The Adolescent

The novel «The Adolescent» is part of the famous «Pentateuch of Dostoevsky», in other words — in the Top-5 books of the classic of Russian and world literature. The main character, Arkady Dolgoruky, is 19 years old, but the author calls him an adolescent. Arkady himself objects to this: «What kind of adolescent am I! Do people grow at nineteen?» It turns out they do grow. If not physically, then morally. The reasons for this growth are life’s tribulations and complicated relationships with his father. Against this background, the process is particularly dramatic when, alongside the formation of personality, there begins a psychic and moral disintegration, which the hero himself also notices. What to do? Reflect on one’s actions, try to correct mistakes — and listen to the voice of one’s heart.