The image of Sonya in the novel “Crime and Punishment. Characteristics of Sonya Marmeladova - briefly Comparative characteristics of Sonya and Rodion

The novel "Crime and Punishment" was written by Dostoevsky after hard labor, when the writer's convictions took on a religious connotation. The search for truth, the denunciation of the unjust world order, the dream of the "happiness of mankind" in this period were combined in the character of the writer with disbelief in the violent alteration of the world. Convinced that evil cannot be avoided in any structure of society, that evil comes from the human soul, Dostoevsky rejected the revolutionary path of transforming society. Raising the question only of the moral improvement of each person, the writer turned to religion.

Rodion Raskolnikov and Sonya Marmeladova- the two main characters of the novel, appearing as two oncoming streams. Their worldview is the ideological part of the work. Sonya Marmeladova - the moral ideal of Dostoevsky. It brings with it the light of hope, faith, love and sympathy, tenderness and understanding. This is what a person should be like, according to the writer. Sonya personifies Dostoevsky's truth. For Sonya, all people have the same right to life. She firmly believes that no one can achieve happiness, both their own and someone else's, through crime. Sin remains sin, no matter who commits it and in the name of what.

Sonya Marmeladova and Rodion Raskolnikov exist in completely different worlds. They are like two opposite poles, but they cannot exist without each other. The idea of ​​rebellion is embodied in the image of Raskolnikov, the idea of ​​humility is embodied in the image of Sonya. But what is the content of both rebellion and humility is the topic of numerous disputes that do not stop at the present time.

Sonya is a highly moral, deeply religious woman. She believes in the deep inner meaning of life, she does not understand Raskolnikov's ideas about the meaninglessness of everything that exists. She sees the predestination of God in everything, believes that nothing depends on a person. Its truth is God, love, humility. The meaning of life for her lies in the great power of compassion and sympathy of man to man.

Raskolnikov, on the other hand, passionately and mercilessly judges the world with the mind of an ardent rebellious personality. He does not agree to put up with life's injustice, and hence his mental anguish and crime. Although Sonya, like Raskolnikov, steps over herself, she still steps over not like him. She sacrifices herself to others, and does not destroy, does not kill other people. And this embodied the author's thoughts that a person has no right to egoistic happiness, he must endure, and through suffering achieve true happiness.

According to Dostoevsky, a person should feel responsible not only for his own actions, but also for any evil that happens in the world. That is why Sonya feels that she is also to blame for Raskolnikov's crime, that is why she takes his act so close to her heart and shares his fate.

It is Sonya who reveals his terrible secret to Raskolnikov. Her love revived Rodion, resurrected him to a new life. This resurrection is expressed symbolically in the novel: Raskolnikov asks Sonya to read from the New Testament the gospel scene of the resurrection of Lazarus and correlates the meaning of what he read with himself. Touched by Sonya's sympathy, Rodion goes to her for the second time already as to a close friend, he himself confesses to her the murder, tries, confused in reasons, to explain to her why he did it, asks her not to leave him in misfortune and receives an order from her: to go to the square, kiss the earth and repent before all the people. Sonya's advice reflects the thought of the author himself, who seeks to bring his hero to suffering, and through suffering to redemption.

In the image of Sonya, the author embodied the best qualities of a person: sacrifice, faith, love and chastity. Being surrounded by vice, forced to sacrifice her dignity, Sonya was able to maintain the purity of her soul and the belief that "there is no happiness in comfort, happiness is bought by suffering, a person is not born for happiness: a person deserves his happiness, and always suffering." Sonya, who "transgressed" and ruined her soul, "a man of high spirit", of the same "rank" with Raskolnikov, condemns him for contempt for people and does not accept his "rebellion", his "axe", which, as it seemed to Raskolnikov, was raised and in her name. The heroine, according to Dostoevsky, embodies the folk principle, the Russian element: patience and humility, boundless love for man and God. The clash between Raskolnikov and Sonya, whose worldview is opposed to each other, reflects the internal contradictions that disturbed the writer's soul.

