Russian Estate in Dostoevsky’s Novel Crime and Punishment
The article analyzes for the first time in the history of research on Dostoevsky the image of the Russian rural estate in the novel Crime and Punishment, in the context of the whole problematic of the book, with an emphasis on plot-compositional and semantic-semiotic aspects. The author previously c...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Russian Academy of Sciences. A.M. Gorky Institute of World Literature
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Достоевский и мировая культура: Филологический журнал |
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| Online Access: | http://dostmirkult.ru/images/2022-4/04_Bogdanova_136-162.pdf |
| _version_ | 1811203936706625536 |
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| author | Olga A. Bogdanova |
| author_facet | Olga A. Bogdanova |
| author_sort | Olga A. Bogdanova |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The article analyzes for the first time in the history of research on Dostoevsky the image of the Russian rural estate in the novel Crime and Punishment, in the context of the whole problematic of the book, with an emphasis on plot-compositional and semantic-semiotic aspects. The author previously clarifies the outstanding role of the rural estate as an ideal of life-settlement in the writer’s biography from childhood (Darovoye) to the end of life (the lawsuit about the Ryazan estate in the “case of the Kumanin inheritance”). The appearance of the estate of the Svidrigailovs, the structure of their life, the characters and lifestyle of both spouses are reconstructed according to the details scattered in the text of the novel. The semantics of their names is considered: Arkady and Marfa. It is shown that the name Arkady, used by Dostoevsky in three different works (“A Weak Heart”, Crime and Punishment, The Adolescent) actualizes the idyllic topos of Arcadia from ancient mythology, with which Russian landowner’s estate was traditionally associated. However, the destruction of the “culture of the estates” during the years of liberal reforms (the 1860s) strengthens the socio-critical pathos in the representation of the “estate topos” in Russian literature, which is noticeable in Crime and Punishment. The peculiarity of Dostoevsky’s “estate text” in contrast with I.S. Turgenev, I.A. Goncharov, N.A. Nekrasov, L.N. Tolstoy, etc. is that it is given an ontological dimension. On one hand, the Svidrigailov estate is a pagan topos, a place to satisfy the hedonistic needs of its owners, on the other, it is the locus of Marfa Petrovna’s spiritual growth in repentance, prayer, and posthumous convergence with the New Testament Martha, the sister of Lazarus, resurrected by Christ. In turn, Arkady Ivanovich, being by nature a good person, without the help of Christ he rejected, perishes because of the lustful passion that seized him. The concept of the estate as a pagan topos, embodied by Dostoevsky in Crime and Punishment, was understood and continued in the Silver Age by N.A. Berdyaev, G.I. Chulkov, A.N. Tolstoy, N.S. Gumilev, etc. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T03:03:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d6858f14941c4689a76b1eaf084d8399 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2619-0311 2712-8512 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T03:03:12Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Russian Academy of Sciences. A.M. Gorky Institute of World Literature |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Достоевский и мировая культура: Филологический журнал |
| spelling | doaj.art-d6858f14941c4689a76b1eaf084d83992022-12-22T03:50:36ZengRussian Academy of Sciences. A.M. Gorky Institute of World LiteratureДостоевский и мировая культура: Филологический журнал2619-03112712-85122022-12-014 (20)13616210.22455/2619-0311-2022-4-136-162Russian Estate in Dostoevsky’s Novel Crime and PunishmentOlga A. Bogdanova0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7004-498XA.M. Gorky Institute of World Literature of the Russian Academy of SciencesThe article analyzes for the first time in the history of research on Dostoevsky the image of the Russian rural estate in the novel Crime and Punishment, in the context of the whole problematic of the book, with an emphasis on plot-compositional and semantic-semiotic aspects. The author previously clarifies the outstanding role of the rural estate as an ideal of life-settlement in the writer’s biography from childhood (Darovoye) to the end of life (the lawsuit about the Ryazan estate in the “case of the Kumanin inheritance”). The appearance of the estate of the Svidrigailovs, the structure of their life, the characters and lifestyle of both spouses are reconstructed according to the details scattered in the text of the novel. The semantics of their names is considered: Arkady and Marfa. It is shown that the name Arkady, used by Dostoevsky in three different works (“A Weak Heart”, Crime and Punishment, The Adolescent) actualizes the idyllic topos of Arcadia from ancient mythology, with which Russian landowner’s estate was traditionally associated. However, the destruction of the “culture of the estates” during the years of liberal reforms (the 1860s) strengthens the socio-critical pathos in the representation of the “estate topos” in Russian literature, which is noticeable in Crime and Punishment. The peculiarity of Dostoevsky’s “estate text” in contrast with I.S. Turgenev, I.A. Goncharov, N.A. Nekrasov, L.N. Tolstoy, etc. is that it is given an ontological dimension. On one hand, the Svidrigailov estate is a pagan topos, a place to satisfy the hedonistic needs of its owners, on the other, it is the locus of Marfa Petrovna’s spiritual growth in repentance, prayer, and posthumous convergence with the New Testament Martha, the sister of Lazarus, resurrected by Christ. In turn, Arkady Ivanovich, being by nature a good person, without the help of Christ he rejected, perishes because of the lustful passion that seized him. The concept of the estate as a pagan topos, embodied by Dostoevsky in Crime and Punishment, was understood and continued in the Silver Age by N.A. Berdyaev, G.I. Chulkov, A.N. Tolstoy, N.S. Gumilev, etc.http://dostmirkult.ru/images/2022-4/04_Bogdanova_136-162.pdfdostoevskycrime and punishmentrussian estate“estate text”“estate habitus”arcadiaontological dimensionpagan toposreception in the silver age |
| spellingShingle | Olga A. Bogdanova Russian Estate in Dostoevsky’s Novel Crime and Punishment Достоевский и мировая культура: Филологический журнал dostoevsky crime and punishment russian estate “estate text” “estate habitus” arcadia ontological dimension pagan topos reception in the silver age |
| title | Russian Estate in Dostoevsky’s Novel Crime and Punishment |
| title_full | Russian Estate in Dostoevsky’s Novel Crime and Punishment |
| title_fullStr | Russian Estate in Dostoevsky’s Novel Crime and Punishment |
| title_full_unstemmed | Russian Estate in Dostoevsky’s Novel Crime and Punishment |
| title_short | Russian Estate in Dostoevsky’s Novel Crime and Punishment |
| title_sort | russian estate in dostoevsky s novel crime and punishment |
| topic | dostoevsky crime and punishment russian estate “estate text” “estate habitus” arcadia ontological dimension pagan topos reception in the silver age |
| url | http://dostmirkult.ru/images/2022-4/04_Bogdanova_136-162.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT olgaabogdanova russianestateindostoevskysnovelcrimeandpunishment |