1.2 «We humans can get used to anything, villains that we are!»
So, today we are discussing the second chapter of "Crime and Punishment." We are just beginning to get acquainted with Raskolnikov; Dostoevsky is already introducing us to family — the Marmeladovs
In the comments to the first chapter, it turned out that not one, but two of our fellow readers thought that the landlady of Raskolnikov’s room and the old woman he was going to see were the same character. Therefore, at the beginning of the chapters, I will write about the characters in that chapter. Gradually, as there are more of them, I will make separate pages, but for now, there are few.
The novel will have many characters and names, but most of them are mentioned only a couple of times.
In the first chapter, we had only 2 active characters: our Raskolnikov, who will always be there, and the old pawnbroker Alyona Ivanovna, whom he visited to pawn a watch and for whom he had something sinister planned. Other people were also mentioned — the landlady of Raskolnikov’s apartment, from whom he is hiding because he does not pay rent. She lives in the same house, right next to him, on the same floor.
About the characters in the second chapter
In this chapter, all the attention is on the Marmeladov family. Other names are mentioned, but in passing, to create a realistic backdrop — visitors of the tavern, Marmeladov’s neighbors, and his boss who gave him a job. But this is merely the background.
The Story of the Marmeladovs
Semyon Zakharovich is already sitting in the tavern when Raskolnikov arrives. Without hesitation, he starts talking non-stop. He laments how uncertain his life is while insisting he doesn't want pity. However, his entire story suggests he brought himself to this state. Yes, his life was tough — living in poverty is difficult. But he managed to get a job, and his salary would have been enough to avoid starvation.
But it would seem that Marmeladov is in a way afraid of "success." He’s not used to not being a victim. So, he decided to drink away all the money and not go to work, leading to his dismissal. Of course, as an alcoholic, he no longer controls himself and is ready to humiliate his family for the sake of a drink. Then he would berate himself but do nothing to improve the situation.
What emotions did you have after Marmeladov's speech? Did his story move you?
The Marmeladov family is a patched-together combination of two widowed individuals with children. On one side are Semyon Zakharovich and his daughter Sonya, and on the other is Katerina Ivanovna with her three children. They do not look like a happy family; they are united by poverty and, judging by the story, they do not help each other but only make life more difficult through constant conflict.
If it weren't for Semyon Zakharovich's second marriage, Sonya probably wouldn't have had to resort to prostitution. She did it only because of Katerina Ivanovna's persuasions and the three hungry children. But for what? It didn't improve anything.
I have already mentioned that the surname of the main character, RASKOLnikov, comes from the word раскол/raskol // split, which reflects his "internal schism." Many of the surnames in the novel also provide characteristics of the characters.
The origins of the names of the Marmeladov family are of particular interest. The surname itself has a double meaning, as in its primary sense marmalade means "candies or a thick sweet mass," so this surname should be associated with something pleasant and attractive. At first glance, such a contrast makes the reader think that Dostoevsky is being ironic, showing that behind the melodious surname lies the tragedy of the family.
If we move away from the semantic meaning of the word and analyze the structure itself, it becomes clear that marmalade is a fairly soft product that quickly loses its shape when exposed. In essence, the Marmeladovs themselves are presented in a similar manner.
Semyon Zakharovich, due to the overwhelming burdens and hardships of life, is transformed from a decent, kind person into someone suffering from alcoholism.
Katerina Ivanovna, having lost a respectable, well-off life, turns into a sick and angry woman.
Sonya, although she retains her moral core, is still forced under the pressure of difficult family relationships to take on an indecent job, thus adapting to harsh reality.
It turns out that pleasant and good-natured people, under the influence of harsh reality, lose their true selves.
Poverty is not a vice
Poverty is not a vice, that is true. It is even truer, as I also know, that drunkenness is no virtue. But beggary, my dear sir, beggary — that is a vice. In poverty the nobility of your innate sentiments is still preserved, but never in beggary, not by anyone.
This novel is also about poverty, about how a person survives in difficult situations. In the novel, it is precisely poverty that increases the amount of violence towards each other; poor people lack a sense of security and personal space. And it is poverty that pushes them to earn money by any means. That is what happened to Sonia.
Almost immediately, Marmeladov reveals to Raskolnikov that his daughter has a yellow ticket. What is this?
Yellow was the color of the document that prostitutes received instead of a passport in the Russian Empire. It was issued to prostitutes working in officially permitted brothels, while registered prostitutes working independently "on the street" received a special form from the Medical-Police Committee. This is the kind of document Sonia had.
