Makar is a girl's family occupation. Makar girls. Influence on further creativity

In his first novel, Dostoevsky, following Gogol, draws attention to “ little man”- and through letters written on behalf of a modest St. Petersburg official, for the first time tells in detail about his life, feelings and life tragedy.

comments: Tatiana Trofimova

What is this book about?

Poor official Makar Devushkin writes letters to a poor girl Varenka Dobrosyolova. He has been serving in one place for thirty years, rewriting papers and dreaming of new boots, she lives alone with her assistant Fyodora, takes home sewing and yearns for the carefree childhood days. Devushkin turns his letters into sketches of the everyday life of St. Petersburg hired corners and their inhabitants. Varenka is sad and reproaches him for taking too much care of her. Dostoevsky connects the sentimental tradition of the novel in letters with topical themes natural school Literary direction of the 1840s, the initial stage of development critical realism... The natural school is characterized by social pathos, everyday life, interest in the lower strata of society. This trend includes Nekrasov, Chernyshevsky, Turgenev, Goncharov, the formation of the school was significantly influenced by the work of Gogol. The almanac "Physiology of Petersburg" (1845) can be considered a manifesto of the movement. Reviewing this collection, Thaddeus Bulgarin was the first to use the term "natural school", and in a dismissive sense. But Belinsky liked the definition and subsequently took root. ⁠ , ending the novel with a sudden dissonance: sentimental Varenka decides to marry according to calculation and breaks off the correspondence, Makar Devushkin turns out to be emotionally unprepared for loss.

Fedor Dostoevsky. 1861 year

fedordostoevsky.ru

When was it written?

Dostoevsky himself in his "Diary of a Writer" recalled that "Poor People" was written a year after he decided to leave the engineering service and retired. In the fall of 1844, he settled in the same apartment with Dmitry Grigorovich, the future author of the Sovremennik magazine, and by the beginning of winter, according to him, the novel was conceived. In literary studies, however, there are different opinions. Early memoirists claim that the novel was conceived and started at the Main Engineering School. The creator of the consolidated chronicle of the life and work of Dostoevsky, Leonid Grossman, in dating follows the instructions of the writer himself. A later researcher of Dostoevsky's work, Vera Nechaeva, attributes the appearance of the idea to 1843. One way or another, in March 1845 the novel was completed in a rough version, which Dostoevsky informed his brother about.

Vladimirsky prospect, 11. House where Dostoevsky lived in 1842-1845

How is it written?

Poor People is a novel in letters. This is traditional for sentimentalism Literary trend of the second half of the 18th century. Sentimental writers proceeded from the fact that the main thing in human nature is not reason, as the leaders of the era of classicism believed, but feeling. They are not interested in historical events and heroic deeds - but everyday, private; the life of the soul, often reflected in descriptions of nature. The most famous representatives: in England - Laurence Stern, in France - Jean-Jacques Rousseau, in Russia - Nikolai Karamzin. ⁠ form, the example of which in foreign literature is often called "Julia, or New Heloise" by Jean-Jacques Rousseau. It was usually used to tell the story of two lovers who are separated by circumstances and forced to communicate through letters filled with detailed descriptions experiences of the heroes. In Russian literature, Nikolai Karamzin was one of the first to turn to the sentimental - although not directly epistolary - tradition in the story Poor Liza, in which he decided to tell about the feelings of ordinary people and to which the title of the novel Poor People refers. However, choosing a form that was half-forgotten by the mid-1840s, Dostoevsky filled it with an uncharacteristic content: the ups and downs of the life of “little people”, that is, a reality discovered several years earlier by the authors of everyday stories and essays and canonized as a material by the natural school. Dostoevsky's previously silent heroes of the Petersburg “bottom” found their own voice and began to talk about themselves and their lives.

Vissarion Belinsky

The first to get acquainted with the novel was the writer Dmitry Grigorovich, who was sharing an apartment with Dostoevsky at that time. Delighted, he took the manuscript to Nikolai Nekrasov, and he, having read the novel overnight, handed it over to Vissarion Belinsky with the words "New Gogol has appeared!" Belinsky's first reaction was more restrained: “Gogols will be born like mushrooms to you,” but after reading the critic he was so imbued with the novel that he wished to see Dostoevsky in person and told him that he himself did not understand what he had created. The novel was first published in 1846 in the Petersburg Collection, published by Nekrasov. At that time, the novice publisher already had two famous volumes of the anthology "Physiology of St. Petersburg" on his account; he enjoyed the fame of the founder of the natural school and negotiated the purchase of Pushkin's journal Sovremennik. This context provided Dostoevsky's debut novel with increased attention.

Dmitry Grigorovich. 1895 Grigorovich was the first to read the novel and took it to Nekrasov

Nikolay Nekrasov. Mid-1860s. After reading Nekrasov announced the appearance of a "new Gogol" in literature and published the novel in "Petersburg Collection"

What influenced her?

The most important landmark of Dostoevsky's contemporaries, due to the similarity of the heroes, considered Nikolai Gogol's Petersburg Tales. But it is known that simultaneously with the emergence of the idea of \u200b\u200bPoor People, Dostoevsky translated the novel Eugene Grande by Honore de Balzac. Balzac was considered one of the founders of French naturalism with his appeal to the everyday side of life and a critical view of the social structure. Russian literature adopted the experience of French naturalism in essays, and Balzac's translations helped Dostoevsky, one of the first in the natural school, to master the large form. In addition to literary sources, Dostoevsky was also inspired by direct observation of the life of the poor in St. Petersburg, especially after he settled in the same apartment in 1843 with a longtime friend of the Dostoevsky brothers, Dr. Riesenkampf. He received a wide variety of patients at home, and many of them belonged to the social class described later in Poor People.

Drawings by Ignatius Shchedrovsky from the book Scenes from Russian Folk Life. 1852 year

How was she received?

The history of the publication largely predetermined the perception of Poor People. In light of the expectation of a "new Gogol", the main question became - how much and in what way Dostoevsky inherits the author of "Petersburg Tales". Confused attempts to identify what is borrowed - form or content, summed up Valerian Maikov, pointing out that these attempts are meaningless, since writers are interested in fundamentally different things: "Gogol is a poet predominantly social, and Dostoevsky is predominantly psychological." However, the style of Makar Devushkin's letters evoked the most violent reaction. Stepan Shevyryov considered their language completely Gogol, they seemed to Alexander Nikitenko too sophisticated, Sergei Aksakov was sure that an official could speak like that, but he could not write that way, and Pavel Annenkov reproached the author for stylistic games to the detriment of content. And even Belinsky changed his initial assessment, calling the work too wordy. The reason for this heightened attention was not only the style itself, but also the fact that Poor People became, in fact, the first phenomenon of long direct speech of the “little man”. The closest known prototype - Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin - was much less verbose. By the mid-1840s, the very figure of an official in literature had already acquired an anecdotal character with an emphasis on the comic depiction of the hero in the most absurd situations. Dostoevsky invited this anecdotal character to tell about his experiences - in the wake of the natural school, the result was impressive.

