Crime And Punishment By Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment is a psychologically charged novel in which the primary element that plagues the protagonist, Rodion Raskolnikov, is not a person but rather an idea; his own idea. Raskolnikov has an unhealthy obsession with rendering himself into what he perceives as the ideal, supreme human being, an übermensch. Raskolnikov forms for himself a theory in which he will live purely according to his own will and transcend the social norms and moralities that dominate society. Raskolnikov suggests that acts commonly regarded as immoral are to be reserved for a certain rank of “extraordinary” men. Raskolnikov’s faith

In the novel “Crime and Punishment”, the author, Fyodor Dostoevsky gives the reader a glimpse into the mind of a tormented criminal, by his guilt of a murder. Dostoevsky’s main focal point of the novel doesn’t lie within the crime nor the punishment but within the self-conflicting battle of a man and his guilty conscience. The author portrays tone by mood manipulation and with the use of descriptive diction to better express his perspective in the story, bringing the reader into the mind of the murderer.

Crime and Punishment revolves around Raskolnikov and his amplifying guilt after he murders the pawnbroker, Alyona. From the beginning of the novel his poverty is displayed in his living condition, which is further described by the “yellowish dusty wall-paper peeling off the

Often times in literature, we are presented with quintessential characters that are all placed into the conventional categories of either good or bad. In these pieces, we are usually able to differentiate the characters and discover their true intentions from reading only a few chapters. However, in some remarkable pieces of work, authors create characters that are so realistic and so complex that we are unable to distinguish them as purely good or evil. In the novel Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky develops the morally ambiguous characters of Raskolnikov and Svidrigailov to provide us with an interesting read and to give us a chance to evaluate each character.

   In Dostoevsky's novels pain and some heavy burden of the inevitability of human suffering and helplessness form Russia. And he depicts it not with white gloves on, nor through the blisters of the peasant, but through people who are close to him and his realities: city people who either have faith, or secular humanists who are so remote from reality that even when they love humanity they despise humans because of their own inability to achieve or to create paradise on earth. His novels The Brothers Karamazov and Crime and Punishment are best examples of the poisonous effect of such ideals on the common man. The rebellion of

“Intellectualism is the view that regards the intellect as superior to the will, and that the intellect is the basic factor, both in the universe and in human conduct.” Intellectualism, accompanied by pride, can often cause one to isolate themselves from those they view to be of lesser worth. Those who think highly of themselves tend to believe they can do things that are socially unacceptable in the eyes of others because they believe the moral standards set to guide humanity don’t apply to them. The often justify this with the belief they are doing what’s for the greater good. A prime example of this manifests in the novel Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. The main character, Raskolnikov, illustrates how one’s pride and

Dostoevsky’s beliefs and philosophies are reflections of the Russian philosophies from his era. He incorporates many of his own opinions and beliefs into his work in Crime and Punishment. Dostoevsky’s insight affects the novel as he integrates his views into his characters.

Mark Jones (2009) has written a book, not only for those seeking a degree in criminal justice, but also for Christians, that has been carefully researched and written with the goal of uncovering 25 Biblical “criminals” and their crimes. He provides a deep and thought provoking message with each story. In the book, Criminals of the Bible, Jones (2009) begins each lesson with an excerpt of the scriptural reference for the crime being discussed and then gives a short biography of the principle characters before discussing the legal, social, and political definition/context of the crime during the particular era that it took place. Then he goes a step farther by writing about the same crime viewed through today’s modern, legal, social, and political lens, ending each chapter with a lesson that can be learned by the reader. The word “criminals “ is used loosely in his book because not all the individuals that Jones (2009) writes about were guilty of the crime they were accused of, or the crime committed is not necessarily considered a crime today. For example, Jesus is identified as a criminal in the New Testament for blasphemy; a crime that he did not commit. However, Jones (2009) still includes the infamous criminals Cain and Jezebel, who are indisputably guilty of the crime he and she committed of murder and subornation of perjury. Through Jones’ (2009) writing, he reminds his readers just like the characters illustrated in his book, everyone is not without error and

