crimes in the name of a noble goal, believing that for the happiness of the majority, the minority can be sacrificed. For Raskolnikov, this is “simple arithmetic.” He believes that a “superman” is allowed to “step over blood” in the name of the well-being of all humanity - such a crime is relative and justified by a “high” goal. This goal is to “drive” ignorant humanity, that is, according to Raskolnikov, people of the “second category,” into “ crystal palace» prosperity, general prosperity, create a kingdom of justice on earth.
Of course, “it does not at all follow from this that Newton has the right to kill whomever he pleases... or to steal every day at the market,” admits Raskolnikov. However, this is only the external side of the problem.
These statements alone allow us to conclude that the theory of the hero of the novel is erroneous. On the one hand, Raskolnikov correctly noted some general features human characters - this is confirmed by the facts of History.
Another thing is that such a formulation of the question contradicts the laws of universal morality and Christian ethics, which proclaim all people equally equal before God. Raskolnikov forgets that the personality of any person is priceless and inviolable. The hero does not understand that by killing the old pawnbroker as the personification of earthly evil (in his subjective opinion), he destroys the person in himself, commits a crime against himself.
Thus, Raskolnikov’s theory is anti-human in its essence, since it freely allows murder and lawlessness under the guise of an abstract “noble goal.” This is one of the mistakes of Dostoevsky’s hero and, at the same time, his tragedy. The writer sees the reason for his delusion, first of all, in lack of faith, separation from cultural traditions, and loss of love for Man.
Analyzing Raskolnikov’s arguments in defense of his theory, we can conclude that its real meaning lies not in justifying the human right to do good with the help of evil, but in recognizing the existence of a “superman” who rises above “ordinary” morality. After all, the hero reflects not so much on the possibility of murder as such, but on the relativity of moral laws and the deification of the human person.
Here lies Raskolnikov’s second, no less erroneous and tragic, delusion: he does not take into account the fact that an “ordinary”, “ordinary”, again by his standards, person is not capable of becoming a “superman”, replacing God. That is why, dreaming of standing out from the general human mass Hoping to become “a great genius, the finalizer of humanity,” Dostoevsky’s character became an ordinary criminal, a murderer.
Raskolnikov thought that for him the “kingdom of reason and light” would come, but the “darkness” of mortal sin, “eternity in the yard of space” came. The hero realized that he was simply not capable of becoming Napoleon.
Thus, Rodion Raskolnikov becomes a victim of his own theory, the mistake of the “discharges” into which he himself divided all people. to his tragic example he proved the impossibility of turning a “second-class man” into a “master who has a new word to say” at the expense of human sacrifice.
The idea of allowing “blood according to conscience”, permissiveness, denial of ethical principles leads either to the destruction of the human personality, as happened with Raskolnikov, or gives rise to monsters like Svidrigailov. In the clash of Raskolnikov's ideas with reality, the inconsistency, fallacy and obvious depravity of his theory are exposed, which is the essence of the conflict in Dostoevsky's novel.
F. M. Dostoevsky - the greatest Russian writer, unrivaled realist artist, anatomist human soul, a passionate champion of the ideas of humanism and justice. His novels are distinguished by their keen interest in the intellectual life of the characters, the revelation of complex...
“What am I guilty of before them?.. They themselves harass millions of people, and even consider them to be virtues” - with these words you can begin a lesson about Raskolnikov’s “doubles”. Raskolnikov’s theory, proving whether he is a “trembling creature” or has the right, assumed...
The great Russian writer Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky sought to show the ways of moral renewal human society. Man is the center of life to which the writer’s gaze is riveted. “Crime and Punishment” is a novel by Dostoevsky...
Central location In the novel, F. M. Dostoevsky is occupied by the image of Sonya Marmeladova, a heroine whose fate evokes our sympathy and respect. The more we learn about her, the more we are convinced of her purity and nobility, the more we begin to think...
