Humiliated and Insulted

«Humiliated and Insulted» — the first major novel by F. M. Dostoevsky, written after his return from Siberian exile. Created in 1861, it still retains the memory of the «natural school» and the sentimental poetics of «Poor Folk», but is already closely approaching the painful reflection of the future Pentateuch. A story of love, family intrigues, forged documents, the fate of an orphaned girl, the clash of poverty and aristocratic arbitrariness come together in a narrative reminiscent of an adventure novel. However, behind the melodramatic collisions, a sober analysis of human nature emerges: humiliation appears here not only as a social reality but also as a moral experience, and compassion — the only true measure of dignity. It is here that one of the most important types for Dostoevsky first appears — the cold, calculating egoist Prince Valkovsky, anticipating many characters in his later works. This is not only an important stage in the writer's creative biography but also a novel in which his main interest first manifests with particular clarity: man at the moment of moral choice.