Varvara Karepina, née Dostoevskaya – sister and heroine of Fyodor Dostoevsky

Abstract

The article discusses various aspects of the relationship between Fyodor Dostoevsky with his sister Varvara Karepina, née Dostoevskaya, and their reflection in the writer's work. Varvara Karepina served as the prototype for the writer's various characters. The author of the article dwells in detail on the image of Varvara Karepina, collected from her memoirs; the author states that the history of Varvara Karepina’s marriage and the image of her husband were also vividly reflected in the work of Fyodor Dostoevsky. The article provides some valuable comparisons of Varvara Karepina with Varvara Dobroselova and various other female images of Fyodor Dostoevsky's works, the conclusion is drawn that the use of the prototype’s all kinds of personality traits, sometimes opposite ones, when creating images of the heroes of the works, was a feature of the writer's creative method.