Theme of Children in Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, the Devils, The Brothers KaramazovAs an adult, Dostoyevsky became fascinated with children, but was extremely affected by the suffering they were often forced to endure. As a result, the theme of children became "one of the most important in his depiction of society" and he became obsessed with the theme of "children on the path to destruction" (p. 572, Grossman). The charming children in his novels possess a simple, vulnerable and innocent nature that highlights a contrasting and cruel society. Faced with these cruelties, children must gain strength and learn to sacrifice themselves to bear these burdens; However, if their purity and fragile innocence are undermined, they often choose to end their ordeals and commit suicide. The poverty and fast-paced environments in which children must live force them to assume some adult responsibilities and watch in helpless silence as their children. families struggle to survive. In the Marmeladov household, ten-year-old Polenka has to take care of her younger brothers and sisters and help her mother with daily chores. Although she does not fully understand what is happening around her, she feels that her mother needs support and that is why "always follows her with big wise eyes and tries hard to pretend to understand everything " (p. 151). She is too young and innocent to understand, but she instinctively sacrifices herself and adopts the role of second mother in order to care for her younger siblings. These siblings are not difficult to take care of, however. Their calm and patience are remarkable considering their age. The little boy often watches silently from his chair, "standing motionless in the middle of a paper... Their life is that it is precisely their charming and innocent characteristics that attract corrupt beings, and which ultimately disrupt, even destroy , their pure and angelic characters It has been said, however, that it is “through the attention paid to children that the author gives free rein to his hope” (p. 182, Works cited1) Dostoyevsky, Fyodor). . Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992.2) Dostoyevsky, Fyodor. New York: WW Norton and Company, 1989.3) Dostoyevsky, Fyodor Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992.4) Dostoyevsky, Fyodor. Company, 1976.5) Grossman, Leonid: His life and work in New York: the Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc., 1975.6) de Jonge, Alex: Secker & Warburg., 1975.