The image of marmalade dormouse is symbolic. The image of Sonya Marmeladova in the novel “Crime and Punishment”
One of the main characters of the novel F.M. Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment” is Sonya Marmeladova, a girl forced to work “on a yellow ticket” in order to save her family from starvation. It is to her that the author assigns the most important role in the fate of Raskolnikov.
Sonya's appearance is described in two episodes. The first is the scene of the death of her father, Semyon Zakharych Marmeladov: “Sonya was small, about eighteen years old, thin, but quite pretty blonde... She was also in rags, her outfit was decorated in a street style... with a brightly and shamefully outstanding purpose.”
Another description of her appearance appears in the scene of Sonechka’s acquaintance with Dunya and Pulcheria Alexandrovna: “she was a modestly and even poorly dressed girl, very young, almost like a girl... with a clear but intimidated face. She was wearing a very simple house dress...” Both of these portraits are strikingly different from each other, which reflects one of the key features of Sonya’s character - the combination of spiritual purity and moral decline.
Sonya's life story is extremely tragic: unable to indifferently watch as her family died from hunger and poverty, she voluntarily submitted to humiliation and received a “yellow ticket.” Sacrifice, boundless compassion and selflessness forced Sonechka to give all the money she earned to her father and stepmother Katerina Ivanovna.
Sonya has many wonderful human character traits: mercy, sincerity, kindness, understanding, moral purity. She is ready to look for something good and bright in every person, even in those who are not worthy of such treatment. Sonya knows how to forgive.
She has developed an endless love for people. This love is so strong that Sonechka is determined to consciously give all of herself for their sake.
Such faith in people and a special attitude towards them (“This man is a louse!”) are largely connected with Sonya’s Christian worldview. Her faith in God and the miracle that comes from him truly has no boundaries. “What would I be without God!” In this regard, she is the opposite of Raskolnikov, who opposes her with his atheism and theory about “ordinary” and “extraordinary” people. It is faith that helps Sonya maintain the purity of her soul, protect herself from the dirt and vice that surrounds her; It is not for nothing that almost the only book she has read more than once is the New Testament.
One of the most significant scenes in the novel, which influenced Raskolnikov’s future life, is the episode of joint reading of a passage from the Gospel about the resurrection of Lazarus. “The cinder has long gone out in the crooked candlestick, dimly illuminating in this beggarly room a murderer and a harlot, strangely gathered together to read an eternal book...”
Sonechka plays a crucial role in Raskolnikov’s fate, which consists in reviving his faith in God and returning to the Christian path. Only Sonya was able to accept and forgive his crime, did not condemn him and was able to induce Raskolnikov to confess to his crime. She went with him all the way from recognition to hard labor, and it was her love that was able to return him to the true path.
Sonya has proven herself to be a decisive and active person, capable of making difficult decisions and following them. She convinced Rodion to denounce himself: “Get up! Go now, this very minute, stand at the crossroads, bow, first kiss the earth that you have desecrated, and then bow to the whole world...”
At hard labor, Sonya did everything to ease Raskolnikov’s fate. She becomes a famous and respected person and is addressed by her first name and patronymic. The convicts fell in love with her for her kind attitude towards them, for her selfless help - for something that Raskolnikov does not yet want or cannot understand. At the end of the novel, he finally realizes his feelings for her, realizes how much she suffered for him. “Can her beliefs now not be mine? Her feelings, her aspirations at least..." So Sonya’s love, her dedication and compassion helped Raskolnikov begin the process of becoming on the right path.
The author embodied the best human qualities in the image of Sonya. Dostoevsky wrote: “I have one moral model and ideal – Christ.” Sonya became for him the source of his own beliefs, decisions dictated by his conscience.
Thus, thanks to Sonechka, Raskolnikov was able to find a new meaning in life and regain his lost faith.
Dostoevsky mentions her ugly appearance and face, but emphasizes her eyes. Sonya's eyes, when animated, made her face more good-natured and sweeter. She was 18 years old, the author often calls Sonya “a thin and small creature.” She had a childish face that represented innocence and purity. Sonechka wore shabby clothes, but they were distinguished by bright colors and ridiculous decorations. All her clothes were supposed to attract future “clients”. She often wore a funny straw hat.The character of Sonya Marmeladova
Sonechka's character is full of contradictions. She considers herself a sinner who cannot be in a room with other good women. Others speak of her as a kind and hardworking girl. The heroine cannot stand up for herself; she is constantly humiliated by the people around her. Modesty and weakness in front of people is combined with enormous spiritual strength.Sofya Marmeladova is also a strong-willed person. She is able to forgive her stepmother for ruining her life, because of her love for her stepbrothers and sisters, she goes to sell herself, and because of her love for Rodion Raskolnikov, she follows him to hard labor and waits for the manifestation of his love.