Having finished Poor People, Dostoevsky immediately set to work on the story The Double, about the titular councilor (Makar Devushkin had the same rank) Golyadkin, who suddenly had a double in a mysterious way. Poor People and Double were published in the journal Otechestvennye Zapiski almost simultaneously. In the next three years, the writer managed to realize a huge number of ideas: the novels "Mistress", "Weak Heart", "White Nights", published later "Netochka Nezvanova", the story "Mister Prokharchin" and many others. But the success of "Poor People" could not be repeated, the attention of critics and the public weakened with each new work. Waking up overnight famous and immediately changing the trajectory of creativity in the direction of the so-called fantastic realism, where the realistic world begins to subtly distort under the influence of grotesque-fantastic forces, Dostoevsky could not maintain popularity. And the success of Poor People themselves, despite the appearance almost immediately of German, French and Polish translations, turned out to be not very strong: a separate publication of the novel, for which Dostoevsky greatly revised and shortened the text, received rather restrained reviews. This was largely predetermined by the evolution of Dostoevsky's writing style, who, after falling out of the literary process for ten years in 1849, on his return tried to return to the theme of the "humiliated and insulted", but the second time he gained popularity with completely different novels about the dark sides of the human personalities such as Crime and Punishment.

Anichkov bridge. 1860s

Why was Dostoevsky called the new Gogol?

By the mid-1840s, despite a well-developed essay and everyday life tradition, Gogol remained the only major Russian writer. Moreover, having published in 1842 the first volume of "Dead Souls" and "The Overcoat" from the cycle "Petersburg Tales", he actually left literature. In this situation, the authors of the natural school claim the role of Gogol's students and followers - and from the point of view of potential continuity, any author of a large form is considered. In this sense, special hopes were pinned on Dostoevsky as the author of a novel that is thematically close to the Gogol tradition. Despite the fact that the first critics and readers of the novel were never able to give an unambiguous answer to the question of what exactly Dostoevsky took from Gogol, the clue is contained in the novel itself. The culmination of the correspondence is letters from Makar Devushkin of July 1 and 8, in which he shares his impressions of two read works, Pushkin's "Station superintendent" and Gogol's "Overcoat". In both cases Devushkin recognizes himself in the protagonist, but if he empathizes with the fate of Samson Vyrin, then the image of Akaki Akakievich only arouses his anger. Devushkin's main complaint is that the author of "The Overcoat" made public the details of his plight and personal life. Refusing to agree with the ending of the story, Devushkin demands compensation for Akaki Akakievich - let the general raise him in rank or find an overcoat. Through Devushkin's letters, Dostoevsky, in fact, reflects on Gogol's Petersburg Tales, where he is concerned not so much with the material as with the manner of the depiction. Dostoevsky gives the hero the opportunity to tell about himself in the way he sees fit. At the same time, most of all, the author of Poor People was pleased with the fact that his author's attitude to what is happening in the novel practically does not appear in the text.

Unknown artist. Portrait of N. V. Gogol. 1849 year. State Historical, Artistic and Literary Museum-Reserve "Abramtsevo". Gogol rather liked Poor People, he praised Dostoevsky for choosing the topic, but noted that the text was too verbose

How did Gogol himself react to Dostoevsky's novel?

The reaction of Gogol - the undoubted "great genius" in whose light, according to Belinsky, "ordinary talents" work - to literary novelties, as expected, aroused increased attention of contemporaries, although most often it was more than restrained. Gogol read Dostoevsky's "Poor People" a few months after the publication of "Petersburg Collection", and his impressions are known from a letter to Anna Mikhailovna Vielgorskaya dated May 14, 1846. Assessing the choice of the topic as an indicator of Dostoevsky's spiritual qualities and indifference, Gogol also noted the obvious youth of the writer: "... There is still a lot of talkativeness and little concentration in oneself." The novel, in his opinion, would be much more lively if it were less verbose. Nevertheless, such a restrained reaction was enough for his contemporaries to decide that Gogol liked everything. In a similar situation, when the author of "The Inspector General" listened to Ostrovsky's first play "Bankrupt" (later known as "Our people - we will be numbered"), almost a similar opinion - about youth, length and "inexperience in techniques" - was regarded as evidence that Ostrovsky " pushed Gogol, that is, made a strong impression on him.

What is the natural school and how does sentimentalism relate to it?

The natural school as a literary phenomenon arose at the time of the publication in 1845 of the anthology "Physiology of St. Petersburg", and immediately after that it received its name from his ideological opponent - Faddey Bulgarin, the publisher of the newspaper "Severnaya Beelya", who in polemical articles criticized young representatives of the Gogol school for their dirty naturalism. Nekrasov became the publisher of Physiology of St. Petersburg, and Belinsky became the ideologist. Together they directly declared their conscious desire to form a new direction in literature, the authors of which will look into all the keyholes and talk about the previously hidden sides of life. In addition, in the preface to the Physiology of St. Petersburg, Belinsky proposed his theory of the literary process, which is created jointly by the efforts of “geniuses” and “ordinary talents”. By "genius" the authors of the almanac quite transparently meant Gogol, whose principles they planned to develop. Sentimentalism, with its craving for describing the emotions and experiences of heroes, seems to have very little in common with the natural school. But both the one and the other literary direction in the Russian version was treated with great attention to ordinary people, and this allowed Dostoevsky to build his text at the intersection of these two traditions. The correspondence, which takes a period of time from spring to autumn, is sustained in the spirit of sentimentalism, and the culminating point is Makar Devushkin's emotional reading of Pushkin's Station Keeper and Gogol's Overcoat. The event series of the novel obeys the canons of the natural school, and here the culmination is the departure and exit from the correspondence of Varenka Dobrosyolova. This discrepancy between plot currents - correspondence and “offscreen” events - largely determines the tragic effect that arises in the novel's finale. Literary critic Apollo Grigoriev even came up with special term to characterize Dostoevsky's "Poor People" - "sentimental naturalism."

Winter Palace from the side of Palace Square. Lithograph by Giuseppe Daziaro

Why write so much about poverty, humiliation and suffering?

