Dostoyevsky’s pawn: three thousand at the novel «Crime and Punishment»

The article contains a detailed analysis of the function of the frequency
repetition of three thousand rubles at the novel «Crime and Punishment»
by F. M. Dostoyevsky. Frequency numerical repetitions at the author’s poetics
repeatedly attracted attention of researchers, but this money repetition at the
novel still was not noted. The paper investigates three thousand rubles
in the context of the plot connection of main heroes united responsible at this
sum – in the reality or the ideological: Raskolnikov, Svidrigailov, Sonya, Marfa
Petrovna, Razumikhin, Alyona Ivanovna, Dunya, Lebezyatnikov, Luzhyn. The
article presents methods of leading into the plot three thousand, points to its
linkage with ideas of heroes. Money make the through semantic plot with similar
thematic variants: three thousand as the devilish temptation, as the rationalistic
idea of prosperity, as means of manipulation by other will (the power), as
the ethical retribution for crime, as the momentary, miraculous, fairy liberation
from want, as means permissive to begin the new – other – life. As the biographical
source of this sum investigated the history of creation of novel in the
context of the Dostoyevsky’s biographical circumstances of life: extreme want
and dependence by creditor, endeavors to sell nonexistent novel, to pledge manuscript
in sum three thousand, roulette as passion and method to find the necessary
sum, change of plan of novel («The Drunkards» – «Crime and Punishment
»), the bonded publisher’s agreement by F. T. Stellovsky and necessity in
time to write one, gambling, novel («The Gambler») inside other («Crime and
Punishment») and other. Considered letters this period allow assessing tension
and dramatic of money search, connection writer’s plans with extreme complicated
life’s circumstances. Few draft editions of novel investigated dynamics of
work with option of money sum, among which three thousand in series move forward in the foreground, widening of circle of heroes involved to them, forming
of circle of ideas connected with the fast and unexpected enrichment, that
only can take out financial, moral and psychological being. All of them allow
identifying awareness and succession of inclusion the through symbolical detail,
tracing dynamics of forming of leitmotif main themes. Linkage of this repetition
at the plot of the novel «Crime and Punishment» with circle of ideas and circumstance
of writer’s life gives the interesting content for investigate of various
aspects of psychology of creativity.