The article deals with the peculiarities of the verbal portrait of the characters in the works of F. M. Dostoevsky. An in-depth study of Dostoevsky's style allows us to more fully reveal the author's creation of a multi-component portrait, which is called «polyphonic» by critics, and to understand the essence of his artistic method of representation in the treatment of human characters, when the individual style prevails over the social and typical. Particular attention is paid to consider not only the detailed description of appearance, but also the grotesque sharpening of some external features, details, as well as dynamic description, that is, the description during the action in a limited space.
Keywords: dynamic portrait, human character, polyphonic portrait, concentrated and deconcentrated description, polyphony.
The verbal portrait of the heroes in the works of F. M. Dostoevsky is characterized by peculiar features. M. Dostoevsky. В. В. Vinogradov believed that Dostoyevsky's style of portraiture is «expressive, concise and impetuous».
С. M. Solovyev, describing the pictorial means in the works of the Russian writer, noted: «There are two main types of depiction of characters. One is the monological treatment of the person <...> the other is a multisubstantial, multivariant treatment of the person, which is noted for its variability, instability, plurality of contradictory qualities, and extremely broad amplitude of feeling, which allows for the coexistence of quite heterogeneous, often acutely conflicting perceptions of the world. [Solovyov 1979: 352].
Such a complex, multi-component portrait can be called polyphonic.
The term «polyphony» or «polyphonic novel» was first introduced by M. M. Bakhtin in defining the artistic method of F. M. Dostoevsky. Dostoevsky in his work organically combines these two ways of depicting the hero, «these two so heterogeneous, disparate directions in the treatment of human characters do not unfold one after another, do not replace each other, but exist in each major work together, in the neighborhood». [Bakhtin 2000: 5.]
Dostoevsky's portrait description is also polyphonic and diverse. We can say that the portrait descriptions of the characters correspond to the era of the writer, but at the same time they have certain innovative aspects, reflecting the individual style of the writer. This individual style prevails over the socio-typical. The detailed listing of the features of the characters' appearance is overshadowed by vivid expressive details, which periodically occur in the narrative of the novel.
Considering the portrait descriptions, we can say that Dostoevsky has two types of description concentrated and deconcentrated.
Concentrated description refers to a single presentation of a character's portrait, which is not supplemented in the course of the narrative The concentrated description is defined as a single presentation of a portrait of a character. Such a portrait can be extensive and detailed, but can also be quite brief. Dostoyevsky describes Luzhin in detail. It is a great detailed description of appearance, with grotesque sharpening of some external features. Such a description can be compared to a caricature, where all unattractive features are sharpened and mocked. For example, Luzhin's sideburns are noted, which, according to the author, have a resemblance to cutlets. The details in the description of Luzhin's portrait are clearly and in detail, and in general there will be nothing more to add to this detailed description of the appearance of the ow there is nothing more to add. The image is conveyed accurately.
A deconstructed portrait does not contain a clear and detailed description in one place in the novel; the appearance of the hero in such a portrait is conveyed several times throughout the narrative, regularly supplemented by certain details. That is, in order to understand what such a character looks like, it is necessary to read the entire novel, only then can a clear idea of the appearance be formed. In this deconcentrated way Dostoevsky mainly describes the most important and multifaceted characters, who are quite difficult to understand at once. Therefore, their multifacetedness is described throughout the novel. This is how Sonechka, Marmeladov, and, of course, Raskolnikov himself are described.
Often the author does not describe the character immediately after he appears in the action of the novel; the description of his appearance occurs much later. It is as if the author is looking for a more appropriate moment in order to be better seen and perceived by the reader. This is the case in the novel with Pulcheria Romanovna Raskolnikova, whose appearance is not described in her first or even second appearance in the story. The reader, who has not been described in any way, begins to imagine him for himself, and when this portrait is drawn in his mind the author decides to describe Pulcheria Romanovna after all. And the reader willy-nilly compares whether this is how he imagined her, what the author has added to her description.
In addition to the types of portrait descriptions presented, Dostoevsky also uses such a technique as «dynamic description». The essence of «dynamic description» is the simultaneous course of action in a limited space.
