Dostoevsky is known for his use of dualism and doubles in his novel, The Double. However, if you look closely enough you can see that Dostoevsky uses this theme throughout all of novels, including Crime and Punishment. Dostoevsky uses several characters throughout the novel as doubles to the main character, Raskolnikov. One of his purposes for doing this is to elicit sympathy and understanding of the murderer, Raskolnikov, by showing just how similar he is to these characters. Dostoevsky also shows, some key differences between the characters and helps the reader see where Raskolnikov strayed from his doubles and led him down the path he is on now. The first double Dostoevsky introduces the readers too is, Semyon Zakharovich Marmeladov, …show more content…
Both men clearly appear poor, due to their dirty and old clothing, and when Raskolnikov enters the bar he gets the sense that much like himself Marmeladov hasn’t talked to anybody in a long time. When they get to talking Marmeladov mentions his wife, Katrina Ivanovna, and admits to marrying her out of compassion, “For I could not bear to see such suffering” (Dostoevsky). When Raskolnikov meets Sonya he is first attracted to her due to her suffering, which he admits later on in the novel, much like Marmeladov and his wife. Outside of just their similar looks and feelings, they both have a very significant similar experience. Marmeladov talks about his self-destructive drinking behavior and how he was rescued from the love and peace of his home, “As if I’d found myself in the Kingdom Heaven” (Dostoevsky). However, only a month later he suddenly stole all the …show more content…
On the surface Sonya and Raskolnikov have lots of things in common. They both are struggling for meaning for their lives in their dreary situations and because they are both pretty unhappy people, but tend to find some happiness when they are together. Although, if you dig deeper you see that both characters share a similar ideal, they are both very self-sacrificing. Sonya, in order to help her family, takes it upon herself to make money by any means possible, “At six o’clock I saw Sonya get up, put on her kerchief and her cape, and go out of the room and about nine o’clock she came back. She walked straight up to Katerina Ivanovna and she laid thirty roubles on the table before her in silence” (Dostoevsky). This passage shows that Sonya’s prostitution was completely of her own doing, nobody forced her to do this. She did this on her own because her family desperately needed the money, even though her actions to obtain the money took a drastic toll on her. Much like Sonya, Raskolnikov does things throughout the novel that are not in his best interest in order to help the people around him. On two separate occasions he gives money to the Marmeladovs even though he has little to no money himself. There is also the girl on the street who is being harassed by a man and Raskolnikov takes it upon himself to help her and give a
Mr. Strahn’s decision to deny the Whites’ request within 23 minutes of his receipt of the same and his failure to make any further inquiry regarding the nature of Greg White’s disability, particularly given his admission that the Whites’ could not know what information the Board required to make a decision regarding their request, and the minimal effort it would have taken to make such an inquiry, is damning. The Association’s continued conduct in fining and attempting foreclosure on the Whites’ home, in light of these and numerous other failures will undoubtedly paint the Defendants in a poor light before any reasonable jury.
Between all the other characters in Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov and Svidrigailov are the most similar in that Svidrigailov is depicted as Raskolnikov’s baser self and a depraved character. While Raskolnikov is seen to be a more repentant character who is afflicted with guilt after murdering the pawnbroker for his own selfish desires despite telling himself it is for the greater good, Svidrigailov is rumored to have committed several murders and feels nothing for his victims, one of them being his own wife. Throughout the story, Rask is shown as wanting to be like Svidrigailov just as Svidrigailov longs to be like Rask because each one has qualities that the other wants in their life.
Comparing opposite characters in literature can highlight distinct personality differences. It is the best way to understand characters from clearly different standpoints. In Crime and Punishment, written by Fyodor Dostoevsky, the main character and his closest friend are actually opposite of each other. Raskolnikov, the protagonist, is a stubborn and confused man who is weighted down by guilt. He committed a murder that he believed was necessary due to his lack of wealth and unstable life.