Considering that while working on Poor People, Dostoevsky is engaged in translations of Balzac and is friends with Grigorovich, it becomes clear that his choice of topic is largely due to the literary context. The release of Physiology of St. Petersburg became a landmark event as a declaration of a new literary phenomenon, but, in fact, consolidated the interest of Russian literature in everyday reality and ordinary people, which had already arisen several years earlier. And if ordinary people and their feelings have already become the object of depiction within the framework of the sentimental tradition, in particular in the work of Karamzin, then everyday reality in all its manifestations escaped for a long time first from sentimentalist writers, and then from romantics. That is why the beginning of the 1840s was marked by the emergence of a powerful essay tradition with an eye to French naturalism, within which Russian-speaking authors rushed to describe the structure of the city with ethnographic accuracy as a space for life, everyday affairs and everyday life of ordinary people.

Alexander Bashutsky was one of the first to discover this world in the anthology "Ours, written off from nature by the Russians", also inspired by the French essay tradition and the almanac "The French, drawn by them themselves." Simultaneously with the Physiology of Petersburg, Yakov Butkov launched a similar project - the collection Petersburg Peaks, which was popular with readers, but could not compete with Nekrasov's anthology, because he did not offer any conceptual understanding of interest in the life of the social lower classes. The natural school brought this interest to a critical stage, having descended, according to the accusations of the same Bulgarin, to the depiction of completely unsightly sides of life in order to find through this material, uncharacteristic for the literature of that time, new form and develop a new language for the further multilayered development of Russian literature. Answering Bulgarin, Belinsky promised in a critical article that after the development of the necessary tools, writers would naturally move on to depicting more pleasant things, but in a new manner. In this sense, Dostoevsky's Poor People turned out to be organically integrated into the literary process of his time.

Pyotr Boklevsky. Makar Devushkin. Illustration for Poor People. 1840s

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Pyotr Boklevsky. Varvara Dobrosyolova. Illustration for "Poor People". 1840s

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Is Devushkin a speaking surname?

By the time Poor People was written, Russian literature undoubtedly had a solid tradition of speaking surnames - the characters in Griboyedov's Woe from Wit alone have generated a lot of research on this topic. However, by and large, it is not always possible to clearly distinguish between the situation when the author deliberately gives the hero a surname designed to help the reader navigate and tell about the character and function of the character, and the situation when the meaning can be read into the hero's surname due to the recognizable root. If we assume that Dostoevsky also follows this Gogol tradition, but, as in the rest, greatly reduces the comic component, then Devushkin and Dobrosyolova can be speaking surnames: in the first case, this is an indication of the spontaneity, naivety, kind-heartedness and sensitivity of the hero, and in the second - on good intentions and frankness. However, traditionally, the images of carriers of speaking surnames are devoid of psychological layering and evolution in the work: Skalozub in Griboyedov or Lyapkin-Tyapkin in Gogol as a whole invariably display character traits emphasized in this way. Meanwhile, both Makar Devushkin and Varenka Dobrosyolova were initially not too transparent in their intentions, and in addition, they underwent considerable evolution during the correspondence. If we talk about the name, then, as noted, in particular, the literary critic Moisey Altman, in one of the letters Makar Devushkin complains that from him “they made a proverb and almost a swear word”, referring to the saying: “Poor Makar has all the bumps are falling. " In this case, both the name and surname of the protagonist, quite in the spirit of the natural school, introduce an element of typification into the image.

“Poor People” is “acme”, the highest point of “humane” literature of the forties, and one can feel in them a premonition of that destructive pity that has become so tragic and ominous in his great novels

Dmitry Svyatopolk-Mirsky

Who is Varenka Dobrosyolova to Makar Devushkin?

Formally, Varenka Dobrosyolova is a relative of Makar Devushkin. But despite the fact that Dostoevsky gives them a common patronymic - Alekseevich and Alekseevna, the relationship between them is distant. As it becomes clear in the course of the correspondence, Makar Devushkin previously helped Varenka escape from Anna Fedorovna's house, continues to help with the arrangement of her life, often to his own detriment, and takes care of her and empathizes with her, guided by family feelings. In any case, Devushkin himself justifies participation in Varenka's fate in his letters. In fact, his feelings for her are much more complicated. From Devushkin's letter after reading Pushkin's "Station Keeper", it is clear that he is trying on the fate of Samson Vyrin, abandoned by his daughter, who fled with a visiting captain Minsky. Responding to the desire expressed by Varenka to leave and no longer burden him, Makar Devushkin calls himself an old man and asks what he will do without her, after which he immediately shares with her his impressions of reading Pushkin's story. There is also romantic affection in his feelings, although in letters he deliberately emphasizes that he will look at Varenka's happiness from the outside if this happens. There is also a desire by all means to keep her close to him by caring so that Varenka does not feel the need and does not strive for changes in her life: in response to the mention of the possibility of such changes, Makar Devushkin invariably expresses doubts about their expediency.

Nikolaevsky bridge. 1870s

Why do the heroes write letters to each other if they live in the neighborhood?

Makar Devushkin and Varenka Dobrosyolova really live, if not strictly opposite each other, then at least so that Devushkin has the opportunity to watch Varenka's window, which he often reports in letters, drawing conclusions about the mood and well-being of the owner of the room by the position of the curtain. However, physically having the opportunity to just visit her, he does it extremely rarely, because he is afraid of rumors, rumors of people and that they will "think" about him and Varenka. It is difficult to judge how justified his fears are, given his relationship with Varenka. But the fact that an unmarried young girl lived alone, indeed, in itself could be perceived ambiguously, and the presence of Fedora's assistant in preserving her reputation did not help in any way. Given Varenka's borderline position, Makar Devushkin is afraid to visit her too often so as not to give rise to rumors. On the other hand, Makar Devushkin almost immediately, in his very first letters, informs that the correspondence carries additional meaning for him: complaining about the lack of a "syllable" and good education, he uses the space of correspondence for a kind of training and even notes with satisfaction closer to the finale. that he began to "form a syllable." Varenka's departure means for him, among other things, the collapse of these ambitions, so that he can not even resist and writes to her about this in the last, apparently, no longer sent letter.

Postman. From the photographic series "Russian Types". 1860s-70s

Who is Anna Fyodorovna and why does she constantly interfere in Varenka's life?