Sonya hopes for God, for a miracle. Raskolnikov is sure that there is no God and there will be no miracle. Rodion mercilessly reveals to Sonya the futility of her illusions. He tells Sonya about the futility of her compassion, about the futility of her sacrifices. It is not the shameful profession that makes Sonya a sinner, but the vainness of her sacrifice and her feat. Raskolnikov judges Sonya with other scales in his hands than the prevailing morality, he judges her from a different point of view than she herself.

Driven by life into the last and already completely hopeless corner, Sonya is trying to do something in the face of death. She, like Raskolnikov, operates according to the law of free choice. But, unlike Rodion, Sonya did not lose faith in people, she does not need examples to establish that people are by nature kind and deserve a brighter share. Only Sonya is able to sympathize with Raskolnikov, since she is not embarrassed by either physical ugliness or the ugliness of social fate. It penetrates "through the scab" into the essence of human souls, is in no hurry to condemn; feels that some unknown or incomprehensible reasons lurk behind external evil that led to the evil of Raskolnikov and Svidrigailov.

Sonya internally stands outside money, outside the laws of the world that torments her. Just as she herself, of her own free will, went to the panel, so, by her own firm and invincible will, she did not lay hands on herself.

Sonya was faced with the question of suicide - she thought it over and chose the answer. Suicide, in her position, would be too selfish a way out - it would save her from shame, from torment, it would rescue her from the stinking pit. “After all, it would be more fair,” exclaims Raskolnikov, “it would be a thousand times fairer and more reasonable to put your head in the water and do it all at once! - And what will happen to them? - Sonya asked weakly, looking at him with pain, but at the same time, as if not at all surprised at his proposal. Sonya's measure of will and determination was higher than Rodion could have imagined. She needed more stamina, more self-reliance, to keep herself from committing suicide than to throw herself headfirst into the water. It was not so much the thought of sin that kept her from the water, but "about them, her own." Sonya debauchery was worse than death. Humility does not involve suicide. And this shows us the strength of Sonya Marmeladova's character.

Sonya's nature can be defined in one word - loving. Active love for one's neighbor, the ability to respond to someone else's pain (especially deeply manifested in the scene of Raskolnikov's confession to the murder) make the image of Sonya "ideal". It is from the standpoint of this ideal that the verdict is pronounced in the novel. In the image of Sonya Marmeladova, the author presented an example of a comprehensive, all-forgiving love contained in the character of the heroine. This love is not envious, does not require anything in return, it is even kind of unspoken, because Sonya never talks about it. It overflows her whole being, but never comes out in the form of words, only in the form of deeds. This is silent love, and that makes it even more beautiful. Even the desperate Marmeladov bows before her, even the mad Katerina Ivanovna prostrates herself before her, even the eternal lecher Svidrigailov respects Sonya for this. Not to mention Raskolnikov, whom this love saved and healed.

The heroes of the novel remain true to their beliefs, despite the fact that their faith is different. But both of them understand that God is one for all, and he will show the true path to everyone who feels his closeness. The author of the novel, through moral searches and reflections, came to the idea that every person who comes to God begins to look at the world in a new way, rethinks it. Therefore, in the epilogue, when the moral resurrection of Raskolnikov takes place, Dostoevsky says that "a new history begins, the history of the gradual renewal of man, the history of his gradual rebirth, his gradual transition from one world to another, acquaintance with a new, hitherto completely unknown reality."

Having rightly condemned Raskolnikov's "rebellion", Dostoevsky leaves the victory not for the strong, intelligent and proud Raskolnikov, but for Sonya, seeing in her the highest truth: better is suffering than violence - suffering cleanses. Sonya professes moral ideals, which, from the point of view of the writer, are closest to the broad masses of the people: the ideals of humility, forgiveness, silent humility. In our time, most likely, Sonya would become an outcast. And not every Raskolnikov in our day will suffer and suffer. But the human conscience, the human soul has lived and will always live as long as "the world stands still." This is the great immortal meaning of the most complex novel created by a brilliant writer-psychologist.

Materials about the novel by F.M. Dostoevsky "Crime and Punishment".

