"The extraordinary... have the right to commit all kinds of crimes and to break the law in all ways, for the simple reason which are extraordinary." [1] Dostoevsky's main characters are divided into two philosophical categories. The first group maintains that man is not equal, but divided into two groups: the ordinary and the extraordinary. Ordinary people are trapped in the laws and traditions of society, existing only to reproduce their own kind. The extraordinary, however, have the moral right to break the law if their transgression is aimed at the betterment of humanity. The second group believes that all people are equal and that there is no ubermensch, or superior man, who has the right to harm others for personal gain. Dostoevsky opposed the theory of the ubermensch, revealing it in his portrayal of characters. Those who supported the idea of ​​a superman appeared negative while opponents were looked at with admiration. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Svidrigalov in Crime and Punishment and Fyodor Karamazov in The Brothers Karamazov were supporters of the idea of ​​Superman. Svidrigalov is the emblem of this extreme philosophical vision. His only goal was to satisfy his physical desires, regardless of the means necessary to achieve his goals. Rumors had circulated linking him to the death of a servant as well as the suicide of a deaf-mute fourteen-year-old girl. “One day the girl was found hanging in the attic,” explained Peter Petrovich. “The verdict was suicide… but a subsequent report emerged that the child had been cruelly abused by Svidrigalov.” [2] He was known to have abused his wife and was suspected of beating her, which ultimately led to her death. However, he insisted that a good relationship existed between them, at least according to his definition. “During our seven years together I only used the switch twice in total (not counting a third time, which was extremely ambiguous anyway),” he explained to Raskolnikov. [3] Svidrigalov stopped at nothing in his attempt to seduce Sonia, Raskolnikov's sister, and also attempted to blackmail her, although unsuccessfully. Fyodor Karamazov indulged in irresponsible activities just like Svidrigalov. His life consisted of drinking, debauchery and mistreating his wives. "As the primitive patriarch that he is, he begins by stealing them from their families or raping them; then he soon abandons them to pursue other women." [4]He neglected his children when they were infants, leaving them to be raised by relatives. Karamazov is callous and selfish, he demonstrates this by ridiculing his second wife in the presence of their children and depriving the eldest son of his inheritance. The narrator describes him as "a despicable, vicious and at the same time senseless man." [5] Similar to Svidrigalov's involvement with the deaf-mute girl, Karamazov was said to have raped a mentally retarded woman who died after giving birth. The whole town was talking about Lizaveta's condition and trying to find out who had done her wrong. Then suddenly the terrible rumor spread throughout the city that it was none other than Fyodor Karamazov. [6]Dostoevsky paints a negative portrait of these two men: representations of the ubermensch. Svidrigalov and Karamazov do not put anyone before themselves and are only concerned with realizing their selfish aspirations. They are “terribly vital and vitalistically terrible,” writes Harold Bloom. [7] Machiavellian in their outlook, they believe that any means is justified as long as it helps achieve the desired result. Dostoevsky uses these characters toshow the destruction that comes from the fact that a single man believes he is superior to another morally free to do anything, even if it means the death of an innocent person. On Dostoevsky's use of Svidrigalov and Karamazov, Ernest Simmons writes: "Ideas... play the central role in his novels. His main figures are often embodied ideas and he seems to be concerned not so much with the lives of his characters as with the ideas that they represent". [8] By describing Svidrigalov and Karamazov as entirely negative characters, Dostoevsky reveals his disapproval of the idea of ​​the ubermensch. Alyosha in The Brothers Karamazov serves as a foil to Karamazov and Svidrigalov. Instead of pursuing selfish desires, he dedicates himself to helping others. For Alyosha, no person is more important than another, everyone has the same value, whatever their social position. He got much of his philosophy from Fr. Zosima, a holy monk who lived in the monastery. Bro. Zosima was once questioned about his views on equality. “Should we sit our servants on the sofa and offer them tea?” he was asked. For the questioner, this scenario was absurd. Servants were considered inferior to their employers and would never have the opportunity to share tea with them. However, to everyone's surprise, Fr. Zosima replied: "Why not, at least sometimes." [9] Alyosha applied this way of thinking by accepting people for their quality of character rather than their wealth or social class. He befriended Grushenka, who was shunned by many due to her reputation as a prostitute. “You should love people for no reason, like Alyosha does,” she tells her cousin. [10] Alyosha also had a strong relationship with children. Kolya, a boy who idolized him, observed that "Alyosha treated him exactly like an equal and then talked to him just as if he had grown up." [11] Alyosha also shows love and respect towards Karamazov, his father. The fact that he does not judge the amoral man who tormented his mother and abandoned him and his brothers reveals his strength of character. Alyosha brought with him something that his father had never known before: a complete absence of contempt for him and a constant kindness, a perfectly natural and spontaneous devotion to the old man who deserved her so little. [12]Alyosha treated everyone with equality and generosity? He is Dostoevsky's ideal character. Dostoevsky showed two extremes with Karamazov and Svidrigalov and with Alyosha. Since Karamazov and Svidrigalov live as Supermen giving priority to the satisfaction of selfish desires, they are described negatively by the author. Alyosha, who is exactly the opposite, is shown as a moral hero. But while these characters help reveal Dostoevsky's feelings about the idea of ​​the Ubermensch, his views are best expounded with Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment, a character who believes strongly in the idea of ​​a superior man, but later changes his views. his opinions. Raskolnikov is a former student in a largely ignorant St. Petersburg. He's smart and he clearly knows it. Raskolnikov begins to believe that because he is intellectually superior to the common person, he has the right to break the law if he decides that his illegal act would improve society. "He divides man into two main groups: "the trembling multitude of common men and the bold minority of exceptional individuals who have the right to transgress the conventional rules of social law and custom." [13] However, although l Raskolnikov's idea had been analyzed and Raskolnikov, after intellectual reflection, soon came to question its validity, Raskolnikov killed an old pawnbroker whom he considered a useless "louse". "I didn't kill a person, I have. 729.