Like Makar Devushkin, Anna Fyodorovna is a distant relative of Varenka Dobrosyolova, and many unclear motives of the novel are associated with this character. So, it is Anna Fyodorovna who receives Varenka and her mother in her house after the head of the family, Varenka's father, dies. She does this of her own free will, but rather quickly begins to reproach poor relatives with a piece of bread, and after that she even weds Varenka to Mr. Bykov. This is how Mr. Bykov appears in the novel for the first time. The matchmaking ends with Varenka furiously fleeing Anna Fyodorovna's house, where he leaves his beloved cousin Sasha. Having met her later, Varenka in despair writes to Makar Devushkin that “she will die too,” transparently hinting that Mr. Bykov, instead of supposedly marrying Varenka, dishonored her. She even tells Makar the offensive words of Anna Fyodorovna that "it is not possible to marry everyone." This fully explains why Varenka can now, in violation of decency, live alone (the situation has already gone beyond the bounds of decency) and why Makar Devushkin is so afraid of rumors that will go out if he visits her too often. And Varenka in her letters tells about several episodes when strange gentlemen came to her with vague intentions and only the appearance of Fedora saved her in these awkward moments. The figure of Anna Fyodorovna also appears at the moment of the second appearance in the novel of Mr. Bykov - this time in connection with the story of the poor student Pokrovsky, with whom Varenka was in love. It is known that the mother of the student Pokrovsky was hastily married to his father with a dowry from Mr. Bykov, and the student Pokrovsky himself was always under the personal tutelage of Mr. Bykov, who eventually settled him after leaving the university in the house of Anna Fedorovna. Varenka was surprised more than once by how disdainful the son was of his kindest father. In this situation, the assumption is not devoid of logic that it is Mr. Bykov who is the father of the student Pokrovsky, and the hasty absurd marriage of his beautiful mother was an attempt to save her reputation. Thus, Anna Fyodorovna, whose occupation remains unknown, although she, according to Varenka, is constantly absent from home for a long time, has repeatedly helped Mr. Bykov in delicate situations and, perhaps, is trying to find a new place of residence for Varenka in order to settle another story that ended escape from her house.

Why are there so many diminutive suffixes and weird expressions in Poor People?

The style of Makar Devushkin's letters was indeed one of the most problematic issues for contemporaries in the perception of the novel. Where did such a manner come from for an ordinary titular adviser, could he actually speak or write that way, was Dostoevsky not too much involved in stylistic games - all this was actively discussed immediately after the novel was published. The heavily littered language of Makar Devushkin - which is worth one address "mother" several times per letter, not to mention hundreds of diminutive suffixes - looks especially contrasting in comparison with the calm, correct syllable of Varenka Dobrosyolova. And in this respect, nothing has changed even with the reduction that Poor People underwent after the first publication. However, observations on the text of the novel show that Devushkin does not always choose this style for his letters. “Noisy street! What shops, shops are rich; everything shines and burns, matter, flowers under glass, different hats with ribbons. If you think that this is all so, for beauty it is laid out - but no: there are people who buy it all and give it to their wives, ”Devushkin describes in detail, but quite stylistically, his walk along Gorokhovaya Street in a letter dated September 5, which is called the physiological sketch within the novel. But as soon as he reaches Varenka in his thoughts - “I remembered about you here”, the style changes dramatically: “Oh, my dear, my dear! as I remember now about you, so my whole heart languishes! Why are you, Varenka, so unhappy? My angel! " At least Devushkin can change his style depending on the topic, and if we take into account his desire to improve his own "syllable", then the abundance of diminutive suffixes can be considered his conscious choice in communication with Varenka.

Winter groove. Early 20th century postcard

What prevents Makar Devushkin from finding himself another job and stop being in poverty?

Makar Devushkin has served as a titular adviser all his life, is constantly in poverty, but his letters show no desire to either make a career or change his occupation. “I myself know that I do a little by rewriting; but still, I am proud of it: I work, I spill sweat, ”he says in a letter dated June 12. In addition to the fact that he considers such work to be honest, he is also convinced that someone should still do it. We can say that Devushkin not only does not think about changing his profession, but is also proud of the business he is doing. In the course of the correspondence, however, it turns out that he still has "ambition", however, judging by the usage of words, it is connected with his reputation - with what others might think of him. It is “ambition” that makes him hide his plight. She also suffers when he reads "The Overcoat" by Gogol, where the plight of Akaki Akakievich is brought up for general consideration, but she does not allow him to try to realize himself in literature. So, Makar Devushkin admits to Varenka that he would be pleased if, for example, a collection of his poems were published. However, it is not clear from the text of the letters, in fact, whether he writes these poems, and from his description of his own supposed emotions, if such a collection is published, one can find out that most of all he is afraid that not only the author, but also the poor official who is hiding your poverty. Devushkin's world order actually completely deprives him of the opportunity for maneuvers and getting out of his deplorable state. But, even having relatively corrected his affairs closer to the end of the novel with additional work, he does not change either his lifestyle or views. The poor man of Dostoevsky is firmly locked in his poverty - far from only material.

Dostoevsky made, as it were, on a small scale the Copernican revolution, making the moment of self-determination of the hero what was the firm and final author's definition

Mikhail Bakhtin

Did people in Petersburg really live in such terrible conditions?

In the late 1830s and 40s, St. Petersburg was not only the capital of the Russian Empire, but also lived an active life and developed rapidly in opposition to the conservative and slow Moscow. In the essay "Petersburg and Moscow" Belinsky assigns just such images to the two cities. In Moscow, where even the structure of the city with its either circular or chaotic development does not dispose to active activity, it is good to study slowly, but you need to build a career in St. Petersburg, a young city that is sharpened just for this. There are opportunities for a bureaucratic career, there are many tenement houses, all the brightest magazines are published here, Dostoevsky himself moves here among many writers, and this path is even described by Ivan Goncharov as quite typical in his first novel, An Ordinary Story. In the late 1830s - early 1840s, people from the provinces flocked to St. Petersburg, and given the generally low level of well-being at this time, as well as the high degree of inequality, it is likely that about half of the city's population actually lived in the conditions described by Dostoevsky ... An amendment should be made only to the fact that the first half of the 1840s became the time of close attention of literature to the life of ordinary people with all its everyday details. Therefore, it cannot be considered that at this time there was an exceptional drop in the standard of living in the city, it is just that this standard of living became noticeable to us through the attention of authors close to the natural school to it.

Andreyevsky market on Vasilyevsky island. 1900s

Why does Varenka Dobrosyolova marry Mr. Bykov if she does not love him?