The novel "Crime and Punishment" was written by Dostoevsky after hard labor, when the writer's convictions took on a religious connotation. The search for truth, the denunciation of the unjust world order, the dream of the "happiness of mankind" in this period were combined in the character of the writer with disbelief in the violent alteration of the world. Convinced that evil cannot be avoided in any structure of society, that evil comes from the human soul, Dostoevsky rejected the revolutionary path of transforming society. Raising the question only of the moral improvement of each person, the writer turned to religion.

Rodion Raskolnikov and Sonya Marmeladova- the two main characters of the novel, appearing as two oncoming streams. Their worldview is the ideological part of the work. Sonya Marmeladova - the moral ideal of Dostoevsky. It brings with it the light of hope, faith, love and sympathy, tenderness and understanding. This is what a person should be like, according to the writer. Sonya personifies Dostoevsky's truth. For Sonya, all people have the same right to life. She firmly believes that no one can achieve happiness, both their own and someone else's, through crime. Sin remains sin, no matter who commits it and in the name of what.

Sonya Marmeladova and Rodion Raskolnikov exist in completely different worlds. They are like two opposite poles, but they cannot exist without each other. The idea of ​​rebellion is embodied in the image of Raskolnikov, the idea of ​​humility is embodied in the image of Sonya. But what is the content of both rebellion and humility is the topic of numerous disputes that do not stop at the present time.

Sonya is a highly moral, deeply religious woman. She believes in the deep inner meaning of life, she does not understand Raskolnikov's ideas about the meaninglessness of everything that exists. She sees the predestination of God in everything, believes that nothing depends on a person. Its truth is God, love, humility. The meaning of life for her lies in the great power of compassion and sympathy of man to man.

Raskolnikov, on the other hand, passionately and mercilessly judges the world with the mind of an ardent rebellious personality. He does not agree to put up with life's injustice, and hence his mental anguish and crime. Although Sonya, like Raskolnikov, steps over herself, she still steps over not like him. She sacrifices herself to others, and does not destroy, does not kill other people. And this embodied the author's thoughts that a person has no right to egoistic happiness, he must endure, and through suffering achieve true happiness.

According to Dostoevsky, a person should feel responsible not only for his own actions, but also for any evil that happens in the world. That is why Sonya feels that she is also to blame for Raskolnikov's crime, that is why she takes his act so close to her heart and shares his fate.

It is Sonya who reveals his terrible secret to Raskolnikov. Her love revived Rodion, resurrected him to a new life. This resurrection is expressed symbolically in the novel: Raskolnikov asks Sonya to read from the New Testament the gospel scene of the resurrection of Lazarus and correlates the meaning of what he read with himself. Touched by Sonya's sympathy, Rodion goes to her for the second time already as to a close friend, he himself confesses to her the murder, tries, confused in reasons, to explain to her why he did it, asks her not to leave him in misfortune and receives an order from her: to go to the square, kiss the earth and repent before all the people. Sonya's advice reflects the thought of the author himself, who seeks to bring his hero to suffering, and through suffering to redemption.

In the image of Sonya, the author embodied the best qualities of a person: sacrifice, faith, love and chastity. Being surrounded by vice, forced to sacrifice her dignity, Sonya was able to maintain the purity of her soul and the belief that "there is no happiness in comfort, happiness is bought by suffering, a person is not born for happiness: a person deserves his happiness, and always suffering." Sonya, who "transgressed" and ruined her soul, "a man of high spirit", of the same "rank" with Raskolnikov, condemns him for contempt for people and does not accept his "rebellion", his "axe", which, as it seemed to Raskolnikov, was raised and in her name. The heroine, according to Dostoevsky, embodies the folk principle, the Russian element: patience and humility, boundless love for man and God. The clash between Raskolnikov and Sonya, whose worldview is opposed to each other, reflects the internal contradictions that disturbed the writer's soul.

Sonya hopes for God, for a miracle. Raskolnikov is sure that there is no God and there will be no miracle. Rodion mercilessly reveals to Sonya the futility of her illusions. He tells Sonya about the futility of her compassion, about the futility of her sacrifices. It is not the shameful profession that makes Sonya a sinner, but the vainness of her sacrifice and her feat. Raskolnikov judges Sonya with other scales in his hands than the prevailing morality, he judges her from a different point of view than she herself.

