Sofya Semyonovna Marmeladova (Sonya) is a character in Dostoevsky’s novel Crime and Punishment. For the first time we meet her in absentia, during a conversation between the girl’s father and Raskolnikov.
The action takes place in a tavern. Then, a few days later, Rodion meets her drunk. Not knowing that this is Sonya, he already wants to help her. What kind of spiritual appearance can we talk about? As in other works of the author, not everything is so simple. Her life is confused and full of tragedy. But, before moving on to the topic of Sonya Marmeladova’s spiritual feat, it is worth paying attention to her family.
Family of Sonya Marmeladova
Sonya was left without a mother early. Perhaps this played a role main role in her destiny. At the time of their acquaintance, she lives with her father (Semyon Zakharovich), stepmother (Katerina Ivanovna) and her three children left over from her first marriage.
Father of Sonya Marmeladova
Sonya's father, Semyon Zakharovich Marmeladov, was once a respected man, a titular adviser. Now he is an ordinary alcoholic who is unable to provide for his family. The Marmeladovs are on the verge. From day to day they risk being left not only without a piece of bread, but also without a roof over their heads. The landlady of the room the family rents continually threatens to throw them out onto the street. Sonya feels responsible for her father, because he took out all the valuables, even his wife’s clothes. Unable to watch what is happening, she decides to take care of the family herself. And he chooses not the most worthy profession for this. But the word “chooses” does not quite fit this situation. Did she have a choice? Most likely no! This is what spirituality is all about. feat of Sonya Marmeladova. Having a merciful character, she takes pity on her father. In my own way. Not realizing that he is the cause of all her troubles, she gives him money for vodka.
Stepmother Katerina Ivanovna
Sonya's stepmother is only 30 years old. What made her marry fifty-year-old Marmeladov? Nothing more than a miserable situation. Marmeladov himself admits that he is not a match for such a proud and educated woman. He found her in such distress that he simply could not help but feel sorry for her. Being an officer's daughter, she also did spiritual feat, agreeing to marry Marmeladov in the name of saving their children. Her relatives abandoned her and did not provide any help. described in the best possible way the life of the poorest segments of the Russian population of those times: what difficulties they faced, what they had to endure, etc. Katerina Ivanovna – a woman with higher education. She has extreme intelligence and a lively character. There are traces of pride in her. It was she who pushed Sonya to become a girl of easy virtue. But Dostoevsky finds justification for this too. Like any other mother, she is unable to bear the cries of her hungry children. One phrase spoken in the heat of the moment becomes fatal in the fate of her stepdaughter. Katerina Ivanovna herself could not even think that Sonya would take her words seriously. But when the girl returned home with the money and lay down on the bed, covering herself with a scarf, Katerina Ivanovna kneels in front of her and kisses her feet. She cries bitterly, asking forgiveness for her stepdaughter's fall. Of course, the reader may wonder: why didn’t she take this path herself? Not so simple. Katerina Ivanovna is sick with tuberculosis. Consumption, as they called him at that time. Every day she gets worse and worse. But she continues to carry out her duties around the house - cooking, cleaning and washing all members of her family. At that time, her stepdaughter was 18 years old. Katerina Ivanovna understood the sacrifice she had to make for the sake of people completely strangers to her. Can this act be called a spiritual feat of Sonya Marmeladova? Of course yes. The stepmother did not allow anyone to speak badly about her; she appreciated her help.
Children of Katerina Ivanovna
As for Katerina Ivanovna’s children, there were three of them. The first is Polya, 10 years old, the second is Kolya, 7 years old, and the third is Lida, 6 years old. Katerina Ivanovna – a woman with difficult character. She is lively and emotional. Sonya has suffered from her more than once, but she continues to respect her. Sonya perceives Katerina Ivanovna’s children not as step-brothers, but as her own, blood-related brothers and sisters. They love her no less. And this can also be called the spiritual feat of Sonya Marmeladova. Katerina Ivanovna treats everyone with great severity. She cannot stand crying, even if the children cry from hunger. In a conversation with Raskolnikov, Marmeladov mentions that they, poor children, also suffer greatly from their mother. Raskolnikov himself becomes convinced of this when he accidentally ends up in their house. A frightened girl stands in the corner a little boy crying his eyes out as if he had just been severely beaten, and the third child is sleeping right on the floor.