One of the main objects of F. M. Dostoevsky’s novel “Crime and Punishment” is the theory created by the main character of the novel, Rodion Raskolnikov. The main idea of this theory is that all people on earth are divided into “those in power” and “trembling creatures.” The key point Such a division was that “those in power” have the right to commit crimes, in the name of their own goals, they are capable of shedding the blood of “trembling creatures.”
The main character of the novel does not immediately decide to kill; human suffering, which Rodion witnessed every day, leads him to this fatal step. Numerous examples of other people's suffering pushed Raskolnikov to test his own theory. However, the tragic fallacy of Raskolnikov's theory begins to be revealed already during the crime. The reason for it all is the unexpected appearance of the old money-lender's half-sister, Lizaveta. And it is this destitute woman who is one of those unfortunates for whose sake Rodion decides to commit a crime. But completely confused main character kills both Lizaveta and her unborn child.
One of the confirmations of the falsity of the theory expressed by Raskolnikov is the absolute solitude of the protagonist from the outside world, his lost sense of reality, detachment from simple human feelings, a painful disgust for the world around him and a growing gloomy anger. Raskolnikov hides the loot under a stone not only because he is afraid of being searched, but for the most part because he feels an inner disgust for the fruits of crime, because Rodion is a subtle person, deeply in his soul experiencing the nightmare of the sin he committed, which violated the basic Christian commandments - “thou shalt not kill” and “thou shalt not steal.”
Rodion feels that the crime not only did not elevate him above people, but also made him a stranger among them, and the most terrible punishment was pangs of conscience. So, through suffering and loneliness, Rodion Raskolnikov begins his journey back to himself - man. And at the end of the novel, having gone through this difficult path of spiritual rebirth, turning to God, the hero stands on the threshold of a “new life.” His “rebellious” mind enters into an insoluble dispute with his spiritual essence. This is how the irreparable tragedy of a person who has passed through is born before the reader’s eyes. long haul to repentance.
Raskolnikov's theory is revealed on the pages of the novel in all its insoluble contradictions, turning into a painful story about a man who spent his whole life with Dostoevsky. Raskolnikov’s “rebellious” worldview and Sonya Marmeladova’s “humble” thoughts reflected the author’s own bitter thoughts about human nature and social reality.
“Thou shalt not kill,” says one of the commandments. Rodion Raskolnikov violated this commandment - and erased himself from the world of people, erased, in fact, from his own theory, from the society of “those in power.” “I didn’t kill the old lady, I killed myself,” the hero admits to Sonya Marmeladova. Having committed a crime, he transgressed the formal law, but could not transgress the moral law. This is the main contradiction of Rodion's theory. The tragedy of the “rebel” Raskolnikov is that, having made an attempt to escape from the world of evil, he is mistaken and suffers a terrible punishment for his crime: the collapse of his idea, repentance and pangs of conscience.
Dostoevsky rejects the revolutionary transformation of the world, and the theme of “humility” at the end of the novel sounds quite victorious and convincing: Raskolnikov finds peace of mind in faith in God. The truth is suddenly revealed to him: merciful goals cannot be achieved through violence. Thus, his theory of justified violence comes to an end; it is shattered by the protagonist’s own contradictions and sincere repentance.
Only through repentance does the hero eventually realize that it is not violence or cynical theories, but love for people that can change the world for the better and bring a person back to life.
The theoretical basis of Raskolnikov's idea
It is no coincidence that Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky devotes such attention to the description of Raskolnikov’s theory in the novel “Crime and Punishment”: great attention. She is not a figment of the imagination of a great writer. Among Dostoevsky's contemporaries there were many young educated people fascinated by the ideas of Nietzsche. It was his teaching that gave rise to similar beliefs, popular among young people trying to find a way out of a humiliating beggarly situation. The work of a talented writer raised actual problems modern society. Crime, drunkenness, prostitution - vices generated by social inequality, have overwhelmed Russia. Trying to escape from the terrible reality, people became carried away by the ideas of individualism and forgot about the eternal moral values and the commandments of the Christian religion.