From the very beginning of the correspondence, Varenka Dobrosyolova confesses to Makar Devushkin: most of all she is afraid that Anna Fedorovna will find her and Mr. Bykov will reappear in her life. In this context, Varenka's decision to marry Mr. Bykov, who is disgusting to her, looks emotionally unexpected. However, from a pragmatic point of view, it can be read as the only correct one. Finding herself, presumably, in a situation of dishonor, Varenka is endlessly worried about her future, and, objectively, she really has few options to arrange her. Despite the fact that Makar Devushkin in every possible way discourages her from going to governess in someone else's house, this is one of the best options for the development of her fate. The option when Mr. Bykov, who dishonored her, appears with a marriage proposal, is almost incredible. Let it be known at the same time that Mr. Bykov is interested exclusively in the birth of an heir, but Varenka says that she would rather agree to such an offer than live in poverty all her life. Such a marriage will really securely secure Varenka's future, but, in addition, it will return her to her good name, which in her position seemed an unlikely prospect. The beginning of the evolution of the image of Varenka in the novel is connected with such a pragmatic decision on marriage: the young lady, full of sadness, fears and worries, gradually turns into a prudent woman who discarded doubts and does not hesitate to concisely give Devushkin instructions and demand their fulfillment. The sentimental paradigm in the image of Varenka Dobrosyolova is surrendering under the onslaught of pragmatic natural school reality.

Pyotr Boklevsky. Bykov. Illustration for Poor People. 1840s

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What does the epigraph of the novel mean?

The epigraph of the novel is taken by Dostoevsky from the story of Prince Vladimir Odoevsky "The Living Dead", published in the journal "Otechestvennye zapiski" in 1844, that is, during the period of work on "Poor People". Borrowing a quote, Dostoevsky makes small adjustments to it - he changes the impersonal form of the verb “forbid” to a personal one: “Oh, these storytellers for me! Not to write something useful, pleasant, delightful, otherwise they are pulling out all the ins and outs in the ground! Well, what is it like: you read ... you involuntarily ponder - and then all sorts of rubbish will go into your head; rightly, forbid them to write; I would have banned it altogether. " Researchers of the novel have repeatedly noticed that stylistically the epigraph is quite similar to the style of Makar Devushkin, but there is also a specific episode of the novel to which the quotation refers - this is a letter from Devushkin, who read Gogol's Overcoat and was outraged by the fact that the writer carefully presented hidden details of his own life. Devushkin's speech also features some "they" who are interested in revealing the secret, laughing, making libel out of everything. In fact, the epigraph becomes the only element of Poor People, apart from the title, which directly reveals the author's will: Dostoevsky emphasizes the culmination moment of the novel - Devushkin's indignation at the manner of portraying the hero in The Overcoat (while Devushkin is pleased with the depiction of the hero in The Station Keeper ). This is how the novel takes on a new dimension. Dostoevsky not only sets himself the task of showing the life of "poor people" in St. Petersburg, but also takes a position in literary discussions of the mid-1840s, the beginning of which is the almanac "Physiology of St. Petersburg": in this manifesto of the natural school, the question was raised that literature should portray and what this image should be.

The Moyka River at the Green (from 1820 to 1918 - Police) Bridge. Photo-tinto-engraving of the "Education" partnership

Where is the famous "Dostoyevschina"?

The novel Poor People became Dostoevsky's literary debut, and there is indeed much less so-called Dostoyevsky in it than in his later works, in particular Crime and Punishment or The Brothers Karamazov. But here you can already grasp those literary features that will later become the hallmark of the writer: for example, the complex and often contradictory internal motivation of the heroes and increased attention to the life of the lower social strata. Between Dostoevsky's literary debut and the appearance of the famous "Dostoyevshchina" there are not only many works in which the writer desperately sought his style in attempts to repeat the success of "Poor People", but also dramatic life circumstances: a staged "execution", prolonged exile and hard labor. The episode with the "execution" was the result of Dostoevsky's acquaintance with Mikhail Butashevich-Petrashevsky and visiting his "Fridays", on one of which the writer read aloud Belinsky's letter to Gogol, which was banned at that moment. On the basis of this episode, in 1849, Dostoevsky was accused of having links with the revolutionary movement and, after eight months of investigation and trial, was sentenced to death. The highest pardon of Emperor Nicholas I was deliberately announced only after the convicts were brought to the Semyonovsky parade ground, forced to climb the scaffold and dressed in shrouds. Thus, Dostoevsky fully felt what the last night before the execution was like, after which he went to hard labor, which was replaced by the death sentence. Dostoevsky's return to literature ten years after his pardon did not bring him new instant popularity. The same "Notes from the Underground", written in 1864, were suddenly discovered by criticism only after the publication of the novel "Crime and Punishment" in 1866, when Dostoevsky again became a noticeable literary figure. At the same time, a controversy arose about the psychological component of his novels, which reached its peak after the publication of the novel "Demons". It was only then that Dostoevsky acquired the reputation of a "cruel talent" who considered it necessary to portray human suffering and the dark movements of the soul, and deep psychologism became part of his writing style.

list of references

Bocharov S.G. Transition from Gogol to Dostoevsky // Bocharov S.G. artistic worlds... Moscow: Soviet Russia, 1985. S. 161–209.
Vinogradov V. V. School of sentimental naturalism (Dostoevsky's novel "Poor People" against the background of the literary evolution of the 40s) // Vinogradov V. V. Selected Works: Poetics of Russian Literature. Moscow: Nauka, 1976. P. 141–187.
Chronicle of the life and work of F.M.Dostoevsky: in 3 volumes. SPb .: Academic project, 1993.
Mann Yu.V. Dialectics artistic image... M .: Soviet writer, 1987.

Nechaeva V.S. Early Dostoevsky. 1821-1849. Moscow: Nauka, 1979.
Tseitlin A.G. The Story of the Poor Official of Dostoevsky (To the History of One Plot). M .: Glavlit, 1923.

The entire list of references

Form

A petty middle-aged official who has no chance of making a career. Nothing remarkable happens in his life. He lives inconspicuously, avoiding human eyes, in a cheap rented apartment on the outskirts of St. Petersburg. As the image unfolds, Devushkin begins to seem like a person with a subtle and peculiar character. In addition, he is a model of a hero who would later appear in other works of Dostoevsky.

Judging by the writer's letters and writings, Dostoevsky had little interest in his ancient genealogy. His father "never spoke about his family and did not answer when asked about his parentage." From the notes of Fyodor Mikhailovich's brother, Andrei Dostoevsky, it follows that even in the patronymic of the grandfather and the maiden name of the grandmother, the brothers were no longer sure. The biographer of the writer Lyudmila Saraskina noted that already in Devushkin, the protagonist of Dostoevsky's first novel, the same attitude towards his family tree is manifested. The character only knows about his father that he “was called, presumably, Alexei Devushkin; he was 'not of the nobility', burdened by his family and extremely poor. "

Attitude to Varenka

In the same house, opposite his window, lives a young single girl Varvara Dobroselova. Every evening Makar Devushkin writes her long letters, which he tries to convey as discreetly as possible along with sweets and outfits. In his letters, he talks about everything that he saw, heard or read, shares his feelings, describes in detail his work, his flatmates, even promises to make a date with the girl.

