Dostoevsky, "Humiliated and Insulted": summary, analysis and reviews

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Every self-respecting person should know the works of the great Russian writer Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky. If there is absolutely not enough time to fully read all the books, read "Humiliated and Insulted" first. A summary (part 1 and subsequent ones will be discussed in this review) will tell you about the difficult history of two families and teach you to recognize good and evil, sincerity and lies, love and false feelings.

The main characters of the novel

Fyodor Dostoevsky introduces Ivan Petrovich into the narrative, a writer who finishes his story by the end of the work. He began to keep a diary not from a good life: in childhood, his parents left him an orphan, and the boy was brought up in the house of Nikolai Sergeevich Ikhmenev. He was a good but impoverished family, lost his estate, but soon became the owner of a small village and married AnnaAndreevna Shumilova. In later chapters, the family runs into trouble. The reader understands that the title of the work was not chosen by chance, and it is the Ikhmenevs who are humiliated and insulted.

Summary tells that Prince Peter Alexandrovich Valkovsky and his son Alyosha began to visit the old people. Ikhmenev soon became the manager, but after the conflict, his family was forced to go to St. Petersburg again. The daughter of Nikolai Sergeevich and Anna Andreeva, Natasha, was a stumbling block between Alyosha and the writer Ivan. The subsequent events of this love triangle will be described in the book "Humiliated and Insulted". A brief summary of parts and chapters will convey the complexity of the relationship between the two families.

Sub-characters of the novel and their role

The action begins in a German candy store, where old man Smith is heading with his dog Azorka. In the room, he annoys those present with his many hours of pastime, but he is no longer destined to return here … Azorka suddenly dies of old age or hunger, after which the old man hurried to the exit and also died unexpectedly.

Become eyewitnesses of the actions of the novel "Humiliated and Insulted": a summary of the chapters will tell you how important it is in this cruel world to remain a good person, like the main character Ivan was. Smith tells him his address, and soon the young man moves to his apartment, where he meets the old man's granddaughter, Elena. Anna Trifonovna Bubnova, the owner of this orphan girl, often beats her and humiliates her. Philip Filippovich Masloboev -Vanya's school friend to whom he tells the story of Smith.

Princess Katerina Fyodorovna Filimonova first becomes Alyosha's girlfriend, and then a bride, thereby destroying his relationship with Natasha. The heroine appears infrequently in the novel, but it immediately becomes clear to the reader that a naive child is hiding under the mask of this rich woman.

Contents of Part 1 "Humiliated and Insulted" (brief)

Reviews about this novel range from enthusiastically positive to disapproving, but in order to appreciate the writer's idea, you need to delve into the era of the 19th century and understand the complexity of the relationship of the main characters.

On the first pages of his book, Dostoevsky introduces the reader to the life of Ivan Petrovich, the family of Ikhmenev and Valkovsky. The prince sends his son Alyosha to the house of Nikolai Sergeevich for educational purposes, and there the young man begins an affair with Natasha. All this happened during the absence of Ivan, who went to study in St. Petersburg. Upon his return, the young writer realizes that Natasha is his destiny. Ivan makes her an offer, which the girl accepts, but the old people are in no hurry with the wedding, and this mistake becomes fatal … Soon Natasha goes to Alyosha, who later turned out to be a scoundrel.

Unfortunate Ivan moves into Smith's apartment and meets there with his granddaughter Elena. Alyosha and Natasha lived in a poor apartment on the Fontanka. The girl was often sad and was sure that the groom would leave her for Katerina Feodorovna, the young lady whom Prince Valkovsky chose for his son inwives. Natasha talked about everything intimate with Ivan, who often visited her.

Table 2 contents

Prince Valkovsky wants to become related to Katerina Filimonova, but at the same time he understands that only Natasha will bring real happiness to his son. Ivan sees Elena more often and becomes a witness to how cruelly the old woman Bubnova treats her: after the beatings, the girl begins to have seizures. It is hard to believe that such cruel women still live on earth, but a description of such atrocity is given in the book "Humiliated and Insulted". The summary, fortunately, does not convey the full horror of the fourth chapter of the second part.

The young man decides to take the girl away, hires a doctor for her, buys good clothes, but she was eager to work and is ready to go back to the old tyrant. The poor thing begins to take care of her savior herself and asks from now on to call her Nelly - that was the name of her foreign mother.

Table 3 contents

Approaching Natasha's apartment on the Fontanka, Ivan noticed the carriage of Prince Valkovsky, with whom they then entered the house together. The girl was alone and said that Alyosha had not appeared for several days, but as soon as she started talking, he suddenly returned from Katerina Filimonova. Natasha flared up, deciding that the prince was only trying to seem kind, but in fact he longed for this rich young lady to be his son's bride …

Alyosha swore to Ikhmeneva in eternal love and that he treats Katya only as a sister. But the girl did not believe and asked Ivan to visitcountess. It is easy to guess that fate cruelly played a trick on the Ikhmenev family, and it was they who were humiliated and insulted. A brief description of subsequent events reveals this idea. Soon the prince received an offer to visit the countess. Gradually, the reader learns that Katerina is in love with Ivan, and he almost does not love Natasha. The drunken prince revealed a different side at the evening: he confessed his selfish intentions and announced his desire to marry his son and countess.