Prostitution in Russia was legal from 1843 to 1917. This measure was taken by the Russian government after recognizing the futility of fighting underground brothels, which were hotbeds of venereal diseases. The reform did not aim to alleviate the condition of women engaged in prostitution.
The "yellow ticket" required its owner to undergo regular, humiliating administrative and medical supervision. If a woman wanted to leave prostitution, it involved bureaucratic hassle and was dangerous: by becoming a legal prostitute, a woman often fell into dependency on the brothel owner, who took all her earnings (although sometimes informal unions would form in the brothels). Independent prostitutes, such as Sonia Marmeladova, took great personal risks and earned little.
“The Yellow Ticket” is part of the sparse color scheme of “Crime and Punishment”: the yellow color is one of its leitmotifs, mentioned in the novel 30 times. It is the color of St. Petersburg, from which one needs to flee. By the way, insane asylums were also called “Yellow Houses”.
The mystery of Sonya's "first time”
30 rubles in 1865 was a colossal sum. Raskolnikov's mother received a pension of 120 rubles a year after her husband's death. For 9 rubles and 50 kopecks, Razumikhin bought used clothes: a cap, trousers, boots, shirts, and underwear. Could a young girl be paid so much for the first time?
Most likely, no. Most likely, Dostoevsky considered the biblical symbolism important here: 30 silver rubles are the 30 pieces of silver for which Sonia sells and betrays herself. The number 30 appears several more times in the novel in "betrayal" contexts. Also, Marmeladov takes 30 silver kopecks from Sonechka "for a hangover."
He alone. He who is our Judge. And He shall come on that day and shall ask: “Where is rga daughter who sacrificed herself for a cruel and consumptive stepmother, and for the little children of another?”
There are other references from the Bible in the chapter. Marmeladov is the first of Dostoevsky's characters who, in the ecstatic rapture of his confession, seemingly hears the word of the Lord directly; this observation allows us to consider his name not accidental: the name Semyon (Simeon) means "hearing God".
Mr. Lebeziatnikov — what kind of person enjoys beating women?
A few words about a secondary character are mentioned in this chapter. Marmeladov mentions several times that a certain Lebeziatnikov beat his wife. And for what reason? Because Katerina Ivanovna stood up for Sonia. Not the most pleasant person — he will appear later in the novel.
Several points are interesting here. His surname is also telling — it comes from the verb "to flatter, agree with, toady," meaning this is a person who, when convenient, will agree with everything to appear in the best light in front of others.
At the same time, Dostoevsky lets us understand that this person should or wants to be educated. He follows a fashionable philosophical trend — political economy. Its essence is that all good and morality of a person can be translated into mathematical formulas, that there are no selfless acts, and all good can be expressed in numbers because everything leads to someone's benefit.
He also gives Sonia a book to read, which at that time was read by progressive youth.
The work of English philosopher George Henry Lewes (1817-1878) covers issues of anatomy and physiology of the animal world and humans. It explores their motivation for activity, mental activity, sensations, sleep, and death. This was a book enlightened Russia was reading in the 1860s.
There was a lot of criticism towards Dostoevsky, arguing that Sonya couldn't read this book because it was too scientific. But the writer mentioned it for a reason—it adds even more tragedy to Sonia's character. Were she in different circumstances, she would have gone to university. Interestingly, Lewes's book does not include a chapter about a person's sexual life.
The path that Raskolnikov took in the second chapter is presumed, as we do not know exactly how he got home. However, he most likely took the shortest route. Marmeladov lives in a house called Kozel’s house, which is a fictional name derived from the owner's surname. It can be translated as Goat's house, probably with some subtext to the name.
In conclusion, I want to say a few words about Petersburg. In this novel, the city itself is a character; it drives people crazy with its heat, the yellow color of its buildings, and its poverty.
In July, it's the season of the white nights. They say these can also drive people crazy because it never gets dark. It's hard for me to judge, as the white nights never caused me any inconvenience. On the contrary, they were convenient for walking at night. But for those who need darkness to sleep, it will probably be uncomfortable.
When Marmeladov says, “For every man must have somewhere to go.” It reminded me of Hemingway’s short story A Clean Will Lighted Place, in which the old waiter says, “Each night I am reluctant to close up because there may be some one who needs the cafe.” Indeed, every man or woman must have somewhere to go.
It took me a good bit through the chapter to realize that this was not just the annoying ramblings of a drunk, but actually the introduction of potentially important characters. I kept waiting for Raskolnikov to get a word in edgewise. I recently finished revisiting The Odyssey, and the unfolding of Marmeladov's never-ending tale of woe seemed almost Homeric, albeit with a bit more grit and a few less gods.