Sonya Marmeladova has a cute appearance. She is thin, blonde-haired and blue-eyed. Raskolnikov finds her completely transparent. Sonya wore two types of clothes. For an unworthy profession, she always wore her indecent dress. However, these were the same rags. It was a multi-colored dress with a long and ridiculous tail. A huge crinoline blocked the entire passage. The straw hat was decorated with a brightly fiery feather. There were light-colored shoes on his feet. It's hard to imagine a more ridiculous image. She was humiliated and broken and ashamed of her appearance. IN ordinary life Sonya dressed modestly, in clothes that did not attract attention to herself.
Sonya Marmeladova's room
In order to evaluate spiritual feat Sonya Marmeladova, it’s worth checking out her room. Room... This word is too majestic for the room in which she lived. It was a barn, a wretched barn with crooked walls. Three windows overlooked the ditch. There was almost no furniture in it. The few interior items include a bed, a chair and a table covered with a blue tablecloth. Two wicker chairs, a simple chest of drawers... That's all there was in the room. The yellowed wallpaper indicated that in winter the room became damp and uncomfortable. The author emphasizes that the beds did not even have curtains. Sonya was forced to move here after she took an unrighteous path. It was indecent to live with the family, since everyone shamed them for it and demanded that the owner of the house immediately evict the Marmeladovs.
What unites Sonya Marmeladova and Raskolnikov
Rodion Raskolnikov and Sonya Marmeladova are the two main characters of the work “Crime and Punishment”. They have one thing in common - violation of God's laws. These are two kindred spirits. She cannot leave him alone and goes to hard labor after him. This is another spiritual feat of Sonya Marmeladova. Raskolnikov himself involuntarily associates Sonya with his sister, who decides to marry an elderly gentleman in the name of saving her brother. Throughout the work, women's readiness to sacrifice themselves can be traced. At the same time, the author tries to emphasize the spiritual failure of men. One is a drunkard, the other is a criminal, the third is overly greedy.
What exactly is the spiritual feat of Sonya Marmeladova?
Compared to the other characters in Dostoevsky's work, Sonya is the embodiment of self-sacrifice. Raskolnikov, in the name of justice, does not notice anything happening around him. Luzhin is trying to embody the idea of capitalist predation.
Why did Sonya Marmeladova decide on a spiritual feat and engage in prostitution? There are many answers. First of all, in order to save Katerina Ivanovna’s children dying of hunger. Just think about it! What a sense of responsibility a person must have towards complete strangers in order to decide on such a thing! The second is a feeling of guilt for one’s own father. Could she have done things differently? Hardly. Throughout history, no one has heard words of condemnation from her. She never asks for more. Every day, watching how children suffer from hunger, seeing that they do not have the most necessary clothes, Sonya understands that this is a common dead end.
Spiritual feat Marmeladova's dream lies in her willingness to sacrifice herself. Her image and moral considerations are close to the people, so the author does not condemn her in the eyes of the reader, but tries to evoke sympathy and compassion. She is endowed with such traits as humility and forgiveness. But it is the main character who saves the soul of that same Raskolnikov and those who were in hard labor with him.
Sonya Marmeladova is a wonderful combination of Faith, Hope and Love. She does not condemn anyone for their sins and does not call on them to atone for them. This is the brightest image! The spiritual feat of Sonya Marmeladova lies in the fact that she managed to preserve pure soul. Despite the prosperity of shame, meanness, deception and malice.
She deserves the highest human assessment. He himself calls the couple Sonya and Raskolnikov nothing other than a harlot and a murderer. After all, this is exactly what they look like in the eyes of rich people. He awakens them to new life. They are resurrected by eternal love.
© Vsevolod Sakharov. All rights reserved.
Immortal image
Some heroes 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, the only one own daughter Marmeladova. 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 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. 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 the weak and fragile come from? humiliated girl 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 life position author. 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
After the murder he committed, the main female heroine“Crimes and Punishments” Sonya Marmeladova.
