The idea of transformation in F.M. Dostoevsky’s story “The dream of a ridiculous man”

The article proves, that the idea of transformation, the spiritual and moral dominant of Russian Orthodox culture, is most vividly reflected in the works of Russian literature and is the main one in the F. M. Dostoevsky’s story “The dream of a ridiculous man”. Approved that the providential dream in which a ridiculous man experiences the posthumous fate of a suicide (grave – hell), as well as a collision with the consequences of his own sinfulness (the fall of the heavenly planet through his fault) leads to the fact that the hero is mentally transformed, becomes an altruist and, striving to rise to the height of Christ (an allusion to the crucifixion), finds the meaning of life in preaching and active love. It is emphasized that the techniques of mirror composition contribute to the affirmation of the idea of transformation: 1. The plot about a ridiculous man who came to the good world and corrupted it by evil is mirrored in relation to the biblical plot about Christ who came to the evil world and saved it with goodness; 2. The plot about the altruistic world of another Earth, which subsequently fell, is mirrored in relation to the plot about a ridiculous man, evolving from egoism to altruism; 3. The plot about the stay of the egoist hero in the altruistic world of another Earth is mirrored in relation to the plot about the altruist hero in the egoistic world of our Earth. These compositional techniques help to understand that Dostoevsky reflected in this story the Christian understanding of the idea the man’s and world’s transformation: for the transformation of the world on Earth and its transformation into paradise it is necessary that all people be mentally transformed and elevated to altruism (become like Christ); the transformation of the human soul can occur only after the man realizes his own sinfulness, which should lead to repentance, humility and active service to God. The statement of the idea of transformation in this context proves that Dostoevsky was in the field of Russian Orthodox culture and reflected its mental characteristics.

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