Rice. 2. "Crime and Punishment." Nikolai Karazin. 1893 The heroine developed her strength of spirit thanks to her faith in God, and here again there is a contradiction. Sonechka constantly talks about living according to God’s law, but she still does indecent things. She does not belong to herself; Sonya is completely dependent on her environment.Self-sacrifice is her main goal in life; she is used to living depending on someone. Even Sonya’s stepmother, Katerina Ivanovna, says that Sonya is ready to give away her last dress and remain barefoot if a person needs it.
The story of Sonya Marmeladova in the novel
Sonya Marmeladova lost her mother early, she was raised by her father, the official Semyon Zakharovich Marmeladov, and her stepmother Katerina Ivanovna. The stepmother was very strict with little Sonya, but the girl shows mercy towards her and does not hold a grudge against her. For a long time, Sonya worked as a seamstress, however, this did not generate income. Semyon Zakharovich loses his job due to drunkenness, and his daughter is forced to go to work “on a yellow ticket.” Because of her obscene work, she lives separately from her family. Her work brings her money, with which she supports her father, stepmother and three children of Katerina Ivanovna. Sophia never reproaches her relatives for not working, and even gives money to her father so that he can go to the tavern.
Rice. 3. "Crime and Punishment." Nikolai Karazin. 1893 All Sonya's efforts became in vain when Semyon Zakharovich gets run over by a horse and dies, Katerina Ivanovna dies of consumption, and the children are taken to an orphanage. The heroine has no one to live for, and at this time her beloved Rodion Raskolnikov is sent to hard labor. Marmeladova follows him, and her life becomes meaningful again. At hard labor, she remembers the profession of a seamstress and earns not only money, but also the patronage of some significant people in the city. Thanks to Sonechka's acquaintances, Rodion Raskolnikov is given easy work. Sofya Marmeladova becomes popular in the city.
Important! Sofya Semyonovna becomes a milliner, that is, a master of making hats, dresses and linen.Sophia tries to please everyone:
- She helped the convicts answer letters from relatives, treated them to pies and rolls, and showed compassion.
- She sewed dresses for evenings for young girls, and gave advice on housework to older ladies.
The role of Sonya Marmeladova in the novel
Sofya Semyonovna Marmeladova is a contrast to the main character of the novel, Rodion Raskolnikov. She believes that no one except God has the right to take a person’s life, which is in contrast to the theory of “trembling creatures who have the right.”
Rice. 4. "Crime and Punishment." Nikolai Karazin. 1893 Dostoevsky initially assigned Sonya a secondary role, but after the development of the plot, through Sonya he refutes Raskolnikov’s theory. It is her image that becomes immortal; she personifies the author’s thoughts about the Christian religion, human kindness and spiritual integrity. Through the heroine, Raskolnikov understands that his theory is not the truth, and that through love for other people one can find happiness. Rodion considers Sonya the only pure person in his circle; he constantly feels sorry for her, but does not see that she is in love with him. It is difficult for him to understand why, despite such a difficult fate, after constant nagging from her stepmother, she remains a sympathetic person. Her truth was based on love for people and helping her neighbor. Raskolnikov only understands seven years later what a broad soul Sophia is. Rodion falls in love with Sonya, and only then does he understand the true happiness of a person. Thus, the life path of Sofia Semyonovna Marmeladova is the path of both a vicious and holy woman who, through her own suffering, helps other people find their true path. In the video below you can see the main plot points in the development of the image of Sonya Marmeladova.
Immortal image
Some heroes of classical literature gain immortality and live next to us; this is exactly what the image of Sonya turned out to be in the novel “Crime and Punishment” by Dostoevsky. From her example, we learn the best human qualities: kindness, mercy, self-sacrifice. She teaches us to love devotedly and selflessly believe in God.
Meet the heroine
The author does not immediately introduce us to Sonechka Marmeladova. She appears on the pages of the novel when a terrible crime has already been committed, two people have died, and Rodion Raskolnikov has ruined his soul. It seems that nothing in his life can be improved. However, meeting a modest girl changed the hero’s fate and revived him to life.