Varenka is especially necessary for Devushkin as a listener of his most varied feelings, capable of accumulating and neutralizing these feelings. At the same time, Makar does not plan to marry her, refusing even sometimes to visit the girl: “What are you writing, my dear? How will I come to you? My dear boy, what will people say? After all, it will be necessary to cross the courtyard, our people will notice, they will start asking questions - talk will go, gossip will go, the case will be given a different meaning. No, my little angel, I'd rather see you tomorrow at the all-night vigil; it will be more reasonable and harmless for both of us. "

Devushkin is only able to throw out his emotions, confessions, fantasies on Varenka. At the same time, without these letters, his emotional intensity will reach a dangerous degree, which can lead to insanity. “Well, what are we going to do without you; what will I, old man, do then? We don't need you? Not helpful? How not useful? No, you, dear, judge for yourself, how are you not useful? You are very useful to me, Varenka. You have such a beneficial influence ... So I think about you now, and I have fun ... Sometimes I will write you a letter and state all the feelings in it, to which I receive a detailed answer from you, ”he writes about this to Varenka.

Attitude towards the opinions of others

Devushkin is very concerned about rumors and gossip. He tries on any novel he reads for himself. It seems to him all the time that he is being watched and tracked down, and all around him are enemies. He has an acute inferiority complex, fear, suffering, which prevents him from communicating with others on an equal footing. In an effort to hide from reality, Devushkin focuses on letters, since they allow him to avoid communicating with real-life people.

"Overcoat" by Gogol

Critics of the 1840s, drawing attention to the historical and genetic connection between Poor People and Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol's novel The Overcoat, noted that Akaki Akakievich served as the literary prototype of Makar Devushkin - main character story. In one of his letters to Varenka, talking about the fear of condemnation by those around him, Devushkin writes: “... It doesn't matter to me, even if I walk in a bitter frost without an overcoat and without boots, I will endure and endure everything ... but what will people say? Enemies of mine, all those evil tongues that will speak when you go without an overcoat? "

Origin of the name and surname

The origin and meaning of the name Makar Devushkin was suggested by Dostoevsky himself. In one of his letters to Varvara Dobroselova, his hero writes: “Here, my dear, you see, how things went: everything is on Makar Alekseevich; they only knew how to do that they introduced Makar Alekseevich into the proverb in our entire department. Yes, not only did they make a proverb and almost a swear word out of me - they got to my boots, to my uniform, to my hair, to my figure ... "Thus, the name of Makar is interpreted by the proverb" All the bumps fall on poor Makar. " Philologist Moisey Altman especially emphasized that already in the first novel Dostoevsky used the artistic method of understanding the name literary hero by comparing it with the same name from the proverb.

The first readers of the work drew attention to the possible origin of the name of the protagonist. Makar himself admits in one of his letters: "The poor man ... has the same shame that you, by example, have a girlish shame." Particular attention of readers and critics was drawn to this recognition, as well as to the diminutive words characteristic of the "girlish" style of Devushkin's letters. Another version of the origin of the hero's surname is based on the similarity of his writing style and the style of letters to Dostoevsky's mother. From this, the researchers come to the conclusion that the surname Devushkin can serve as a symbol of the mother.

In the name of the protagonist, the school of sentimentalism and the school of naturalism were fused together, while the surname "Devushkin" refers more to sentimentalism, and the name "Makar" to naturalism.

Identification with the author

At first, contemporary Dostoevsky critics identified the styles and characters of Makar Devushkin and Dostoevsky himself, which irritated the writer: “Our public has an instinct, like in any crowd, but no education. They do not understand how one can write in such a syllable. In everything they are accustomed to seeing the face of the writer: I didn't show mine. And they have no idea what Devushkin says, not me, and that Devushkin cannot speak otherwise. "

Before Poor People, Dostoevsky was historical dramas Schiller and Pushkin, but having discovered a "strange" person and feeling deep sympathy and interest for him, he wrote the first novel about him, while realizing his literary destiny. This character lived in himself, therefore, with the help of Poor People, Dostoevsky wrote himself. An indirect sign of similarity is the fact that Devushkin dreams of becoming a "poet", while Dostoevsky himself dreams of becoming a "writer." Outraged by the identification of the character with the author, Dostoevsky wants to say that Makar Devushkin is, in fact, his double, but the writer so skillfully pretended to be Devushkin that the reader did not notice it.

Criticism

The researcher of Dostoevsky's work Kennosuke Nakamura, having made an attempt at an unbiased reading of the novel, comes to the conclusion that the main character is a strange man with an inferiority complex. The imagination and sensitivity of Makar Devushkin are unusually developed, therefore he is not able to communicate with other people and expresses his thoughts in letters. His inherent excessive delicacy and fear of reality make him completely powerless in real life, forming a strange and funny type. In the hero of Poor People, Dostoevsky discovered the secret spiritual world of a humiliated and sick person, and this novel anticipates all subsequent works of the author.

Influence on further creativity

Makar Devushkin served as the literary prototype of Yakov Petrovich Golyadkin, the protagonist of the story "The Double", who is also a petty and powerless official who is afraid of communicating with people and feels that those around him despise

Devushkin Makar Alekseevich - the protagonist of Dostoevsky's novel "Poor People", an elderly official. The type of little person. The hero's closest literary predecessors are Gogol's "little people" Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin from The Overcoat and Poprishchin from The Diary of a Madman, Samson Vyrin from Pushkin's Stationmaster. Devushkin's image, continuing Gogol's line of depicting the little man, is also somewhat polemical in relation to him. If the hero of Gogol is obsessed with the desire to acquire an overcoat, a thing, then the hero of Dostoevsky is inspired by disinterested love for a living person (the surname "Bashmachkin" is a thing, "Devushkin" is a personal one. K. Mochulsky).

