The literature is full of examples of both generous and vengeful heroes. With some, we, as readers, can take an example, while others are clear illustrations of how you do not need to. Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment” also contains such opposing characters, capable of atrocities and revenge, or of kindness and generosity.

1. (Revenge is useless and leads to bad consequences) The crime of Raskolnikov can be called a kind of revenge. He is tormented by social injustice, that the extremely repulsive old woman-interest-bearing woman, with all her wealth, is unusually greedy, and poor people live in poverty. Thinking and analyzing the theory of “trembling creatures and those who have the right,” the hero nevertheless decides to challenge the current situation. However, his means to achieve the goal are robbery and murder, therefore, he didn’t get out of his so-called revenge - the hero only conscientiously experienced what he had done, not knowing how not to go crazy. Most often, revenge implies cruelty, so even to achieve a fair result, you should not resort to atrocities: the taste of a well-deserved victory will not be so sweet, but rather, only spoiled by the bitter taste of revenge.
2. (The power of generosity and its role in human relations) Thanks to the positive qualities of other characters, Dostoevsky’s novel is painted in bright colors. Sonechka Marmeladova, learning about the act of Rodion Raskolnikov, did not back down from the hero. On the contrary, the girl sincerely wanted to save the soul of the poor young man, so she advised him to repent of the crime. Sonya even reads the legend to Raskolnikov about the resurrection of Lazarus with the hope of a revival of a new life. Realizing that Raskolnikov regrets the murder, she sympathizes with him, not leaving without support. The immense love for people and the responsiveness of Sonya could pull Rodion out of the terrible abyss. Thus, the author emphasizes the power of generosity, which can save the human soul.
3. (Part of the generous people are victims of rigidity, this quality does not bring happiness) Unfortunately, even kind and compassionate people can face unjust revenge and cruelty. Often they become innocent victims of the situation, as happened with Sonya Marmeladova. At her father’s commemoration, Luzhin, the failed bridegroom of Duni Raskolnikova, put a hundred rubles in the girl’s pocket in order to later accuse her of theft. Specifically, against Sonya, Luzhin had nothing: thus, he only wanted to take revenge on Raskolnikov for having driven him out of the apartment. Knowing that Rodion is wonderful towards Sonya, Luzhin took advantage of the situation, but Lebezyatnikov saved Marmeladov’s daughter from slander. The hero's revenge was not crowned with success, everyone was only convinced of his immorality.
4. You can fight for justice without revenge. The investigator Porfiry Petrovich is very talented in his case, and he guessed about the crime of Raskolnikov long before his confession. Not having evidence against the main character, he tried psychologically to bring Rodion to clean water. After reading Raskolnikov’s article, his fainting, and indignation that the investigator plays with him instead of acting in form, Porfiry Petrovich only becomes convinced of his intuition: “You can’t give yourself away anymore.” However, Porfiry did not push Raskolnikov to confession in order to facilitate his work, or somehow rather avenge the offender with real punishment. On the contrary, he did this out of profound generosity and compassion, because confession can mitigate the hero's punishment. Porfiry Petrovich is a person for whom justice is not an empty phrase, however, in his work, he sympathetically shows generosity to the suffering Raskolnikov.
5. (The price of generosity, an example of a magnanimous person) Manifestation of generosity is not an easy task, sometimes you have to give up what you want and make concessions. The Raskolnikov family did not live very well, and in order to get out of adversity, Rodion's sister Dunya was going to marry the calculating businessman Luzhin. Raskolnikov understood that his sister did this not out of love, but out of a desire to help their mother and Rodion himself. Not reconciling with this situation, the protagonist insists on terminating the engagement: he understood that in the interests of Luzhin he would reproach Dunya and command his future wife, because he saved her from poverty. Dunya was ready to do this, which indicates her concern and desire to help her family. But, fortunately, Rodion here is also not stingy with generosity, and does not allow his sister to ruin her life. To be generous is not so easy, for this you need to be prepared for self-sacrifice. In addition, it is equally important that people for whom a person makes concessions appreciate this.
6. (Can revenge be fair? Revenge of fate) Svidrigailov is the embodiment of Raskolnikov's theory. At first glance, he was not disturbed by the pangs of conscience, and yet he was guilty of more than one death. But, if judicial punishment did not overtake the hero, this does not mean that Svidrigailov was not avenged by fate. Arkady Ivanovich himself admits to Raskolnikov that ghosts come to him, which means that the character feels his own guilt. Revenge can be fair and committed not by man, but by rock, which is exactly what Svidrigailov expected. For all the deed the hero was avenged by an unfortunate fate - he was left without support, as a result of which he could not stand it and committed suicide.
7. Generosity of friends can help anyone out in difficult times. Having committed the long-awaited crime, Raskolnikov can no longer behave, as usual, although he is trying to avert any suspicions from himself. The murder of the old woman-interest-killer did not save him from poverty, because the hero, in the throes of conscience and fear, got rid of everything stolen. Rodion Razumikhin repeatedly comes to the rescue of Rodion, noticing that something strange is happening with a friend. The comrade is not limited to material assistance. When Raskolnikov realizes that he is ashamed to be with his mother and sister, he asks Razumikhin to be with them and support his family. Rodion could completely rely on his friend, and he generously supported Raskolnikov as he could.

Watch the video: Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Part 6, Chapters 34 (November 2024).