Daughter poor official, in order to save her stepmother and children from hunger, she leads the life of a fallen woman. Conscious of the horror of her situation, her shame, timid, driven, this girl kept her soul pure and was distinguished by her exceptional love for people and ardent religiosity. Resignedly, silently, without complaining, Sonya bears her cross, sacrificing her entire life, exposing herself to grave shame for the sake of her loved ones.
Sonya Marmeladova. Image of Gospel Love
This resigned suffering surprises Raskolnikov, he understands the soul of this girl, and for him she is, as it were, the personification of everything. human suffering. Shocked by everything experienced in last days, in some kind of enthusiastic impulse he bows at her feet. “I didn’t bow to you,” he says, “I bowed to all human suffering.”
But inner world Sonya is completely different from Raskolnikov’s; she categorically denies his theory of the rule of the strong; for her, everyone is valuable in itself human life, to which she has a religious attitude, and she cannot allow one person’s life to serve as a means for another. She professes the law of Christ's love, pities Raskolnikov, for he is a criminal for her, as well as for common people, - unhappy. She cries over him and sends him to accept suffering and atone for sin, for this is required by the highest laws of spiritual life.
“Go now, this very minute,” she tells him, “stand at the crossroads, bow, kiss first the ground that you have desecrated, and then bow to the whole world, in all four directions, and tell everyone, out loud: I killed! Then God will send you life again.”
However, despite all attempts and mental struggle, Raskolnikov cannot understand her attitude towards the crime and even leaves for hard labor, unreconciled and not feeling remorse. Raskolnikov’s isolation and pride cause the convicts to have a hostile attitude towards him, while they are imbued with love for Sonya, feeling her emotional attitude towards people, and call her: “you are our tender, sick mother.”
But Sonya’s influence still triumphed over the soul of Raskolnikov, who experienced a complete turning point in life, which is only hinted at in the epilogue of the novel. "Here it begins new story“,” says Dostoevsky, “the history of the gradual renewal of man, the history of his gradual rebirth – a gradual transition from one world to another, acquaintance with a new, hitherto completely unknown reality.”
Fyodor Dostoevsky is rightfully considered an unsurpassed expert human soul. This writer, more than anyone, realized that each person is a separate world of passions, beliefs and hopes. Therefore, his characters make up the palette of the most vivid and diverse images of not only Russian, but world literature. One of them is Sonya Marmeladova. Characteristics and analysis of the heroine of the greatest psychological novel this article is dedicated to.
Unique female image
The Marmeladov family occupies a special place in Dostoevsky’s novel. Each of its members experiences their own tragedy. The theme of “humiliated and insulted” is also explored in this work, but the image main character incomparable in terms of the intensity of suffering with any other, even in the work of the great Russian writer. And therefore it is unique in literature.
Life story
Who is Sonya Marmeladova? Its characteristics boil down to the following qualities: sincerity, mercy, kindness. The strength of each of them is extraordinary. And only the owner of the best human qualities is able to survive the tragedy that befell her, and at the same time not harden her soul or lose her moral foundation.
The main character of the novel one day meets a drunken, degenerate man in a tavern, whose stories cause laughter among those around him. Sonya Marmeladova is the daughter of this man. The life story of these people amazes Raskolnikov. And having met the girl, the idealistic student is no longer able to stay away from the misfortune that has affected this family. Poverty is not a vice, but poverty is a different matter. It humiliates a person and forces him to commit a crime against morality. This is the tragedy of Marmeladov. His daughter went to work in order to feed the family. At that time he was “lying drunk” somewhere. And from now on he began to drink even more fiercely, almost to the point of madness, infuriating his sick and tormented wife and causing pain to his daughter’s already suffering heart. But the girl has an unusually loving and open soul. Otherwise, it is impossible to survive the torment that Sonya Marmeladova experiences.
Characteristic
Fallen women are despised in society. Sonya Marmeladova did not escape this fate. The fact that prostitution became the only thing for her possible way feeding the father, stepmother and their small children is of no interest to anyone. And few people are able to comprehend the depth of someone else’s suffering. To do this, you need to have either the detached idealism of Raskolnikov, or loving heart father. The main character's sister also develops sympathy for Sonya. However, such unsightly personalities as Luzhin and Lebezyatnikov are only capable of condemnation. And it should be said that these characters are collective images. There are plenty of such personalities at all times. But both of them, as well as Sonya Marmeladova herself, understand that she committed the greatest sin, transgressed the law of morality. And wash away your traces terrible vice It won't be easy for her.