Driven by life into the last and already completely hopeless corner, Sonya is trying to do something in the face of death. She, like Raskolnikov, operates according to the law of free choice. But, unlike Rodion, Sonya did not lose faith in people, she does not need examples to establish that people are by nature kind and deserve a brighter share. Only Sonya is able to sympathize with Raskolnikov, since she is not embarrassed by either physical ugliness or the ugliness of social fate. It penetrates "through the scab" into the essence of human souls, is in no hurry to condemn; feels that some unknown or incomprehensible reasons lurk behind external evil that led to the evil of Raskolnikov and Svidrigailov.

Sonya internally stands outside money, outside the laws of the world that torments her. Just as she herself, of her own free will, went to the panel, so, by her own firm and invincible will, she did not lay hands on herself.

Sonya was faced with the question of suicide - she thought it over and chose the answer. Suicide, in her position, would be too selfish a way out - it would save her from shame, from torment, it would rescue her from the stinking pit. “After all, it would be more fair,” exclaims Raskolnikov, “it would be a thousand times fairer and more reasonable to put your head in the water and do it all at once! - And what will happen to them? - Sonya asked weakly, looking at him with pain, but at the same time, as if not at all surprised at his proposal. Sonya's measure of will and determination was higher than Rodion could have imagined. She needed more stamina, more self-reliance, to keep herself from committing suicide than to throw herself headfirst into the water. It was not so much the thought of sin that kept her from the water, but "about them, her own." Sonya debauchery was worse than death. Humility does not involve suicide. And this shows us the strength of Sonya Marmeladova's character.

Sonya's nature can be defined in one word - loving. Active love for one's neighbor, the ability to respond to someone else's pain (especially deeply manifested in the scene of Raskolnikov's confession to the murder) make the image of Sonya "ideal". It is from the standpoint of this ideal that the verdict is pronounced in the novel. In the image of Sonya Marmeladova, the author presented an example of a comprehensive, all-forgiving love contained in the character of the heroine. This love is not envious, does not require anything in return, it is even kind of unspoken, because Sonya never talks about it. It overflows her whole being, but never comes out in the form of words, only in the form of deeds. This is silent love, and that makes it even more beautiful. Even the desperate Marmeladov bows before her, even the mad Katerina Ivanovna prostrates herself before her, even the eternal lecher Svidrigailov respects Sonya for this. Not to mention Raskolnikov, whom this love saved and healed.

The heroes of the novel remain true to their beliefs, despite the fact that their faith is different. But both of them understand that God is one for all, and he will show the true path to everyone who feels his closeness. The author of the novel, through moral searches and reflections, came to the idea that every person who comes to God begins to look at the world in a new way, rethinks it. Therefore, in the epilogue, when the moral resurrection of Raskolnikov takes place, Dostoevsky says that "a new history begins, the history of the gradual renewal of man, the history of his gradual rebirth, his gradual transition from one world to another, acquaintance with a new, hitherto completely unknown reality."

Having rightly condemned Raskolnikov's "rebellion", Dostoevsky leaves the victory not for the strong, intelligent and proud Raskolnikov, but for Sonya, seeing in her the highest truth: better is suffering than violence - suffering cleanses. Sonya professes moral ideals, which, from the point of view of the writer, are closest to the broad masses of the people: the ideals of humility, forgiveness, silent humility. In our time, most likely, Sonya would become an outcast. And not every Raskolnikov in our day will suffer and suffer. But the human conscience, the human soul has lived and will always live as long as "the world stands still." This is the great immortal meaning of the most complex novel created by a brilliant writer-psychologist.

Materials about the novel by F.M. Dostoevsky "Crime and Punishment".

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 Dostoevsky's novel Crime and Punishment. By her example, we learn the best human qualities: kindness, mercy, self-sacrifice. It teaches us to love devotedly and to believe in God selflessly.

Acquaintance with the heroine

The author does not introduce us to Sonechka Marmeladova right away. She appears on the pages of the novel when a terrible crime has already been committed, two people died, and Rodion Raskolnikov ruined his soul. It seems that nothing in his life can be corrected. However, acquaintance with a modest girl changed the fate of the hero and revived him to life.

