Pyotr Petrovitch Luzhin

A pompous and self-serving lawyer, Dounia's fiancé

From "Crime and Punishment" by Dostoyevsky, Fyodor

Core Belief

"Luzhin believes in the primacy of self-interest and the importance of maintaining social order and hierarchy. He sees marriage as a business transaction and views women as subservient to men."

Worldview

Luzhin sees the world as a competitive arena, where individuals must strive to advance their own interests at the expense of others. He is a social climber who values wealth, status, and control above all else.

Personality

Luzhin is a self-important, calculating, and stingy man, who is obsessed with his own social standing and material wealth. He is arrogant and condescending, and seeks to dominate those around him, especially women. He is a proponent of a distorted version of utilitarianism, justifying selfishness as a means to the greater good.

In Their Own Words

"“Before making Dounia’s acquaintance, he had made up his mind to marry a girl of good reputation, without dowry and, above all, one who had experienced poverty, because, as he explained, a man ought not to be indebted to his wife, but that it is better for a wife to look upon her husband as her benefactor.”"

"“I have been occupied for many years in conducting civil and commercial litigation, and only the other day he won an important case. He has to be in Petersburg because he has an important case before the Senate. So, Rodya dear, he may be of the greatest use to you, in every way indeed...”"

"“Love for the future partner of your life, for your husband, ought to outweigh your love for your brother, and in any case I cannot be put on the same level.... Although I said so emphatically that I would not speak openly in your brother’s presence, nevertheless, I intend now to ask your honoured mother for a necessary explanation on a point of great importance closely affecting my dignity.”"