"Crime and Punishment": the history of the creation of the novel

"Crime and Punishment", whose history of creation lasted almost 7 years, is one of the most famous novels of Fedor Dostoevsky both in Russia and abroad. In this creation of the classic of Russian literature, his talent as a psychologist and expert in human souls was revealed as never before. What prompted Dostoevsky to write a book about the murderer and the throes of conscience, because this topic is not peculiar to the literature of that time?

Fyodor Dostoyevsky - master of the psychological novel

The writer was born on November 11, 1821 in the city of Moscow. His father, Mikhail Andreevich, was a nobleman, a court counselor, and his mother, Maria Feodorovna, descended from a merchant family.

In the life of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky there was everything: loud glory and poverty, dark days in the Peter and Paul Fortress and many years of penal servitude, addiction to gambling and an appeal to the Christian faith. Even during the writer's lifetime, such an epithet as "genius" was applied to his work.

Dostoevsky died at the age of 59 years from emphysema. He left behind a huge legacy - novels, poems, diaries, letters, etc. In Russian literature, Fyodor Mikhailovich takes the place of the chief psychologist and connoisseur of human souls. Some literary critics (for example, Maxim Gorky), especially the Soviet period, called Dostoevsky "evil genius", because they believed that the writer in his works defended the "wrong" political views - conservative and at some point in life even monarchical. However, one can argue with this: Dostoevsky's novels are not political, but they are always deeply psychological, their goal is to show the human soul and life itself as it is. And the work "Crime and Punishment" is the most vivid confirmation of this.

The history of the novel "Crime and Punishment"

Fyodor Dostoevsky in 1850 was sent to penal servitude in Omsk. "Crime and Punishment," the history of whose creation began there, was first published in 1866, and before that the writer had to endure not the best days in his life.

In 1854, the writer was given freedom. Dostoevsky wrote in 1859 in a letter to his brother that the idea of a certain confessional novel had come to him when he was lying in the dirty bunks in the 50's and was experiencing the hardest moments in his destiny. But he did not hurry to start this work, because he was not even sure that he would survive.

And so, in 1865, Dostoevsky Fyodor Mikhailovich, in desperate need of money, signs a contract with one publisher, under which he undertakes to provide a new novel by November, 1866. Having received a fee, the writer corrected his affairs, but the addiction in roulette played a cruel joke with him: he lost all the remaining money in Wiesbaden, the hotel owners did not evict him, but stopped feeding and even switched off the light in the room. It was in such circumstances that Dostoevsky began "Crime and Punishment".

The history of the creation of the novel was nearing completion: the terms were running up - the author was working in a hotel, on a steamer, on his way home to Petersburg. He practically finished the novel, and then ... took and burned the manuscript.

Dostoevsky began the work anew, and while the first two parts of the work were published and they were read by the whole of Petersburg, he at accelerated rates created the remaining three, including the epilogue.

Contents of I-II parts of the novel

"Crime and Punishment" - the theme of the novel is clearly visible already in the very title of the work.

The protagonist - Rodion Raskolnikov - decides to kill and rob the old woman usurer. On the one hand, the young man justifies his deed by the fact that he and his family are in need. Rodion feels his responsibility for the fate of close people, but to help at least something of a sister and mother, he needs a lot of money. On the other hand, murder remains an immoral and sinful act.

Rodion successfully commits a conceived crime. But in the second part of the novel, he faces a problem more serious than poverty - his conscience begins to torment him. He becomes nervous, it seems to him that everyone around him knows about his deed. As a result, Rodion begins to get sick. After recovery, the young man seriously thinks about surrendering to the authorities. But acquaintance with Sonia Marmeladova, as well as the arrival of mothers and sisters in the city for a while make him abandon this venture.

The content of the III-IV part of the novel

The heroes of the novel "Crime and Punishment" in the 3rd and 4th part persistently pursue their goals.

At the hands of the sister of Rodion - Duni - immediately apply for 3 grooms: the councilor Pyotr Luzhin, the landowner Svidrigailov and Rodion's friend - Razumihin. Rodion and Razumikhin manage to upset the planned wedding of Dunya and Luzhin, but the latter goes angry and thinks about how to take revenge on the offenders.

Rodion Raskolnikov becomes more attached to Sonya Marmeladova, the daughter of his deceased friend. They talk with the girl about life, spend time together.

But over Rodion there hangs a black cloud - there were witnesses who were confirmed at the police station that recently Raskolnikov often went to the murdered usurer. The young man is still being released from the police station, but he remains the main suspect.

The content of the V part of the novel. Epilogue

The most important events of the novel "Crime and Punishment" by chapters account for the fifth part of the work and the epilogue.

Offended Luzhin tries to substitute Sonya Marmeladova, betraying her for a thief and thus quarreling with Raskolnikov. However, his plan fails, but Rodion does not stand up and confesses Sonya in a perfect murder.

The blame for the crime of Raskolnikov is assumed by an outsider, but the investigator is sure that it was Rodion who committed the crime, therefore he visits the young man and tries to convince him again to confess.

At this time, Svidrigailov is trying to get Dunya by force, a frightened girl shoots him with a revolver. When the weapon misfires, and Dunya convinces the landowner that he does not love him, Svidrigailov lets go of the girl. Having sacrificed 15,000 to Sone Marmeladova and 3,000 to the family of Raskolnikov, the landowner commits suicide.

Rodion confesses to the murder of the usurer and receives eight years of hard labor in Siberia. Sonia goes to him for reference. The former life for the former student is over, but thanks to the love of the girl, he feels how a new stage in his destiny begins.

The image of Rodion Raskolnikov

In the novel "Crime and Punishment" the characterization of Rodion Raskolnikov and the assessment of his actions by the author himself is ambiguous.