Content 4 parts

Now Ivan's soul hurts for two girls: for Natasha and Nelly. The second became naughty and made fun of her doctor. The unfortunate woman was diagnosed with heart disease, and even drugs are not able to prolong her life. Nelly could not live with Ivan in peace, so she ran away, leaving a note. The doctor, who at first seemed to be her friend, refused to take her in, and the girl did not want to stay with the Ikhmenevs.

Followed by the culmination of the novel "The Humiliated and Insulted" - a summary of the subsequent chapters reveals the vile essence of the entire Valkovsky family. Alyosha declares that she loves Katerina Filimonova, but is in a hurry to marry Natasha, because she cannot imagine life without her. But their happiness is hindered by the conflict of their fathers, so Ikhmenev deprives his daughter of a parental blessing and curses her. However, the wedding of Alyosha and Natasha did not take place, and the prince, who married his son to the countess, turned out to be the winner in this battle. The old Ikhmenevs found another happiness: they forgave their daughter and began to raise Nelly as their own.

Epilogue

Nellie continued to live in the houseold Ikhmenevs, and soon got used to them, and Ivan finished his story, on which he had been working for so long. Philip Masloboev often visited the family and did not stand aside when he learned about the tragic fate of the girl. He secretly tells Ivan that Nelly is in fact not an orphan at all, but the daughter of Prince Valkovsky - this is the turning point in the book "Humiliated and Insulted". It turned out that the girl knew everything, but was silent … She lives her last days in torment. Before her death, Nelly gives Ivan a cross with an amulet, where her mother's message to Valkovsky was kept.

The story of the fall and resurrection of the main character

First love is always the most sincere, passionate and entails dire consequences - for Natasha, Alyosha was probably the first, so she left her father's house for him. She executed herself, deciding to give up everything and become a slave of this "adult child", an eternal player and a favorite of women. Because of the Valkovskys, the Ikhmenevs are not only unhappy, but also humiliated and insulted.

The summary further tells that Alyosha shamelessly complained to Katerina that Natasha did not sacrifice anything for him … Was it really not enough for him to leave the girl from his parents' house? Nikolai Ikhmenev forbade pronouncing the name of his daughter, and he himself stole a gold medallion with her portrait from his wife in order to secretly admire, remember, suffer from everyone … Natasha caused a lot of suffering to the old people, but she cannot be blamed for what she did - actions were done for the sake of love, and this is main justification. ATAt the end of the fourth part, the father forgives his daughter and falls on his knees before her. The Ikhmenevs, humiliated and offended, nevertheless reunite, and for them this is true happiness.

The role of Nelly's character in the concept of the book

The tragedy of the novel is enhanced by the description of the difficult fate of a girl with a heart defect, who, as it seems at first glance, became a participant in the action by accident. Illegitimate Nellie, who lost her mother in childhood, is doomed to hate humanity for the rest of her life, which caused her so much pain. She endures all the beatings, humiliations and refuses happiness herself - this little creature does not know what it means to be happy, perhaps that is why she cannot live with people who are just like her, humiliated and insulted.

Summary reveals the true story of her family: once Smith cursed and kicked out his daughter, who fled with her lover, who turned out to be Valkovsky. It is Nelly who returns harmony and understanding to the Ikhmenev family. Nikolai Sergeevich realizes the sinfulness of his act and throws himself at Natasha's feet with a request to forgive him. Thus, poor Nelly sacrificed herself for the sins of her mother, her vile father, and for the happiness of the Ikhmenev family.

History of Creation

The book "Humiliated and Insulted" was published in 1861 in the magazine "Time", during Dostoevsky's lifetime it was reprinted twice. In Russia, they were wary of writers who returned from exile, so the brilliant novel was notgreeted enthusiastically, although critics responded positively about him (in particular, V. G. Belinsky).

The work was filmed three times: in 1915 by the troupe of artists of the Solovtsov Theater, in 1976 a performance directed by E. Velikhanov was released. In 1991 a film directed by A. Eshpay was made; in 2005 a musical was made to the music of A. Zhurbin. To understand the idea of the novel, it is important not only to watch the production from the screen, but also to read "Humiliated and Insulted" (summary).

Hugo and his novel Les Misérables

The theme of the humiliated and offended has remained relevant in world literature for more than a century. The protagonist of the work of Victor Hugo - Jean Valzhac - spent almost 20 years in hard labor for petty theft, and when he was released, he opens his own factory and becomes mayor. He does all this under a false name, but the whole truth becomes known to the authorities: the poor man is again deprived of his freedom, but this time he escapes. Jean brings up Cosette, the daughter of an unfortunate woman who died of consumption. The girl's lover participated in the republican uprising and was convicted, but Valjac saves him and blesses the young. The following year, he dies in poverty in the arms of Cosette and her husband. Les Misérables is the story of a sinner who became a great righteous man. Thus, not only Fyodor Dostoevsky, but also Victor Hugo has works on the theme "Humiliated and Insulted".