The birth of an idea
The main character of the novel by F. M. Dostoevsky, possessing extraordinary abilities, dreaming of a great future, is forced to endure poverty and humiliation. This had a detrimental effect on psychological condition hero. He leaves his studies at the university, locks himself in his stuffy closet and ponders a plan for a terrible crime. A conversation overheard by chance seems like a strange omen to Raskolnikov. Individual thoughts and phrases repeated the theses of the article “On Crime,” which he wrote for the newspaper. Captivated by the idea, the young man decides to bring the theory to life.
The right of a strong personality to commit a crime
What was Raskolnikov’s famous theory? People, according to the student, from birth are divided into two categories. Some relate to upper class the chosen ones “who have the gift or talent to say a new word among themselves.” They are destined for an unusual fate. They make great discoveries, make history, and advance progress. A man like Napoleon can, for the sake of highest goal commit crimes, expose others to mortal danger, step through blood. They are not afraid of laws. Doesn't exist for them moral principles. Such individuals of the human race may not think about the consequences of their behavior and strive to achieve their goal no matter what. They are “entitled”. The rest of the mass of people is material “serving solely for the generation of their own kind.”
Testing the theory with life
Possessing exorbitant pride, Raskolnikov considered himself one of the chosen ones. The murder of a greedy old woman committed by a young man is a test of the theory on himself. The “Chosen One” easily steps over the blood in order to later benefit all of humanity. Feelings of regret and remorse are unknown to such a person. This is what the main character of the novel thinks. Life puts everything in its place. Rodion Raskolnikov, having committed terrible crime, finds himself in painful isolation. He, who has crossed the moral line, is unhappy, separated from communication with his family, and doomed to loneliness. “I didn’t kill the old woman, I killed myself,” exclaims Raskolnikov. The murder puts a young man, kind and noble by nature, on a par with such vicious personalities as Svidrigailov and Luzhin. After all, they also ignored moral laws and lived, thinking only about their own well-being. “We are birds of a feather,” Svidrigailov says to the hero. The protagonist's experiences are the most terrible punishment and proof of his delusions. Only by repenting of his deeds and turning to God does Raskolnikov gather his “shattered” soul and find peace and happiness. Sonya Marmeladova's devotion and love make her forget about her delusions and be reborn for a new life.
Lessons from a brilliant novel
Terrible consequences
Raskolnikov's inhuman theory, based on the idea of egoism and individualism, is inhumane. No one has the right to control the lives of other people. By committing such actions, a person violates the laws of morality and the commandments of Christianity. “Thou shalt not kill,” says the Bible. It is no coincidence that the smart Porfiry Petrovich, trying to understand the conclusions of Rodion Raskolnikov, is interested in how to distinguish unusual person. After all, if everyone imagines themselves to be special and starts breaking the law, chaos will begin! The author of the theory does not have a clear answer to this question.
Who is guilty
Who is to blame for the fact that smart, kind, noble people got carried away by such ideas, crippled their lives, ruined their souls. Dostoevsky tries to answer this question with his novel. Social inequality, poverty-stricken situation for the most part working people, “humiliated and insulted” pushed people onto this criminal and immoral path.
Good is the basis of life
In the novel Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov's theory fails. This helps to understand that a person is not a “trembling creature,” but a person who has the right to life. “You can’t build happiness on someone else’s misfortune,” says folk wisdom. Relations between people should be based on kindness, mercy and faith in God, as the novel of the great writer convinces us.
A description of the theory of the main character of the novel and proof of its inconsistency will be useful for 10th graders when writing the essay “Raskolnikov’s Theory in the Novel “Crime and Punishment”.”
Work test
Today we will talk about the theory that F. Dostoevsky introduces us to in the novel “Crime and Punishment”. What ideas did the author want to convey and what is wrong with Raskolnikov’s theory?
About the book
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky created a wonderful book about human madness called “Crime and Punishment.” It was written back in 1866, but remains relevant to this day. The writer lifts the veil on life ordinary people V Russia XIX century. At this time, the struggle between various revolutionary movements intensified, and social contradictions are becoming more acute. In his book, Dostoevsky did not pursue the goal of creating a negative hero: he brings to the fore the problems of society, which creates the reasons that force a person to commit a crime. To show this, he describes in detail Rodion's thoughts, doubts, torments and reasons.