Kind, meek, and quiet, Makar Devushkin has been in the service for thirty years, has been rewriting papers all his life, being ridiculed and mocked by colleagues and neighbors. He lives in terrible poverty, from hand to mouth. He is forced to constantly justify himself in his existence. Poverty is not only social, but also Devushkin's personal tragedy. It gives rise to a special state of mind, which the hero himself realizes as a feeling of defenselessness, intimidation, humiliation and, as a result, cruelty, suspiciousness. From time to time he is overcome with melancholy from constant self-abasement. Makar Devushkin is powerless to help Varenka Dobroselova when she is threatened by starvation, when she is sick and offended by evil people. From time to time, a protest rises in him. In the end, he begins to ask "liberal" questions: why are some happy and rich, while others are poor and unhappy? Why such injustice?

The nondescript appearance of the hero contrasts with his warm heart, sympathetic and impressionable soul. He loves flowers, birds, idyllic pictures of nature, a serene and peaceful life. Everything admires and touches him. He deeply, chastely and selflessly loves Varenka, whom he disinterestedly helps from his meager means. Thanks to this love, he feels like a man, a consciousness of his own dignity awakens in him. He deliberately settles near her in order to see her window. However, Devushkin tries to hide their relationship, chastely fearing possible ridicule and gossip. They rarely meet and far from home (Devushkin takes her for a walk and to the theater), and the rest of the time they exchange letters. In them, he, a lonely and withdrawn person, before meeting her lived very secluded, shares with his beloved all the bitter and joyful events of his life, touchingly cares about her, reproaches her for the fact that she tires herself with work, calls her affectionate names: “ mother "," life child ". An idealist and dreamer, Makar Devushkin from Dostoevsky's novel Poor People tries to protect Varenka from the rough and dirty encroachments of life. He tracks down the officer who came to Varenka with an "unworthy proposal", comes to his house to explain himself - and as a result, he was lowered down the stairs.

Devushkin's drama is not only in his poverty, but also in his unrequited love for Varenka, who values \u200b\u200bhim as a friend and benefactor, but no more. He hides his love under paternal affection, comes up with various excuses to keep Varenka, promises that he will do everything so that she does not know worries. He understands that he is poorly educated, and longs for something high, enthusiastically takes part in the literary meetings of his neighbor, the writer Ratazyaev, and even dreams of becoming a "writer of literature and poetry" himself. Devushkin takes care of the style of his messages. He reads "The Overcoat" by Gogol, which Varenka gives him, concerned about replenishing his education, recognizes his life in all the details of Akaky Akakievich's life and nevertheless considers the image "improbable", and calls the story "libel" and "an empty example from the everyday, vile everyday life ". In contrast to the Gogol story “ Stationmaster"Pushkin likes Makar, in her he recognizes his" own heart, which it is not already there. " In his last farewell letter to Varenka, there is deep suffering and despair.

(460 words) “Poor People” is the first work of Fyodor Dostoevsky. It raises the topic of the "little man", makes you think that among the inconspicuous inhabitants you can meet people with a huge heart. In the novel, one can trace the worldview of the early Dostoevsky, see the author's attitude towards ordinary people. The images created in the novel are examples of humanism and humanity.

This is the main character of the novel Makar Devushkin, an unremarkable middle-aged resident of St. Petersburg. Makar has been working as a petty official for 30 years, living in a rented room, which in fact is just a separate corner in the kitchen. The main character classifies himself as a "little man" and calls himself stupid out of modesty. He spent his whole life alone, and the only close person was a distant relative of Varenka Dobrosyolova. It is in relations with her that one can observe the whole breadth of the soul of a simple and poor person. When Varvara is in trouble, Makar selflessly helps her, sparing neither strength nor last money... After this incident, the heroes start a correspondence, which reflects the fullness of Makar's feelings and shows the girl's attitude towards her relative. Varvara's letters and rare visits become the meaning of Makar's life. The inconspicuous titular councilor shows himself with better side - this humble person has a huge heart, overflowing with compassion and love. It is the opposition that runs like a red thread throughout the novel: the little man has a big heart. The anti-hero in the work is Bykov, from whose atrocities Varvara slept, seeking consolation and support in Devushkin's apartment. Bykov is a huge fellow, an arrogant and unprincipled landowner who does not consider the feelings of others. Dostoevsky confronts two images, a small man with a big heart and a big man with a small heart. Varenka finds kindness where she did not expect. Makar's unselfishness helped her recover both spiritually and physically. At the same time, the author emphasizes how important the support of loved ones was at that time. The state turned a blind eye to the atrocities, it could only rely on itself or the help of those who were not indifferent. Varenka was lucky to meet a disinterested person who saved her from hopelessness and life injustice.

However, Dostoevsky's craving for realism reveals itself in Devushkin's negative features. As soon as the main character realized that he could not feed himself and Varvara, he applied to the bottle. This is how the weakness of his character is manifested, the inability to rebuff the heavy blows of fate. Moreover, Makar is uneducated. He is fond of reading vulgar literature, and only Varenka makes it clear to him that it is necessary to be enlightened. Dostoevsky expresses through the image of Devushkin the main problem of all "little people" - they not only need money, but also arbitrarily keep themselves within the conventional framework, sinning with stupidity. They don't want to develop intellectually.

Makar Devushkin collected the features of a typical representative of the time when society consisted entirely of small people. On his example, we see the attitude of the "top" towards the poor. It can be seen that the state did not care about such people, treated them indifferently. Such an attitude was so deeply rooted in the consciousness of man that he himself began to consider himself insignificant, although his abilities were much greater thanks to virtue and a huge heart.

Makar Alekseevich Devushkin - one of the two main characters in the novel "Poor People" by the Russian writer of the 19th century Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky.

Form [ | ]

A petty elderly official who has no chance of making a career. Nothing remarkable happens in his life. He lives inconspicuously, avoiding human eyes, in a cheap rented apartment on the outskirts of St. Petersburg. As the image unfolds, Devushkin begins to seem like a person with a subtle and peculiar character. In addition, he is a model of a hero who would later appear in other works of Dostoevsky.

