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The article analyses the novel The Humiliated and the Insulted through the motif of the parable of the prodigal son, thanks to which the concept of the entire novel becomes more clear. This short biblical story is laid down by Dostoevsky at the basis of the plot of The Humiliated and the Insulted. All the main characters of the novel are organically represented as “heroes” of the parable, more precisely, as characters that carry the concepts “prodigal son”, “father”, “Father” (“God”). At the same time, the traditional reading of the parable as a story about a careless, vicious, little-respected man who left his parents’ home is reinterpreted by Dostoevsky and the importance of the father’s grace as well as the necessity of the father’s mercy at all costs are emphasized. The ability to forgive unconditionally is perceived by Dostoevsky as a gift that allows to overcome personal pride and, in general, the vicious circle in which the family is enclosed.

One of the significant themes of the novel The Humiliated and the Insulted is the father’s curse, marked throughout the text by a high degree of emotionality. The novel describes two similar stories: the one of Nelly’s mother and Natasha’s. Both escaped from home, both were cursed by their fathers. However, there are also differences: while one father forgave, the other not. In the article, the theme of the father’s curse is revealed by comparing these two stories with the famous parable of the prodigal son, with which the novel presents visible parallels. The parable is presented as a standard for proper behavior, and in its comparison, we can say how the hero should have behaved and how he did in the novel. While the images of “prodigal children” recall each other, it is the behavior of parents that draws a significant difference between Dostoevsky’s plot and the parable. The presence or absence of the father’s curse is revealed as one of the main factors determining the fate of all the characters of the story.

Ivan Petrovich, the author of the notes, stands out among the other characters of the novel by F. M. Dostoevsky The Humiliated and the Insulted. He is an unremarkable and modest person, who has devoted all his time and energy to others. Everyone likes him, trusts him and feels brotherly love for him. The attitude to Vanya is inseparably linked with the attitude to his novel – “the firstborn”. Firstly each character reads the novel and then hurries to say to Vanya that he or she loved him and reveals his or her mind to him. The most important characteristics of Vanya’s character and of Vanya’s creative writing are honesty and frankness. These characteristics define the main function of the writer which is to console and transform the other characters. In the article, Ivan Petrovich, who is honest and clever, is also compared with honest and frank but stupid Alyosha, and with the observant and smart but heartless Prince. The latter even acts as a rival of Vanya and firstly defeats him with the help of cunning and deception. The article also focuses on Nelly, the Prince’s daughter, who inherited from her father not only her intelligence, but also the bitterness of her heart. She fights it throughout the novel. Attention is also drawn to the fact that Ivan Petrovich was going to write a new novel but was constantly busy in consoling other characters and answering their requests. The article suggests a possible resolution of the main conflict with the help of this new novel which, however, was never written. That may explain Ivan Petrovich’s helplessness during the final scene, when he was forced to beg Nelly to console everyone instead of doing it himself. Maybe Ivan Petrovich calls himself a “failed” writer and feels guilty because of using Nelly’s story instead of his unwritten novel.