Main character
The main character is Rodion Raskolnikov - humble person, a former student who works part-time wherever he can and lives in amazing poverty. He cannot see any brightness in life, he understands this perfectly well. Raskolnikov’s theory in the novel “Crime and Punishment” is revealed to readers gradually in order to convey all the depth and doom. It is worth understanding that Rodion is not the last scoundrel and idiot, he is quite smart, which is clearly visible in the process of reading the book. The guy is not without even such qualities as responsiveness and kindness. Isn't this the paradox of crime? After all, there are only a few from all over the world, who can be counted on one hand, who have truly animalistic, inexplicable rigidity, which is not dictated by anything other than a thirst for blood. There are incredibly few such people, and crimes are committed everywhere. How so? Every criminal also has something good in himself, no matter how difficult it may be to admit it at times. It’s easy to talk about this, in practice the situation is not so simple, but still the essence does not change. We understand that Rodion has a number of positive qualities, but the poverty surrounding him greatly hurts his feelings. In addition, he sees the complete lack of rights and doom of those like himself. All this brings the hero to complete spiritual exhaustion, under the conditions of which his inhuman theory is born.
The essence of Raskolnikov's theory
What thoughts did Rodion try to calm himself down with? Did he succeed? Raskolnikov’s theory in the novel “Crime and Punishment” is that it divides people into two types: people who are completely powerless and those who can break the law for their own personal purposes. This is the main idea that the main character develops throughout the book. Over time, it changes a little, some new features of two categories of people appear. The funny thing is that at first Raskolnikov himself thought his theory was a joke; he did not take it seriously, but considered it simply entertainment in order not to think about pressing matters. The more Rodion “entertains” in this way, the more truthful, rational and correct his own theory seems to him. He begins to bring everyone and everything under it and think about people only based on this position.
Finding yourself
We already know what Raskolnikov’s theory is, but what place does he himself have in it? Throughout the book, he tries to answer this question for himself. Raskolnikov's theory in the novel Crime and Punishment states that for the happiness and well-being of the majority, the destruction of the minority is necessary. Through difficult thoughts and analysis of his mind, Rodion decides that he belongs to the category of people who have the right to perform any actions in order to achieve a goal. In order to test his luck and make sure that he belongs to the “elite,” Rodion decides to kill the old pawnbroker. The essence of Raskolnikov's theory is deceptive, because, trying to make the world a better place, he commits a terrible crime - murder.
Consequences
Wanting to improve the world around him, Raskolnikov realizes over time that crime committed doesn't benefit anyone. He realizes the meaninglessness of his action. At this point, Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky begins to refute the already known theory. In the book, this happens against the backdrop of Rodion’s intense torment that he experiences after the murder. Raskolnikov’s theory in the novel “Crime and Punishment” fails, and the main character himself feels like a hunted animal, because, on the one hand, he is tormented by his conscience, and on the other, he is afraid of making a mistake and giving himself away.
Comprehension
The main character conducts a very unsuccessful experiment on himself, which leads to apathy and depression, because the problems remain unresolved, and in addition, his conscience torments him every night. What is Raskolnik's theory after the crime? For him, she remained the same, but he had to accept the fact that he, apparently, was a powerless trembling creature. He tries to stick to his views until the very end. The death of the old woman cuts him off from the world around him, he is completely immersed in inner life. Raskolnikov’s theory, whose quotes amaze even adults with cruelty, was supposed to help young man to find peace, but led him into the terrible jungle of his own conscience.
He is trying to find some kind of salvation, because he feels that the oppression of thoughts will soon destroy him. Raskolnikov wants to find a person to whom he can tell his terrible secret. He decides to trust Sonya Marmeladova, a girl who violated moral laws. Raskolnikov lightens his soul. The young man continues to communicate with the girl and, under her influence, repents of his crime before the law. Raskolnikov's theory (it is described briefly in the article) fails.