In Dostoevsky’s novel Crime and Punishment, a realm of suffering and deep distress was illustrated through the characterization of characters, in particular Sofya Semyonovna Marmeladov. Within the novel, Dostoevsky paints an image of Sonia as a young lower-class woman who struggles with her physical reality of suffering as well as an emotional battle to redeem herself and others. In doing so, Dostoevsky forces the reader to examine the corruption that followed the religious systems within the Russian society. Throughout the novel the use of characterization of Sonia and the motif of suffering is used to enhance the overall commentary on religious systems; overarching the theme of redemption to further shed light on Dostoevsky’s views of religious

Due to the difficulties within the society of St. Petersburg, the protagonist, Raskolnikov, in Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, suffers from physical and mental episodes because of his depraved actions of murdering the impious pawnbroker and sister. Raskolnikov justifies his murder of the pawnbroker Alyona by claiming she was a “plague” to civilization. In this manner, however, Raskolnikov ends up murdering the innocent, brutalized, half sister of Alyona, Lizaveta. The success and feelings of accomplishment remain short lived because Raskolnikov comprehends the faults within his murders. Through the course of the novel, the crime seems to be the fundamental failure stopping Raskolnikov from succeeding. Raskolnikov’s consciousness appears once the Christ-like figure, Sonya, a prostitute, presents to him the affection, affectability, and inner serenity to help him admit to the murders. Raskolnikov only finds comfort in admitting to his wrongdoings because guilt overpowers him.

“Love resurrected them; the heart of one contained infinite sources of life for the heart of the other” (Dostoyevsky 521). Crime And Punishment is a novel about one man, Raskolnikov; this novel follows his life after committing a terrible crime, murder. This novel shows the mental and physical affects that play on his body after committing such a crime. In the novel Crime And Punishment, Dostoyevsky uses Alyona, Sonia and to drive the plot of the novel.

Crime and Punishment, written by Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky; is a philosophical crime fiction novel. The story is very powerful in that it goes beyond the book and into the lives of the audience; making the audience feel some type of relation between themselves and the story. Dostoevsky was brilliant in creating a fictional world where the characters seem to be found within the audience, transitioning from a fictional story to a self-help book. He employes many life lessons in the story, which give the audience a new perspective on themselves.

Fyodor Dostoyevskys Crime and Punishment, an epic tale of suffering and redemption which offers an insightful look at the trials of protagonist Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov after his heinous crime and the struggle that, unbknownst to him, leads to his eventual redemption. The ending of the novel is where this moral and spiritual redmption takes place, here in the cold depths of his assigned Syberian prison, is where Rodya is finnaly able to realize the inner turmoil he faced throughout the entirity of the novel is in fact the guilt he harbored for having hurt these significant beings. Though somewhat idelaistic in nature Rodyas experience is nonetheless a reminder of everyones elegibility for redemption.

In the novel “Crime and Punishment”, by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Dostoevsky expresses his disapproval of the Ubermensch theory by using his main character; Raskolnikov who tries to become an extraordinary person but fails to do so. Raskolnikov is put in a group where people maintain the idea that man is not actually equal but are divided into two separate groups which are; the ordinary people who are locked within the laws and tradition of society by only reproducing their own kind, and the extraordinary who believe that people should have the moral right to break laws if their violation is for the greater society.

During the semester we have read three very influential works: “Fathers and Children” by Ivan Turgenev, “What is to be done?” by Nikolay Chernyshevsky, and “Crime and Punishment” by Fyodor Dostoevsky. All of these novels are tied together with similar ideas. However, authors interpret them in different ways. One of the biggest ideas is about “Extraordinary Man Theory”. Chernyshevsky, in his novel, tries to show that ideal world consists of communities and each community should have ordinary folks, servile group, and extraordinary men, leaders of the community who have all the power and can persuade the rest of the commune to follow their ideas and beliefs.