For the first time we hear about Sonya from the story of the unfortunate drunken Marmeladov. In confession, he talks about his unfortunate fate, about a starving family, and pronounces the name of his eldest daughter with gratitude.

Sonya is an orphan, the only native daughter of Marmeladov. Until recently, she lived with her family. Her stepmother Katerina Ivanovna, a sick, unfortunate woman, was exhausted so that the children would not die of starvation, Marmeladov himself drank the last money, the family was in dire need. Out of desperation, a sick woman often got irritated over trifles, made scandals, reproached her stepdaughter with a piece of bread. The conscientious Sonya decided on a desperate step. In order to somehow help the family, she began to engage in prostitution, sacrificing herself for the sake of her relatives. 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

The description of the girl's appearance appears on the pages of the novel much later. She, like a silent ghost, appears on the threshold of her native home during the death of her father, crushed by a drunk cab driver. Timid by nature, she did not dare to enter the room, feeling vicious and unworthy. A ridiculous, cheap, but bright outfit indicated her occupation. "Meek" eyes, "pale, thin and irregular angular face" and the whole appearance betrayed a meek, timid nature, which had reached the extreme degree of humiliation. "Sonya was small, seventeen years old, thin, but rather pretty blonde, with wonderful blue eyes." This is how she appeared before the eyes of Raskolnikov, this is the first time the reader sees her.

Character traits of Sofia Semyonovna Marmeladova

A person's appearance is often deceiving. The image of Sonya in Crime and Punishment is full of inexplicable contradictions. A meek, weak girl considers herself a great sinner, unworthy of being in the same room with decent women. She is embarrassed to sit down next to Raskolnikov's mother, she cannot shake hands with his sister, fearing to offend 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 not able to stand up for herself.

A complete characterization of Sonya Marmeladova in the novel "Crime and Punishment" consists of an analysis of her actions. Physical weakness and indecision are combined in it with great mental strength. Love is at the core of her being. For the love of her father, she gives him the last money for a hangover. For the love of children, he sells his body and soul. For the sake of love for Raskolnikov, he 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 a crippled life, she does not dare to condemn her father for weakness of character and eternal drunkenness. She is able to forgive and feel sorry for Raskolnikov for the murder of Lizaveta, who is 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 the people around you in this way, you must be a very strong and whole person.

Where does a weak, fragile, humiliated girl get such patience, endurance and inexhaustible love for people? Faith in God helps Sonya Marmeladova to stand on her own 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 first confess to the murder, 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 the novel cannot be imagined without the image of Sonya Marmeladova. The attitude, beliefs, actions of Sonya reflect the life position of the author. A fallen woman is pure and innocent. She fully atones for her sin with a comprehensive love for people. She is “humiliated and insulted” not a “trembling creature” according to Raskolnikov’s theory, but a respectable person 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.

Moral principles, faith, Sonya's love turned out to be stronger than Raskolnikov's egoistic theory. After all, only by accepting the beliefs of his girlfriend, the hero acquires the right to happiness. The beloved heroine of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky is the embodiment of his innermost thoughts and ideals of the Christian religion.

Artwork test

An impoverished and degraded student, Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, is the central character in Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky's landmark novel Crime and Punishment. The image of Sonya Marmeladova is necessary for the author to create a moral counterweight to Raskolnikov's theory. Young heroes are in a critical life situation, when it is necessary to make a decision how to live on.

From the very beginning of the story, Raskolnikov behaves strangely: he is suspicious and anxious. The reader penetrates into the sinister plan of Rodion Romanovich gradually. It turns out that Raskolnikov is a "monoman", that is, a man obsessed with a single idea. His thoughts boil down to one thing: by all means, he must test in practice his theory of dividing people into two "categories" - into "higher" and "trembling creatures." Raskolnikov describes this theory in a newspaper article "On Crime". According to the article, the “higher ones” are given the right to transcend moral laws and, in the name of a great goal, sacrifice any number of “trembling creatures”. Raskolnikov considers the latter only material for reproducing his own kind. It is these "ordinary" people who, according to Rodion Romanovich, need biblical commandments and morality. The "higher ones" are the "new legislators" for the gray masses. For Raskolnikov, the main example of such a "legislator" is Napoleon Bonaparte. Rodion Romanovich himself is forced to begin his path of the "higher" with deeds of a completely different scale.