The first time we hear about Sonya is from the story of the unfortunate drunken Marmeladov. In confession, he talks about his unhappy fate, about his starving family and gratefully pronounces the name of his eldest daughter.
Sonya is an orphan, Marmeladov’s only natural daughter. Until recently, she lived with her family. Her stepmother Katerina Ivanovna, a sick, unhappy woman, was exhausted so that the children would not die of starvation, Marmeladov himself drank away his last money, the family was in dire need. Out of despair, the sick woman often became irritated over trifles, made scandals, and reproached her stepdaughter with a piece of bread. Conscientious Sonya decided to take a desperate step. In order to somehow help her family, she began to engage in prostitution, sacrificing herself for the sake of her loved ones. The story of the poor girl left a deep mark on Raskolnikov’s wounded soul long before he personally met the heroine.
Portrait of Sonya Marmeladova
A description of the girl's appearance appears on the pages of the novel much later. She, like a wordless ghost, appears on the threshold of her home during the death of her father, crushed by a drunken cab driver. Timid by nature, she did not dare enter the room, feeling vicious and unworthy. An absurd, cheap, but bright outfit indicated her occupation. “Meek” eyes, “a pale, thin and irregular angular face” and the whole appearance betrayed a meek, timid nature that had reached the extreme degree of humiliation. “Sonya was small, about seventeen years old, thin, but quite pretty blonde, with wonderful blue eyes.” This is how she appeared before Raskolnikov’s eyes, this is how the reader sees her for the first time.
Character traits of Sofia Semyonovna Marmeladova
A person's appearance can often be deceiving. The image of Sonya in Crime and Punishment is full of inexplicable contradictions. A meek, weak girl considers herself a great sinner, unworthy to be in the same room with decent women. She is embarrassed to sit next to Raskolnikov’s mother, and cannot shake hands with his sister for fear of offending them. Sonya can easily be offended and humiliated by any scoundrel, like Luzhin or the landlady. Defenseless against the arrogance and rudeness of the people around her, she is unable to stand up for herself.
A complete description of Sonya Marmeladova in the novel “Crime and Punishment” consists of an analysis of her actions. Physical weakness and indecision are combined in her with enormous mental strength. At the core of her being is love. For the love of her father, she gives him her last money for a hangover. For the sake of love for children, he sells his body and soul. For the sake of love for Raskolnikov, she follows him to hard labor and patiently endures his indifference. Kindness and the ability to forgive distinguish the heroine from other characters in the story. Sonya does not hold a grudge against her stepmother for her crippled life, and does not dare condemn her father for his weak character and eternal drunkenness. She is able to forgive and regret Raskolnikov for the murder of Lizaveta, close to her. “There is no one more unhappy than you in the whole world,” she tells him. To treat the vices and mistakes of people around you this way, you have to be a very strong and integral person.
Where does a weak, fragile, humiliated girl have such patience, endurance and inexhaustible love for people? Faith in God helps Sonya Marmeladova to survive herself and lend a helping hand to others. “What would I be without God?” – the heroine is sincerely perplexed. It is no coincidence that the exhausted Raskolnikov goes to her for help and tells her about his crime. The faith of Sonya Marmeladova helps the criminal to first confess to the murder he has committed, then sincerely repent, believe in God and start a new happy life.
The role of the image of Sonya Marmeladova in the novel
The main character of F. M. Dostoevsky’s novel “Crime and Punishment” is considered to be Rodion Raskolnikov, since the plot is based on the story of the hero’s crime. But it is impossible to imagine the novel without the image of Sonya Marmeladova. Sonya's attitude, beliefs, and actions reflect the author's life position. The fallen woman is pure and innocent. She fully atones for her sin with all-encompassing love for people. She is “humiliated and insulted”, not a “trembling creature” according to Raskolnikov’s theory, but a person worthy of respect, who turned out to be much stronger than the main character. Having gone through all the trials and suffering, Sonya did not lose her basic human qualities, did not betray herself and suffered happiness.
Sonya's moral principles, faith, love turned out to be stronger than Raskolnikov's egoistic theory. After all, only by accepting the beliefs of his girlfriend does the hero gain the right to happiness. The favorite heroine of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky is the embodiment of his most secret thoughts and ideals of the Christian religion.
Work test
Sonya Marmeladova plays an important role in the novel Crime and Punishment. Initially, the heroine occupied a secondary place in the narrative, but F. M. Dostoevsky, with the help of the image of Sonya, expressed his Christian thoughts, which made the image of the heroine truly important in ideological content.