Raskolnikov
The image of Sonya Marmeladova is surprising in that, despite her grief and the contempt of those around her, she is capable of true love. It's about not about that earthly feeling, which is more reminiscent of selfish passion, but about another, true, Christian one. The girl has not lost her ability to sympathize. Perhaps the fact is that she was at the bottom social society not for long? Or is it that nothing can kill noble spiritual qualities? The author points to another reason.
That evening, when Raskolnikov confesses to Sonya about his crime, she decides to share his fate. But first he must repent and come to the investigator with a confession. And before leaving, Rodion Romanovich receives from the girl a cross that once belonged to Lizaveta. The same one whose life ended up on the conscience of an ambitious student by accident, whose murder shattered the already untenable idea of “those with the right.” And from this act we can conclude that Sonya’s faith gave her the strength to survive and not lose herself. Only the Christian idea is capable of saving humanity. She alone has the right to exist.
In the epilogue
At the end of the work, the role that Sonya Marmeladova played in Raskolnikov’s fate becomes finally clear. “Crime and Punishment” is a novel that does not end with the protagonist’s confession of a crime committed. After all, this is still not a detective story, but a work that has the deepest idea, relevant at all times.
Raskolnikov confesses everything. But even in hard labor for a long time He only blames himself for not being able to carry out his grandiose plans. Sonya accompanies him. She evokes sympathy among the prisoners, while the strange student only attracts hostility. His soul is filled with suffering over his own failed destiny. Hers - love for him. And the day comes when Raskolnikov realizes his guilt and fully understands the meaning of those words that she once told him. There are still seven long years before liberation. But from the day of Raskolnikov’s repentance, a new story begins - “the gradual renewal of man.”
Sonechka Marmeladova is a character in the novel “Crime and Punishment” by Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky. The book was written after hard labor. Therefore, it clearly shows a religious connotation of the author’s beliefs. He seeks the truth, exposes the injustice of the world, dreams of the happiness of humanity, but at the same time does not believe that the world can be remade by force. Dostoevsky is convinced that evil cannot be avoided under any circumstances. social order as long as there is evil in the souls of people. Fyodor Mikhailovich rejected the revolution as a transformer of society; he turned towards religion, trying to solve exclusively the issue of improving the morality of each individual person. It is these ideas that the heroine Sonechka Marmeladova reflects in the novel.
Characteristics of the hero
The two main characters of the novel - Sonya Marmeladova and Rodion Raskolnikov - move through the plot like countercurrents. The ideological part of the work is presented to the reader through their worldview. Through Sonechka, Dostoevsky showed his moral ideal, which brings faith and love, hope and understanding, and warmth. According to the author, this is exactly how all people should be. Through Sonya, Fyodor Mikhailovich says that everyone, regardless of their position in society, has the right to live and be happy. The heroine is convinced that it is impossible to achieve happiness, both one’s own and that of others, through criminal means, and sin in any case remains a sin, in the name of whom or whatever it was committed.
If the image of Raskolnikov is rebellion, then Sonechka Marmeladova in the novel “Crime and Punishment” personifies humility. They are two opposite poles that cannot exist one without the other. However, literary scholars are still arguing about the deep meaning of this rebellion and humility.
Inner world
Sonechka Marmeladova deeply believes in God and has high moral qualities. She sees in life deepest meaning and does not understand his antagonist’s ideas about the meaninglessness of existence, believing that behind every event there is a predestination from God. Sonya is sure that a person cannot influence anything, and his main task is to show humility and love. For her, things like empathy and compassion are both the meaning of life and great strength.
Raskolnikov judges the world only from the position of reason, with rebellious fervor. He does not want to come to terms with injustice. This becomes the cause of his mental anguish and crime. Sonechka Marmeladova in Dostoevsky’s novel also oversteps herself, but not in the same way as Rodion. She does not want to destroy other people and cause them suffering, but sacrifices herself. This reflects the writer’s idea that what should be more important for a person is not selfish personal happiness, but suffering for the benefit of others. This is the only way, in his opinion, to achieve true happiness.