Collapse
Giving up his views is very difficult for Rodion. Big influence He is influenced by faith in people, in God, and the immeasurable kindness of Sonya Marmeladova. Raskolnikov's theory (summarized above) fails completely only after he has a dream where everyone kills each other, and as a result the earth becomes devastated. Totally absurd. Finally, Rodion understands the fallacy of his theory, because its essence is that there will be no people left. After sleep, the main character gradually begins to regain his faith in people and goodness. This is not easy, he stubbornly refuses past views. Rodion begins to understand that happiness should be available to everyone. He will also come to a deep understanding of Christian values. Happiness and prosperity cannot be built on crime. It is unacceptable to kill even one person, because people are absolutely equal by nature. Below are some quotes from the book:
. “Power is given only to those who dare to bend down and pick it up. There’s only one thing, one thing: you just have to dare!”
. “The more cunning a person is, the less he suspects that he will be knocked down in a simple way. The most cunning man it is from the simplest that we must take it.”
. “...And you reach the line that if you don’t step over it, you’ll be unhappy, but if you step over it, maybe you’ll become even more unhappy...”
So, today we found out what Raskolnikov’s theory is.
Raskolnikov's tragic mistake lies in the contradiction between the hero's subjective humanistic motives and the objective anti-humanistic form of their manifestation.
11. What is the uniqueness of F.M.’s psychologism? Dostoevsky in the novel “Crime and Punishment”?
Psychologism F.M. Dostoevsky differs from the psychologism of I.S. Turgenev or L.N. Tolstoy. Revealing inner world heroes, F.M. Dostoevsky shows the clash of contradictory impulses, the struggle between consciousness and subconsciousness, desire and its implementation. His characters don’t just think, they suffer painfully, analyze their actions, and reflect.
F. M. Dostoevsky
Crime and Punishment
Poor district of St. Petersburg in the 60s. XIX century, adjacent to Sennaya Square and the Catherine Canal. Summer evening. Former student Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov leaves his closet in the attic and takes the latter as a mortgage to the old pawnbroker Alena Ivanovna, whom he is preparing to kill. valuable thing. On way back he enters one of the cheap drinking establishments, where he accidentally meets the official Marmeladov, who has drunk himself and lost his job. He tells how consumption, poverty and her husband’s drunkenness pushed his wife, Katerina Ivanovna, to a cruel act - to send his daughter from her first marriage, Sonya, to work at the panel to earn money.
The next morning, Raskolnikov receives a letter from his mother from the provinces describing the troubles he has suffered. younger sister Dunya in the house of the depraved landowner Svidrigailov. He learns about the imminent arrival of his mother and sister in St. Petersburg in connection with Dunya's upcoming marriage. The groom is a calculating businessman Luzhin, who wants to build a marriage not on love, but on the poverty and dependence of the bride. The mother hopes that Luzhin will financially help her son complete his course at the university. Reflecting on the sacrifices that Sonya and Dunya make for the sake of their loved ones, Raskolnikov strengthens his intention to kill the pawnbroker - a worthless evil “louse”. After all, thanks to her money, “hundreds, thousands” of girls and boys will be spared from undeserved suffering. However, disgust for bloody violence rises again in the hero’s soul after a dream he saw, a memory of his childhood: the boy’s heart breaks with pity for the nag being beaten to death.
And yet, Raskolnikov kills with an ax not only the “ugly old woman,” but also her kind, meek sister Lizaveta, who unexpectedly returned to the apartment. Miraculously leaving unnoticed, he hides the stolen goods in a random place, without even assessing its value.
Soon Raskolnikov discovers with horror the alienation between himself and other people. Sick from his experience, he is, however, unable to reject the burdensome concerns of his university friend Razumikhin. From the latter’s conversation with the doctor, Raskolnikov learns that the painter Mikolka, a simple village guy, has been arrested on suspicion of murdering the old woman. Reacting painfully to conversations about crime, he himself also arouses suspicion among others.
