Great people are great in everything. Often phrases from novels written by recognized geniuses of the literary world become winged and passed from mouth to mouth for many generations.
This happened with the expression "Beauty will save the world." It is used by many and every time in a new sound, with a new meaning. Who said: "Beauty will save the world"? These words belong to one of the protagonists of the work of the great Russian classicist, thinker, genius - Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky.
Fedor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky
The famous Russian writer was born in 1821 on November 11. He grew up in a large and poor family, characterized by extreme religiosity, virtue and decency. Father is a parish priest, mother is a merchant's daughter.
Throughout the childhood of the future writer, the family regularly attended church, children, along with adults, read the Old, Old and New Testaments. Dostoevsky remembered the Gospel very much; he will not mention this in more than one work in the future.
The writer studied in boarding houses, far from home. Then at the College of Engineering. The next and main milestone in his life was the literary path, which captured him completely and irrevocably.
One of the most difficult moments was hard labor, which lasted 4 years.
The most famous works are the following:
- "Poor people."
- "White Nights.
- "Double".
- "Notes from the dead house."
- "The Brothers Karamazov."
- "Crime and Punishment".
- "Idiot" (from this novel the phrase "Beauty will save the world").
- "Demons."
- "Teenager".
- "Diary of a writer."
In all works, the writer raised acute issues of morality, virtue, conscience and honor. The philosophy of moral principles excited him tremendously, and this was reflected in the pages of his works.
Common phrases from Dostoevsky’s novels
The question of who said: “Beauty will save the world” can be answered in two ways. On the one hand, this is the hero of the novel "Idiot" Ippolit Terentyev, who retells other people's words (allegedly a statement by Prince Myshkin). However, this phrase can then be attributed to the prince himself.
On the other hand, it turns out that these words belong to the author of the novel, Dostoevsky. Therefore, there are several interpretations of the origin of the phrase.
Fedor Mikhailovich has always been inherent in this feature: many of the phrases he wrote became winged. After all, for sure everyone knows such words as:
- "Money is coined freedom."
- "One must love life more than the meaning of life."
- "People, people - this is the most important thing. People are more expensive than even money."
And this, of course, is not the whole list. But there is also the most famous and beloved phrase by many, which the writer used in his work: "Beauty will save the world." It still raises many different discussions about the meaning contained in it.
Novel "Idiot"
This novel was written by the author in 1868. Very interesting and sad in its outcome, the story of an infinitely pure, naive, kind and honest man - Prince Myshkin, mentally ill, but worthily experiencing his ailment.
The main line throughout the novel is love. Love and inner emotional tragedy of the heroes: Aglaya Yepanchina, Nastasya Filippovna, Prince Myshkin and others.
Many people do not take the main character seriously, considering it a completely harmless child. However, the plot twists so that it is the prince who becomes the center of all events. It is he who turns out to be the object of love of two beautiful and strong women.
But his personal qualities, humanity, excessive insight and sensitivity, love for people, a desire to help offended and rejected people played a cruel joke with him. He made a choice and made a mistake. His brain, tormented by the disease, cannot stand it, and the prince turns into a completely mentally retarded person, just a child.
Who said: "Beauty will save the world"? The great humanist, sincere, open and infinitely kind person, who understood precisely such qualities by the beauty of people - Prince Myshkin.
Prince Myshkin: virtue or stupidity?
This is almost as difficult a question as the meaning of the catch phrase about beauty. Some will say virtue. Others are stupid. This is what will determine the beauty of the responding person. Everyone reasoned and understood the meaning of the fate of the hero, his character, the way of thoughts and experiences in his own way.
In places in the novel there is indeed a very fine line between the stupidity and sensitivity of the hero. After all, by and large, it was his virtue, his desire to protect, to help everyone around him that became fatal and destructive for him.
He is looking for beauty in people. He notices her in everyone. He sees a limitless ocean of beauty in Nastasya Filippovna, Aglaya and believes that beauty will save the world. Statements about this phrase in the novel ridicule her, the prince, his understanding of the world and people. However, many felt how good he was. And envied his purity, love for people, soulfulness. From envy, perhaps, they said disgusting.
The value of the image of Ippolit Terentyev
In fact, his image is episodic. He is only one of many people who envy the prince, discuss him, condemn and do not understand. He laughs at the phrase "Beauty will save the world." His reasoning on this score is certain: the prince said utter stupidity and there is no sense in his phrase.
However, he, of course, is, and very deep. It's just that for limited people like Terentyev, the main thing is money, a respectable appearance, position. His inner content and soul are not very interested in him, which is why he makes fun of the prince’s statement.
What is the meaning of the expression invested by the author?
Dostoevsky always appreciated the subtle spiritual organization of people, their honesty, inner beauty and fullness of worldview. It was these qualities that he endowed with his unhappy hero. Therefore, speaking of who said: “Beauty will save the world”, we can confidently say that the author of the novel himself, through the image of his hero.
With this phrase, he tried to make it clear that the main thing is not the appearance, not the beautiful facial features and the stateness of the figure. And then, for which they love people - their inner world, spiritual qualities. It is kindness, responsiveness and humanity, sensitivity and love for all living things that will allow people to save the world. That is what real beauty is, and people with such qualities are truly beautiful.