Moral of the storyline
Sonechka Marmeladova, whose characterization and inner world are so carefully worked out in the novel, reflects the author’s idea that everyone should be aware of responsibility not only for their actions, but also for all the evil happening in the world. Sonya feels guilty for the crime Raskolnikov committed, so she takes everything to heart and tries to revive it with her compassion. Sonya shares Rodion's fate after he reveals his secret to her.
In the novel, this happens symbolically: when Sonya reads to him the scene of the resurrection of Lazarus from the New Testament, the man correlates the plot with own life, and then, coming to her the next time, he himself talks about what he did and tries to explain the reasons, after which he asks for her help. Sonya mentors Rodion. She calls on him to go to the square to repent of his crime before the people. The author himself here reflects the idea of bringing the criminal to suffering so that through him he can atone for his guilt.
Moral qualities
Sonya Marmeladova in the novel embodies the best that can be in a person: faith, love, chastity, willingness to sacrifice oneself. She had to engage in prostitution, but, surrounded by vice, she kept her soul pure and continued to believe in people and in the fact that happiness is achieved only at the cost of suffering. Sonya, like Raskolnikov, who transgressed the gospel commandments, nevertheless condemns Rodion for his contempt for people and does not share his rebellious sentiments.
The author tried to reflect through it the whole essence of the people's origin and the Russian soul, to show natural humility and patience, love for one's neighbor and God. The worldviews of the two heroes of the novel are opposed to each other and, constantly colliding, show the contradictions in Dostoevsky’s soul.
Faith
Sonya believes in God, believes in miracles. Rodion, on the contrary, believes that there is no Almighty and miracles also do not happen. He tries to reveal to the girl how ridiculous and illusory her ideas are, proves that her suffering is useless and her sacrifices are ineffective. Raskolnikov judges her from his point of view, says that it is not her profession that makes her sinful, but her vain sacrifices and exploits. However, Sonya's worldview is unshakable, even when driven into a corner, she tries to do something in the face of death. The girl, even after all the humiliation and suffering, did not lose faith in people, in the kindness of their souls. She doesn't need examples, she just believes that everyone deserves a fair share.
Sonya is not embarrassed by either physical deformities or deformities of fate, she is capable of compassion, can penetrate into the essence of the human soul and does not want to judge, because she feels that any evil is committed by a person for some unknown, internal and incomprehensible reason to others.
Inner strength
Many of the author’s thoughts are reflected by Sonechka Marmeladova in the novel “Crime and Punishment.” Its characterization is supplemented by questions about suicide. The girl, forced to go to the panel so that her family would stop starving, at some point thought about committing suicide and with one jerk getting rid of the shame, getting out of the fetid pit.
She was stopped by the thought of what would happen to her loved ones, even if not exactly relatives. In order to keep from committing suicide in such life situation, much more is required inner strength. But the religious Sonya was not held back by the thought of mortal sin. She was worried “about them, her own.” And although debauchery was worse than death for the girl, she chose it.
Love and humility
Another feature that permeates Sonechka’s character is the ability to love. She responds to the suffering of others. She, like the wives of the Decembrists, follows Raskolnikov to hard labor. In her image, Dostoevsky presented an all-encompassing and all-consuming love that does not require anything in return. This feeling cannot be called fully expressed, because Sonya never says anything like that out loud, and silence makes her even more beautiful. For this, she is respected by her father, a drunken former official, and her stepmother Katerina Ivanovna, who has lost her mind, and even the libertine Svidrigailov. Raskolnikov is saved and healed by her love.
Author's Beliefs
Each hero has his own worldview and faith. Everyone remains true to their beliefs. But Raskolnikov and Sonechka come to the conclusion that God can show the path to everyone, if only they feel his closeness. Dostoevsky, through his characters, talks about the fact that every person who comes to God through thorny path moral torment and research, will no longer be able to look at the world the same way as before. The process of renewal and rebirth of man will begin.