Biography
The life history of this image is important. Sofya Semyonovna Marmeladova was born into a poor family. At the time of the story, the heroine was 18 years old. Sonya lost her mother as a child. The father was a heavy drinker, which is why their family's situation was extremely poor. Initially, Sonya lives with her family in the outback, and then moves to St. Petersburg, but her father cannot find work there either. For the sake of her father and his new wife Katerina Ivanovna, who had three children, Sonechka first earns money as a seamstress. She received negligible money for her work, and sometimes she was not paid at all. Therefore, she decided for the sake of her family to go with the “yellow ticket,” which she was very ashamed of.
Sonya's fate is difficult and tragic. However, the heroine does not give up and continues to pass all the tests on her way. Sonechka's meeting with Rodion Raskolnikov has compositional significance. Two important characters in the story meet and influence each other. After Raskolnikov confesses to the murder, Sonya goes after him to Siberia. She is happy that in seven years they will be together.
Character
Analysis of Sonya's image is impossible without considering her internal qualities. Sonechka Marmeladova is a pure and merciful girl who is capable of self-sacrifice for the sake of every person close to her or unfamiliar to her. The very fact that she helps her drinking father and Katerina Ivanovna, who is not her real mother, suggests that Sonya is kind and merciful. Moreover, the heroine helps people without any selfish goals, from the bottom of her heart. The real feat is her desire to help other people and her ability to self-sacrifice.
Humility is the heroine's way of life. However, one cannot call her character weak; she is truly one of the strongest female characters in Russian literature. No obstacles in life break Sonechka; she is ready to go ahead.
Sonya's faith in God helps her to withstand all her misfortunes. She does not grumble at God because of her plight and tragic situation; she believes in justice. It is this faith that helps Sonechka continue her life’s path herself and shine her humanity to other people.
Another incentive to life for Sonya is love. She is sincere and good-natured.
Meaning of the image
The image of Sonya is of great importance in the novel Crime and Punishment. Its impact on the image of Raskolnikov is truly great. The characters spend a lot of time talking, in which they find solace. Sonya is Rodion’s support; thanks to her moral qualities, Raskolnikov “suddenly changed”: “his affectedly impudent and powerlessly defiant tone disappeared.” The hero confesses to the murder of the old pawnbroker.
Sonechka does not leave the main character, she goes with him. The heroine was able to find a person even in the killer. For Raskolnikov, it became a moral salvation, repentance for the theory. All prisoners love her for her character and spiritual qualities; she becomes for them a symbol of repentance and forgiveness. Thus, the novel by F. M. Dostoevsky shows that Sonechka Marmeladova carries a divine principle that can influence other people.
Sonya, like Christ, deliberately leads herself to sin. She does this not for selfish reasons, but in order to help her family. Her fall is at the same time a feat. Not every person is capable of taking such a step to save loved ones.
Like many heroes of the novel, Marmeladova has her own theory - the theory of God. Having learned about Raskolnikov’s worldview, she tells him that she does not support his theory, that in the world there can be no division into “those who have the right” and “trembling creatures,” that all people are equal and that no person can decide the fate of another person. All people are equal, according to Sonya, precisely before God.
This theory shows the heroine as a real Christian, which is what F. M. Dostoevsky tried to convey.
Believing in God, Sonya does not encourage Raskolnikov to do this; she wants him to reach faith himself. The character gradually comes to the conclusion that her beliefs are now his beliefs.
The significance of Sonya is not only that she leads Rodion along the right path to God, but also that the heroine is an exponent of the ideas of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky himself, for whom religion occupied an important place in life. With the image of Sonechka Marmeladova, he showed an ideal female image, whose faith is capable of reviving not only oneself, but also other people.
This article examines the image of Sonya Marmeladova, her significance in the work, and the article will also help you write an essay “Sonya Marmeladova.”
Work test
- Immortal image
- Meet the heroine
- Portrait of Sonya Marmeladova
Immortal image
Some heroes of classical literature gain immortality, live next to us, this is exactly what the image of Sonya turned out to be in the novel “Crime and Punishment” by Dostoevsky. From her example, we learn the best human qualities: kindness, mercy, self-sacrifice. She teaches us to love devotedly and selflessly believe in God.
Meet the heroine
The author does not immediately introduce us to Sonechka Marmeladova. She appears on the pages of the novel when a terrible crime has already been committed, two people have died, and Rodion Raskolnikov has ruined his soul. It seems that nothing in his life can be improved. However, meeting a modest girl changed the hero’s fate and revived him to life.