The young man is handsome, smart enough, one might say, ambitious. But the life situation in which he turned out, or rather the social situation, does not allow him not to realize his talents, but even to finish his studies at the university, to find a decent job. His sister is about to "sell" to the unloved person (to marry Luzhin for his condition). Raskolnikov's mother is in poverty, and her beloved girl is forced to engage in prostitution. And Rodion does not see a single way to help them and themselves, except how to get a large sum of money. But to realize the idea of instant enrichment is possible only with the help of robbery (in this case it entailed the murder).

According to morality, Raskolnikov did not have the right to take the life of another person, and the argument that the old woman has not survived for long, or that she does not have the right to "live" on the grief of other people is not an excuse and no reason to kill. But Raskolnikov, although tormented by his actions, until the last considers himself innocent: he explains his actions by what he thought at that moment only about how to help relatives.

Sonya Marmeladova

In the novel Crime and Punishment, the description of Sonya's image is as contradictory as Raskolnikov's: the reader immediately recognizes soul mates in them .

Sonya is kind and self-sacrificing in a sense, this is evident from her actions towards other people. The girl reads the "Gospel", but at the same time is a prostitute. Pious prostitute - what can be more paradoxical?

However, Sonia is engaged in this trade not because she has a craving for debauchery - this is the only way for an uneducated attractive girl to make a living, not only for herself, but for her big family: her stepmother Katerina Ivanovna and three stepbrothers and sisters. As a result, Sonia is the only one who went to Siberia after Rodion to support him in a difficult moment.

Such paradoxical images are the basis of Dostoevsky's realism, because in the real world things can not be only black or only white, like people. Therefore, a pure soul girl in certain life circumstances can engage in such a dirty craft, and a noble spirit in spirit - decide on the murder.

Arkady Svidrigailov

Arkady Svidrigailov - another character in the novel (50-year-old landowner), which in many aspects literally duplicates Raskolnikov. This is not an accident, but a device chosen by the author. What is its essence?

"Crime and punishment" is filled with ambiguous images, perhaps in order to show: many people have equally positive and negative traits, can walk on the same life paths, but they always choose the outcome of their lives themselves.

Arkady Svidrigailov is a widower. Even with a living wife, he molested Sister Raskolnikov, who was in their service. When his wife - Martha Petrovna - died, the landowner came to ask for Avdotya Raskolnikova's hands.

Svidrigailov has many sins behind his shoulders: he is suspected of murder, violence and depravity. But this does not prevent a man from becoming the only person who took care of the family of the late Marmeladov, not only financially, but even attached the children to an orphanage after the death of their mother. Svidrigailov tries to put Dunya in his barbarous way, but at the same time he is deeply wounded by the dislike of the girl and he commits suicide, leaving Sister Raskolnikov an impressive amount of inheritance. Nobility and cruelty in this man are combined in their bizarre patterns, as in Raskolnikov.

P.P. Luzhin in the system of images of the novel

Petr Petrovich Luzhin ("Crime and Punishment") is another "double" of Raskolnikov. Raskolnikov compares himself to Napoleon before committing a crime, and so Luzhin is Napoleon of his time in its pure form: unprincipled, caring only about himself, striving to put together capital at any cost. Maybe that's why Raskolnikov hates a successful young man: Rodion himself believed that for his own prosperity he had the right to kill a man whose fate seemed less important to him.

Luzhin ("Crime and Punishment") - very straightforward, as a character, caricature and devoid of the contradictions inherent in the heroes of Dostoevsky. It can be assumed that the writer intentionally made Peter exactly so that he became a clear embodiment of that bourgeois permissiveness that played such a cruel joke with Raskolnikov himself.

Publications of the novel abroad

"Crime and Punishment", whose history of creation took more than 6 years, was highly appreciated by foreign publications. In 1866 several chapters from the novel were translated into French and published in Courrier russe.

In Germany, the work came out under the name "Raskolnikov" and by 1895 its circulation was twice as large as that of any other work by Dostoevsky.

In the early XX century. The novel "Crime and Punishment" was translated into Polish, Czech, Italian, Serbian, Catalan, Lithuanian, etc.

The screen version of the novel

The heroes of the novel "Crime and Punishment" are so colorful and interesting that they have been taken for the adaptation of the novel both in Russia and abroad. The first film, Crime and Punishment, appeared in Russia back in 1909 (directed by Vasily Goncharov). Then followed the screen version in 1911, 1913, 1915.

In 1917, the world saw a picture of American director Lawrence McGill, in 1923 the film "Raskolnikov" was released by the German director Robert Wine.

After that, about 14 more screen versions were shot in different countries. From Russian works, the latest was the serial film "Crime and Punishment" in 2007 (directed by Dmitry Svetozarov).

A novel in popular culture

In the movies, Dostoevsky's novel often flashes in the hands of the heroes serving sentences: in the m / f "The incredible adventures of Wallace and Gromit: The haircut" at zero ", t / c" Wolf "," Desperate Housewives ", etc.

In the computer game "Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments" in one of the episodes, the book with the title of Dostoevsky's novel is clearly visible in Sherlock Holmes's hands, and in the game GTA IV "Crime and Punishment" is the name of one of the missions.

Raskolnikov's House in St. Petersburg

There is a suggestion that Dostoevsky Fyodor Mikhailovich placed his hero in a house that really exists in St. Petersburg. Researchers have drawn such conclusions, because Dostoevsky in the novel mentions: Raskolnikov's house is in the "S" lane, next to the "K-m" bridge. At the address Stolyarny pereulok-5 there really is a house that could well serve as a prototype for the novel. To date, this building is one of the most visited tourist points in St. Petersburg.