We first learn about Sonya and her life circumstances from the story addressed to Raskolnikov by the former titular adviser Marmeladov - her father. The alcoholic Semyon Zakharovich Marmeladov vegetates with his wife Katerina Ivanovna and three small children - his wife and children are starving, Marmeladov drinks. Sonya - his daughter from his first marriage - lives in a rented apartment "on a yellow ticket." Marmeladov explains to Raskolnikov that she decided to make such an income, unable to withstand the constant reproaches of her consumptive stepmother, who called Sonya a parasite who "eats and drinks and uses heat." In fact, this is a meek and unrequited girl. With all her might, she tries to help the seriously ill Katerina Ivanovna, the starving half-sisters and brother, and even her unlucky father. Marmeladov tells how he found and lost a job, drank away a new uniform bought with his daughter's money, after which he went to ask her "for a hangover." Sonya didn’t reproach him for anything: “I took out thirty kopecks, with my own hands, the last, I saw everything that happened ... She didn’t say anything, she just looked at me silently.”

Raskolnikov and Sonya are on the same disastrous standard of living. The “future Napoleon” lives in the attic in a miserable closet, which the author describes in the following words: “It was a tiny cell, about six paces long, which had the most miserable appearance with its yellowish, dusty wallpaper everywhere lagging behind the walls, and so low that a slightly tall man felt terrified in it, and it seemed that you were about to hit your head on the ceiling. Rodion Romanovich has reached the extreme line of poverty, but in this position he seems to have a strange grandeur: “It was difficult to lower yourself and get sloppy; but Raskolnikov was even pleased in his present state of mind.

Rodion Romanovich considers murder to be a simple way out of a difficult financial situation. However, in this decision to turn into a bloody criminal, the main role is played by no means by money, but by Raskolnikov's crazy idea. First of all, he seeks to test his theory and make sure that he is not a "trembling creature." To do this, you need to "step over" the corpse and reject universal moral laws.

The evil old pawnbroker Alena Ivanovna was chosen as the victim of this moral experiment. Raskolnikov considers her a “louse”, which, according to his theory, he can crush without any pity. But, having cut Alena Ivanovna and her half-sister Lizaveta to death, Rodion Romanovich suddenly discovers that he can no longer communicate normally with people. It begins to seem to him that everyone around knows about his act and subtly mock him. In the novel, with subtle psychologism, it is shown how, under the influence of this erroneous belief, Raskolnikov begins to play along with his "accusers". For example, he deliberately starts a conversation about the murder of an old pawnbroker with Zametov, the clerk of the police office.

At the same time, Raskolnikov is still able from time to time to be distracted from his rich inner life and pay attention to what is happening around him. So, he becomes a witness to an accident with Semyon Marmeladov - a drunken official falls under a horse. In the scene of the confession of Marmeladov, crushed and living out his last minutes, the author gives the first description of Sofya Semyonovna: "Sonya was small, about eighteen years old, thin, but rather pretty blonde, with wonderful blue eyes." Upon learning of the incident, she resorts to her father in her “work clothes”: “her outfit was cheap, but decorated in a street style, according to the taste and rules that have developed in her special world, with a bright and shamefully outstanding goal.” Marmeladov dies in her arms. But even after that, Sonya sends her younger sister Polenka to catch up with Raskolnikov, who donated his last money for the funeral, in order to find out his name and address. Later, she visits the "benefactor" and invites him to her father's wake.

