Abstract
The creative heritage of F. M. Dostoevsky and V. M. Shukshin occupies a special place in Russian and world literature. Each character of their works is endowed with a distinctive character, folk wisdom and unique speech features.
Now in literary criticism there is no common opinion regarding the typology of V. M. Shukshin’s short prose heroes. Shukshin scholars in different ways represent the dominant set of characters in the writer's works, and some of the critics completely deny the possibility of equating V. M. Shukshin to a certain type.
F. M. Dostoevsky’s characters are the subject of scientific searches of various literary scholars, linguists and philosophers. The classic of Russian literature is known all over the world for a special psychological code that motivates each of the characters to actions that destroy their inner world. The phenomenon of "Dostoevshchina" to this day remains one of the most complex and mysterious concepts in literature.
The motive of “punishment” for the committed “crime” occupies a special place in the works of both writers. This motive is most vividly reflected in the novel of the same name by F. M. Dostoevsky and in the story of V. M. Shukshina "The Red Snowball Tree". These works are the material for this article.
The main characters - Rodion Raskolnikov and Yegor Prokudin – their motives and subsequent actions - are the object of research.
The purpose of this work is a comparative analysis of the goal-setting of two characters when committing a “crime” entailed “punishment”.
Key words
Dostoevshchina, literary hero, psychologism, comparative analysis, shukshin studies.