The first time we hear about Sonya is from the story of the unfortunate drunken Marmeladov. In confession, he talks about his unhappy fate, about his starving family and gratefully pronounces the name of his eldest daughter.
Sonya is an orphan, Marmeladov’s only natural daughter. Until recently, she lived with her family. Her stepmother Katerina Ivanovna, a sick, unhappy woman, was exhausted so that the children would not die of starvation, Marmeladov himself drank away his last money, the family was in dire need.
Out of despair, the sick woman often became irritated over trifles, made scandals, and reproached her stepdaughter with a piece of bread. Conscientious Sonya decided to take a desperate step. In order to somehow help her family, she began to engage in prostitution, sacrificing herself for the sake of her loved ones. The story of the poor girl left a deep mark on Raskolnikov’s wounded soul long before he personally met the heroine.
Portrait of Sonya Marmeladova
A description of the girl's appearance appears on the pages of the novel much later. She, like a wordless ghost, appears on the threshold of her home during the death of her father, crushed by a drunken cab driver. Timid by nature, she did not dare enter the room, feeling vicious and unworthy. An absurd, cheap, but bright outfit indicated her occupation. “Meek” eyes, “a pale, thin and irregular angular face” and the whole appearance betrayed a meek, timid nature that had reached the extreme degree of humiliation. “Sonya was small, about seventeen years old, thin, but quite pretty blonde, with wonderful blue eyes.” This is how she appeared before Raskolnikov’s eyes, this is how the reader sees her for the first time.
Character traits of Sofia Semyonovna Marmeladova
A person's appearance can often be deceiving. The image of Sonya in Crime and Punishment is full of inexplicable contradictions. A meek, weak girl considers herself a great sinner, unworthy to be in the same room with decent women. She is embarrassed to sit next to Raskolnikov’s mother, and cannot shake hands with his sister for fear of offending them. Sonya can easily be offended and humiliated by any scoundrel, like Luzhin or the landlady. Defenseless against the arrogance and rudeness of the people around her, she is unable to stand up for herself.
A complete description of Sonya Marmeladova in the novel “Crime and Punishment” consists of an analysis of her actions. Physical weakness and indecision are combined in her with enormous mental strength. At the core of her being is love. For the love of her father, she gives him her last money for a hangover. For the sake of love for children, he sells his body and soul. For the sake of love for Raskolnikov, she follows him to hard labor and patiently endures his indifference. Kindness and the ability to forgive distinguish the heroine from other characters in the story. Sonya does not hold a grudge against her stepmother for her crippled life, and does not dare condemn her father for his weak character and eternal drunkenness. She is able to forgive and regret Raskolnikov for the murder of Lizaveta, close to her. “There is no one more unhappy than you in the whole world,” she tells him. To treat the vices and mistakes of people around you this way, you have to be a very strong and integral person.
Where does a weak, fragile, humiliated girl have such patience, endurance and inexhaustible love for people? Faith in God helps Sonya Marmeladova to survive herself and lend a helping hand to others. “What would I be without God?” – the heroine is sincerely perplexed. It is no coincidence that the exhausted Raskolnikov goes to her for help and tells her about his crime. The faith of Sonya Marmeladova helps the criminal to first confess to the murder he has committed, then sincerely repent, believe in God and start a new happy life.
The role of the image of Sonya Marmeladova in the novel
The main character of F. M. Dostoevsky’s novel “Crime and Punishment” is considered to be Rodion Raskolnikov, since the plot is based on the story of the hero’s crime. But it is impossible to imagine the novel without the image of Sonya Marmeladova. Sonya's attitude, beliefs, and actions reflect the author's life position. The fallen woman is pure and innocent. She fully atones for her sin with all-encompassing love for people. She is “humiliated and insulted”, not a “trembling creature” according to Raskolnikov’s theory, but a person worthy of respect, who turned out to be much stronger than the main character. Having gone through all the trials and suffering, Sonya did not lose her basic human qualities, did not betray herself and suffered happiness.
Sonya's moral principles, faith, love turned out to be stronger than Raskolnikov's egoistic theory. After all, only by accepting the beliefs of his girlfriend does the hero gain the right to happiness. The favorite heroine of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky is the embodiment of his most secret thoughts and ideals of the Christian religion.
Characteristics of the image of Sonya Marmeladova in the novel “Crime and Punishment” |