Luzhin, who came for a visit, is shocked by the squalor of the hero’s closet; their conversation develops into a quarrel and ends in a breakup. Raskolnikov is especially offended by the closeness of practical conclusions from Luzhin’s “reasonable egoism” (which seems vulgar to him) and his own “theory”: “people can be cut…”
Wandering around St. Petersburg, a sick young man suffers from his alienation from the world and is ready to confess to a crime to the authorities when he sees a man crushed by a carriage. This is Marmeladov. Out of compassion, Raskolnikov spends his last money on the dying man: he is carried into the house, the doctor is called. Rodion meets Katerina Ivanovna and Sonya, who is saying goodbye to her father in an inappropriately bright outfit of a prostitute. Thanks to good deed the hero briefly felt a community with people. However, having met his mother and sister who had arrived at his apartment, he suddenly realizes that he is “dead” to their love and rudely drives them away. He is lonely again, but he has hope of getting closer to Sonya, who, like him, “transgressed” the absolute commandment.
Razumikhin, who almost at first sight fell in love with the beautiful Dunya, takes care of Raskolnikov’s relatives. Meanwhile, the offended Luzhin confronts his bride with a choice: either he or his brother.
In order to find out about the fate of the things pawned by the murdered woman, and in fact to dispel the suspicions of some acquaintances, Rodion himself asks for a meeting with Porfiry Petrovich, the investigator in the case of the murder of the old pawnbroker. The latter recalls Raskolnikov’s recently published article “On Crime,” inviting the author to explain his “theory” about “two classes of people.” It turns out that the “ordinary” (“lower”) majority is just material for the reproduction of their own kind; it is they who need a strict moral law and must be obedient. These are “trembling creatures.” “People themselves” (“higher ones”) have a different nature, possessing the gift of a “new word”, they destroy the present in the name of the better, even if it is necessary to “step over” the moral norms previously established for the “lower” majority, for example, by shedding someone else’s blood. These “criminals” then become “new legislators.” Thus, not recognizing the biblical commandments (“thou shalt not kill,” “thou shalt not steal,” etc.), Raskolnikov “allows” “those who have the right” - “blood according to conscience.” The intelligent and insightful Porfiry discerns in the hero an ideological murderer who claims to be the new Napoleon. However, the investigator has no evidence against Rodion - and he releases the young man in the hope that his good nature will overcome the delusions of his mind and will itself lead him to confess to his crime.
Indeed, the hero is increasingly convinced that he has made a mistake in himself: “the real ruler […] destroys Toulon, commits massacres in Paris, forgets the army in Egypt, wastes half a million people in the Moscow campaign,” and he, Raskolnikov, suffers because of “vulgarity "and the "meanness" of a single murder. It is clear that he is a “trembling creature”: even after killing, he “did not step over” the moral law. The very motives of the crime are twofold in the hero’s consciousness: this is both a test of oneself for the “highest level”, and an act of “justice”, according to revolutionary socialist teachings, transferring the property of “predators” to their victims.
Svidrigailov, who came after Dunya to St. Petersburg, apparently guilty of the recent death of his wife, meets Raskolnikov and notes that they are “birds of a feather,” although the latter has not completely conquered the “Schiller” within himself. Despite all the disgust for the offender, Rodion’s sister is attracted by his apparent ability to enjoy life, despite the crimes he has committed.
During lunch in the cheap rooms where Luzhin, out of economy, settled Dunya and his mother, a decisive explanation takes place. Luzhin is accused of slandering Raskolnikov and Sonya, to whom he allegedly gave for base services the money selflessly collected by his poor mother for his studies. The relatives are convinced of the purity and nobility of the young man and sympathize with Sonya’s fate. Expelled in disgrace, Luzhin is looking for a way to discredit Raskolnikov in the eyes of his sister and mother.