The dynamic description conveys not the simplicity of the hero as such, his typical features, but it is the changing expression of the face, because of some action or event, i.e. the face conveys the thoughts, feelings, doubts. Dynamic portrait description acts as a method of creating psychological characteristics of the hero, which reflect his inner world, his thoughts and feelings, inner torment. It should be noted that for Dostoevsky this technique was more important than the monotonous portrait description, for the description of the inner world and character was much more important than the description of appearance. Therefore, detailed and carefully painted portraits do not occur so often in the novel.
In addition to the types of description presented, we can note the types from the position of the number of characters described:
a) single portrait, representing the appearance of a single character;
b) a twin portrait, in which the description of two characters is given;
c) a group portrait, conveying the appearance of three or more characters.
This typology of portrait descriptions was revealed by Dostoevsky researcher I. A. Bykova, who originally developed this typology on the example of Chekhov's prose, and then transferred it to Dostoevsky's prose.
Also, each portrait of a hero has a specific function, because the author does not just present to us the appearance of the hero, he pursues certain goals. In this connection, the following functions can be distinguished:
1. The function of characterization. By presenting the appearance of the hero, the author introduces evaluative words into the description, i.e. by simply describing the appearance, the author gives a characteristic of the character, determines for the reader a positive or negative character.
For example, there is such an assessment in the description of the old money-lender's appearance: «She was a tiny, dry old woman, about sixty years old, with sharp and angry eyes, with a small pointed nose and bare-headed». The word that tells us about her character is wicked. A person with evil eyes cannot be sweet and friendly, it immediately becomes clear that the character is negative and in addition to malice, she most likely has greed, cunning and other negative qualities.
An example of a positive evaluation can be found in the description of Pulcheria Raskolnikova: «Pulcheria Alexandrovna was sensitive, though not to the point of being mawkish, timid and compliant, but to a certain extent: she could yield to much, could agree to much..., but there was always that line of honesty, rules and extreme convictions, over which no circumstances could force her to cross. There are several evaluation words here at once: sensitive, timid.
2. Text-forming function. The main means of realization of this function is the portrait chain, which, on the one hand, is a listing of the external properties and features of the character, potentially unlimited, and, on the other hand, is built on the repetition of individual moments of appearance, creating portrait unity.
For example: «The old woman, as always, was plain-haired. Her light gray hair, as usual greased with oil, was braided into a rat tail and picked up by a splinter of horny comb sticking out of the back of her head. [Dostoevsky 1972: 111].The second link of the old woman's portrait chain correlates with her description-characterization, creating a more vivid image of a «wicked and old widow» [Dostoevsky 1972: 44], emphasizing the ordinariness of her entire life.
3. The psychological function. When with the help of appearance the inner world of the hero, his feelings and thoughts, his quest is conveyed. This function is most often used by Dostoevsky, as for him the internal is much more important than the external.
For example: "...Now it was a modestly and even poorly dressed girl, very young, almost looking like a girl, with a modest and decent manner, with a clear, but as if somewhat frightened face... When she suddenly saw a room full of people, she was not only confused, but completely lost, timid, like a little child, and even made a move to go back». [Dostoevsky 1972: 259.] The example shows Sonya's insecurity, her shame about being a «girl with a yellow ticket», her fear of being judged.
In general, we have traced the main features of portrait characterization in Dostoevsky, the functions we have named are not exhaustive, Dostoevsky has many other purposes in describing the characters, we have highlighted only the most basic and typical.
In general, it should be noted that in portrait description it is more important for Dostoevsky to convey the inner world of the character than to simply present us his appearance, so the psychological function of description, occupies the largest place in the portraits of his characters.
In general, Dostoyevsky seems to talk about appearance in passing; for him, the main thing is the inner state of the hero.
References:
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- Solov'ev, S. M. Pictorial means in the works of F. M. Dostoevsky. Essays / S. M. Soloviev. M.: Soviet writer, 1979. — 352 с.
- Dostoevsky, F. M. Complete Works: in 30 volumes / F. M. Dostoevsky. Л., 1972. Т. 6. — 420 с.
- Bykova I. A. Portrait in the prose of A. P. Chekhov / I. A. Bykova. — Kharkiv, 2007. — 480 с.
- Dostoevsky at the End of the Twentieth Century. K. A. Stepanyan. М., 2016. — 470.
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