Judging by the writer's letters and writings, Dostoevsky had little interest in his ancient genealogy. His father "never spoke about his family and did not answer when asked about his parentage." From the notes of Fyodor Mikhailovich's brother, Andrei Dostoevsky, it follows that even in the patronymic of the grandfather and the maiden name of the grandmother, the brothers were no longer sure. The biographer of the writer Lyudmila Saraskina noted that already in Devushkin, the protagonist of Dostoevsky's first novel, the same attitude towards his ancestry is manifested. The character only knows about his father that he “was called, presumably, Alexei Devushkin; he was 'not of the nobility', burdened by his family and extremely poor. "

Attitude to Varenka[ | ]

In the house opposite there is an apartment in which a young single girl Varvara Dobroselova lives. Makar Devushkin's love for Varenka, according to researchers of Dostoevsky's work, is a lofty and painful feeling. The official confines himself to paternal concern for the girl, which, nevertheless, transforms him. He himself writes about this transformation: “When I got to know you, I became, firstly, know myself better and began to love you<…> I was lonely and seemed to be sleeping, and not living in the world<…> you lit up the dark my whole life<…> and I found peace of mind. "

Every evening Makar Devushkin writes her long letters, which he tries to convey as discreetly as possible along with sweets and outfits. In his letters, he talks about everything that he saw, heard or read, shares his feelings, describes in detail his work, his flatmates, even promises to make a date with the girl. It becomes necessary for Devushkin to record the course of his relationship. Varenka is especially necessary for Devushkin as a listener of his most varied feelings, capable of accumulating and neutralizing these feelings. At the same time, Makar does not plan to marry her, refusing even to visit the girl: “What are you writing, my dear? How will I come to you? My dear, what will people say? After all, it will be necessary to cross the courtyard, our people will notice, they will start asking questions - talk will go, gossip will go, the matter will give a different meaning. No, my little angel, I'd rather see you tomorrow at the all-night vigil; it will be more reasonable and harmless for both of us. " Epistolary relationships allow the dreamer Devushkin to fully “express passion”. The main thing for him is his own imagination and fantasy, and not reality.

Attitude towards the opinions of others[ | ]

At the service Devushkin is afraid of the views of his colleagues, does not dare to take his eyes off the table. “Why, Varenka, is killing me? It is not money that is killing me, but all these everyday worries, all these whispers, smiles, jokes, ”he writes in one of his letters. Co-workers appear to him as enemies. Devushkin is very concerned about rumors and gossip. He tries on any novel he reads for himself. All the time it seems to him that he is being watched and tracked down, and there are only enemies around. He has an acute inferiority complex, fear, suffering, which prevents him from communicating with others on an equal footing.

In an effort to hide from reality, Devushkin focuses on letters, since they allow him to avoid communicating with real-life people. In one of his letters to Varenka, talking about the fear of condemnation by those around him, Devushkin writes: “... It doesn't matter to me, even if I walk in a bitter frost without an overcoat and without boots, I will endure and endure everything ... but what will people say? Enemies of mine, all these evil tongues that will speak when you go without an overcoat? "

Passion for literature[ | ]

Devushkin is quite poorly versed in literature and is not able to recognize true masterpieces, but he is keen on literature. In one of his letters he declares: “A good thing is literature, Varenka, very good.<…> Deep thing!<…> Literature is a picture. " In the first letter to Varenka he uses the stamps of sentimental-romantic literature: “I compared you with a bird of heaven, for the joy of people and for decorating nature<…> I have one book there<…> so it is the same, everything is described in great detail. " In the next letter he moves on to a "physiological" sketch, telling about the apartment in which he lives. Makar Devushkin's penchant for writing influenced the choice of the form of the entire work.

Devushkin consistently reads the stories "" by Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin and "The Overcoat" by Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol, given to him by Varenka. And if an official is delighted with Pushkin, noting the human fate in the fate of Samson Vyrin, then in Gogol he finds only a mockery of himself. Already the critics of the 1840s, having drawn attention to the historical and genetic connection between Poor People and the Overcoat, noted that Akaki Akakievich, the main character of the story, served as the literary prototype of Makar Devushkin. And Devushkin himself identifies with Gogol's official. After reading "The Overcoat" Devushkin is very agitated, as he tries on the story on himself and feels himself guessed: “It is bad, my dear, it is bad that you put me to such an extreme ... How! So after that, you can't live quietly, in your little corner ... so that they don't sneak into your kennel, but don't spy on ... And why write this? And what is it for? Why would any of the readers make me an overcoat for this, or what? Will he buy new boots? No, Varenka, he will read it, and even continue to demand. Sometimes you hide, you hide, you hide in what you did not take, you are afraid to show your nose at times - wherever it may be, because you tremble at gossip, because of everything that is in the world, of everything, libel will work for you, and that's all your civil and family life goes around literature, everything is printed, read, ridiculed, condemned! Yes, here and on the street will not be ... "

Spiritual breakdown [ | ]

Passion for literature becomes the reason for the spiritual breakdown experienced by the official. Reading "The Overcoat" becomes the culminating moment in the depicted segment of the hero's life. Devushkin started drinking and began to deny all literature. At the same time, the character begins to think more broadly. Notices social contrasts in the surrounding reality. He sees the problem in the disunity of people. Outputs the community principle: “complete<…> think of yourself alone, live for yourself alone<…> look around, will you not see for your worries an object more noble than your boots! " ...

Origin of the name and surname[ | ]

The origin and meaning of the name Makar Devushkin was suggested by Dostoevsky himself. In one of his letters to Varvara Dobroselova, his hero writes: “Here, my dear, you see, how things have gone: everything is on Makar Alekseevich; All they knew how to do was to introduce Makar Alekseevich into the proverb in our entire department. Yes, not only did they make a proverb and almost a swear word out of me - they got to my boots, to my uniform, to my hair, to my figure ... "Thus, the name of Makar is interpreted by the proverb" All the bumps fall on poor Makar. " Philologist Moisei Altman especially emphasized that already in the first novel Dostoevsky used the artistic method of understanding the name of a literary hero by comparing it with an identical name from a proverb.

Identification with the author[ | ]

Before Poor People, Dostoevsky was fascinated by the historical dramas of Schiller and Pushkin, but having discovered a “strange” man and feeling deep sympathy and interest for him, he wrote the first novel about him, while realizing his literary destiny. This character lived in himself, therefore, with the help of Poor People, Dostoevsky wrote himself. An indirect sign of similarity is the fact that Devushkin dreams of becoming a "poet", while Dostoevsky himself dreams of becoming a "writer." Outraged by the identification of the character with the author, Dostoevsky wants to say that Makar Devushkin is, in fact, his double, but the writer so skillfully pretended to be Devushkin that the reader did not notice it.

Criticism [ | ]

The researcher of Dostoevsky's work Kennosuke Nakamura, having attempted an unbiased reading of the novel, comes to the conclusion that the protagonist is a strange person with an inferiority complex. Makar Devushkin's imagination and sensitivity are unusually developed, so he is unable to communicate with other people and expresses his thoughts in letters. His inherent excessive delicacy and fear of reality make him completely powerless in real life, forming a strange and funny type. In the hero of Poor People, Dostoevsky discovered the secret spiritual world of a humiliated and sick person, and this novel anticipates all subsequent works of the author.

Influence on further creativity[ | ]

Makar Devushkin served as a literary prototype for Yakov Petrovich Golyadkin, the main character of the story "