This peaceful event is not complete without a scandal: Sonya is unfairly accused of stealing. Despite the successful outcome of the case, Katerina Ivanovna and her children are deprived of their homes - they are expelled from a rented apartment. Now all four are doomed to an early death. Realizing this, Raskolnikov invites Sonya to say what she would do if she had the power to take the life of Luzhin, who slandered her, in advance. But Sofya Semyonovna does not want to answer this question - she chooses obedience to fate: “But I can’t know God’s providence ... And why do you ask, what you can’t ask? Why such empty questions? How can it happen that it depends on my decision? And who put me here as a judge: who will live, who will not live? material from the site

Despite his alien beliefs, Raskolnikov feels a kindred spirit in Sonya, because they are both outcasts. He seeks her sympathy, because he understands that his theory was untenable. Now Rodion Romanovich indulges in the perverted pleasure of self-abasement. However, unlike the ideological killer, Sonya is “a daughter, like an evil and consumptive stepmother, betrayed herself to strangers and minors.” She has a clear moral guideline - the biblical wisdom of purifying suffering. When Raskolnikov tells Marmeladova about his crime, she pities him and, pointing to the biblical parable of the resurrection of Lazarus, convinces him to repent of his deed. Sonya intends to share with Raskolnikov the vicissitudes of hard labor: she considers herself guilty of violating the biblical commandments and agrees to “suffer” in order to be cleansed.

An important feature for characterizing both characters: the convicts who served their sentences with Raskolnikov feel a burning hatred for him and at the same time love Sonya visiting him very much. Rodion Romanovich is told that "walking with an ax" is not a master's business; they call him an atheist and they even want to kill him. Sonya, following her once and for all established concepts, does not look down on anyone, she treats all people with respect - and the convicts reciprocate her.

A logical conclusion from the relationship of this pair of central characters of the novel: without Sonya's life ideals, Raskolnikov's path could only end in suicide. Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky offers the reader not only the crime and punishment embodied in the protagonist. Sonya's life leads to repentance and purification. Thanks to this “continuation of the path”, the writer managed to create a coherent, logically complete system of images. Looking at what is happening from two significantly different points of view gives the action additional volume and persuasiveness. The great Russian writer managed not only to breathe life into his heroes, but also to lead them to the successful resolution of the most difficult conflicts. This artistic completeness puts the novel "Crime and Punishment" on a par with the greatest novels of world literature.

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• Raskolnikov and Sophia
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• what Sonya said to Raskolnikov about the crime

After the murder he committed, the main female character of Crime and Punishment, Sonya Marmeladova, played.

Daughter poor official, she, in order to save her stepmother and children from hunger, leads the life of a fallen woman. Conscious of the horror of her position, her shame, timid, driven, this girl kept her soul pure and was distinguished by exceptional love for people and fiery religiosity. Resignedly, silently, without complaining, Sonya carries her cross, sacrificing her whole life, being subjected to a heavy shame for the sake of loved ones.

Sonya Marmeladova. The image of gospel love

This resigned suffering surprises Raskolnikov, he understands the soul of this girl, and she is for him, as it were, the personification of all human suffering. Shaken by everything he has experienced in recent days, he bows at her feet in some enthusiastic impulse. “I bowed not to you,” he says, “I bowed to all human suffering.”

But Sonya's inner world is completely different than Raskolnikov's; she categorically denies his theory of the right of the strong; for her every human life is valuable in itself, to which she has a religious attitude, and she cannot allow the life of one person to serve as a means for another. She professes the law of Christ's love, pities Raskolnikov, for the criminal for her, as well as for the common people, is unfortunate. She weeps over him and sends him to accept suffering and atone for sin, for this is required by the higher laws of spiritual life.

“Go now, this very minute,” she tells him, “stand at the crossroads, bow down, first kiss the earth that you defiled, and then bow to the whole world, on all four sides, and tell everyone out loud: I killed! Then God will send you life again.”

However, despite all the attempts and mental struggle, Raskolnikov cannot understand her attitude to the crime and even leaves for hard labor, unreconciled and not feeling remorse. The isolation and pride of Raskolnikov cause a hostile attitude towards him among the convicts, while they are imbued with love for Sonya, feeling her spiritual attitude towards people, and call her: “you are our tender, sick mother.”

But the influence of Sonya still won over the soul of Raskolnikov, who survived a complete life change, which is only hinted at in the epilogue of the novel. “Here begins a new story,” says Dostoevsky, “the story of the gradual renewal of man, the story of his gradual rebirth - a gradual transition from one world to another, acquaintance with a new, hitherto completely unknown reality.”