The latter, meanwhile, again feeling a painful alienation from his loved ones, comes to Sonya. From her, who “transgressed” the commandment “thou shalt not commit adultery,” he seeks salvation from unbearable loneliness. But Sonya herself is not alone. She sacrificed herself for the sake of others (hungry brothers and sisters), and not others for herself, like her interlocutor. Love and compassion for loved ones, faith in the mercy of God never left her. She reads the gospel lines to Rodion about Christ’s resurrection of Lazarus, hoping for a miracle in her life. The hero fails to captivate the girl with the “Napoleonic” plan for power over “the entire anthill.”
Tormented by both fear and the desire to be exposed, Raskolnikov again comes to Porfiry, as if worried about his mortgage. A seemingly abstract conversation about the psychology of criminals ultimately drives the young man to the point of nervous breakdown, and he almost gives himself away to the investigator. What saves him is his unexpected confession of murdering the pawnbroker Mikolka.
In the passage room of the Marmeladovs, a wake was held for her husband and father, during which Katerina Ivanovna, in a fit of morbid pride, insults the owner of the apartment. She tells her and the children to move out immediately. Suddenly Luzhin, who lives in the same house, enters and accuses Sonya of stealing a hundred-ruble banknote. The girl’s “guilt” is proven: money is found in her apron pocket. Now in the eyes of others she is also a thief. But unexpectedly there is a witness that Luzhin himself quietly slipped Sonya a piece of paper. The slanderer is put to shame, and Raskolnikov explains to those present the reasons for his action: having humiliated his brother and Sonya in the eyes of Dunya, he hoped to regain the favor of the bride.
Rodion and Sonya go to her apartment, where the hero confesses to the girl about the murder of the old woman and Lizaveta. She pities him for the moral torment to which he has doomed himself, and offers to atone for his guilt by voluntary confession and hard labor. Raskolnikov only laments that he turned out to be a “trembling creature”, with a conscience and a need for human love. “I’ll still fight,” he disagrees with Sonya.
Meanwhile, Katerina Ivanovna and her children find themselves on the street. She begins to bleed from the throat and dies, refusing the services of a priest. Svidrigailov, who is present here, undertakes to pay for the funeral and provide for the children and Sonya.
At his home, Raskolnikov finds Porfiry, who convinces the young man to turn himself in: a “theory” that denies absoluteness moral law, rejects from single source life - God, the creator of humanity, united by nature, - and thereby dooms his captive to death. “Now you […] need air, air, air!” Porfiry does not believe in the guilt of Mikolka, who “accepted suffering” out of an primordial popular need: to atone for the sin of not conforming to the ideal - Christ.
But Raskolnikov still hopes to “transcend” morality. Before him is the example of Svidrigailov. Their meeting in the tavern reveals to the hero a sad truth: the life of this “insignificant villain” is empty and painful for himself.
Dunya's reciprocity is the only hope for Svidrigailov to return to the source of being. Having become convinced of her irrevocable dislike for himself during a heated conversation in his apartment, he shoots himself a few hours later.
Meanwhile, Raskolnikov, driven by the lack of “air,” says goodbye to his family and Sonya before confessing. He is still convinced of the “theory” and is full of self-contempt. However, at Sonya’s insistence, in front of the people, he repentantly kisses the land before which he “sinned.” At the police office, he learns about Svidrigailov’s suicide and makes an official confession.
Raskolnikov finds himself in Siberia, in a convict prison. The mother died of grief, Dunya married Razumikhin. Sonya settled near Raskolnikov and visits the hero, patiently enduring his gloom and indifference. The nightmare of alienation continues here: the common convicts hate him as an “atheist.” On the contrary, Sonya is treated with tenderness and love. Once in the prison hospital, Rodion sees a dream reminiscent of pictures from the Apocalypse: mysterious “trichinas”, moving into people, give rise to a fanatical conviction in everyone’s own rightness and intolerance to the “truths” of others. “People killed each other in […] senseless rage” until the entire human race was exterminated, except for a few “pure and chosen.” It is finally revealed to him that the pride of the mind leads to discord and destruction, and the humility of the heart leads to unity in love and to the fullness of life. “Endless love” for Sonya awakens in him. On the threshold of "resurrection in new life"Raskolnikov picks up the Gospel.