A shy and timid seventeen year old girl, Sonia is wary of Raskolnikov when she first meets him. Her tenacious religious faith is a vital part of her character; she is shy and timid, but also truly compassionate and altruistic (especially towards Raskolnikov). In this sense, Raskolnikov is quite different from Sonia; where he is uncaring and ignorant, she is warm-hearted and thoughtful. Sonia helps to bring back the humane aspects of Raskolnikov’s personality. “There, not far from the entrance, stood Sonia, pale and horror-stricken. She looked wildly at him… There was a look of poignant agony, of despair in her face...His lips worked in an ugly, meaningless smile. He stood still a minute, grinned, and went back into the police office” (Dostoevsky 447). At this moment in time, Raskolnikov had gone into the police station to confess his crime, but in a lack of better judgement, he returns back to Sonia without telling about his crime. Had Raskolnikov not been motivated by the repugnant look on Sonia’s face, it is unlikely that he would have gone back into the police station. This is perhaps the prime example of how Sonia brings out the best in Raskolnikov. Sonia’s sympathetic and doting personality is polar to Raskolnikov’s selfish beliefs and his “extraordinary man theory”. However, when all is said and done, Sonia guides Raskolnikov to face the punishment of his wrong doing. Had Raskolnikov not had a tenacious relationship with Sonia, it likely would have taken him a much
The confusion in Raskolnikov’s soul is best seen when he tries to help a girl in the street who has been raped and left to the whims of whoever may
2.Allusions to Christianity Raskolnikov’s internal conflict between being a superhuman and an average person is resolved when he embraces religion, whom he is introduced to through Sonya. Sonya’s name is Greek for wisdom and guides Raskolnikov to redemption. Dostoevsky alludes to religion with these characters to emphasize the importance of Christian faith. Sonya is a foil to Raskolnikov because even though she is similarly in the lowest class of society, she maintains a strong faith.
Contrary to Macbeth, Raskolnikov begins his story in poverty and shame. Raskolnikov is too poor to support himself as a student, and too poor to even support himself as a human. The difficulty that begins the story is Raskolnikov will be unable to pay his rent, and will be kicked out onto the streets. Raskolnikov cannot let this happen. He devises a plan to make some money and pay his rent.
After this reading of Lazurus, Raskolnikov expresses his need for Sonya as he states “ None of them will understand anything, if you start talking with them...but I understand. I need you, and so I've come to you” (Part 4. p.329). At this point Raskolnikov had abandoned his family and was now reliant on Sonya being his main support. Sonya took on the problems that Raskolnikov have even though she was dealing with her problems of family death, Katerina, and herself living in poverty. Raskolnikov knew that being alone was not healthy and Sonya was in the same situation, so he took
Marmeladov feels great amounts of guilt for his drinking, but his meaningless existence depresses him so much that he does nothing. He is more than poor, he is destitute. Marmeladov explains why alcohol consumes his entire life:
Poverty is an essential motif in Crime and Punishment that enables characters to expose their isolation from society. Raskolnikov demonstrates the true effect that poverty can have on an unemployed man in the 1860s. Razumikhin is seen as Raskolnikov’s foil character that reacts to his form of poverty in the opposite way of Raskolnikov towards society. The weight of being desperately pour effects Marmeledov to extensive lengths that ultimately ends in his death.
Being the protagonist in Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov is subject to most ridicule and analysis for his moral ambiguity and outlandish views. After reading about his dreadful murder of Alyona and Lizaveta Ivanovna, many come to the conclusion that Raskolnikov is purely evil. His lack of guilt and belief of justification for his crime surely points readers in this direction. Raskolnikov remains convinced that he is superior and that it was his duty to kill such a worthless person. Although some may view this as evilness, others may perceive it as downright ignorant. His atypical way of thinking doesn’t necessarily make him evil, but that is how some comprehend it. At certain points in the story, we see Raskolnikov not as a deranged man, but instead as a compassionate human being. After the murder, we see him carrying out various charitable acts, perhaps as an attempt to atone for his unforgivable crime. For example, we see some good in him when he gives Sonya’s family twenty rubbles after Marmeladov passes on. We also see this when he attempts to rescue a drunk girl from a man by giving her money for a taxi. As much as Raskolnikov expresses that he was justified in his actions, through his mental and physical illnesses it is apparent that he feels some guilt about it. This guilt makes him seem at least a little bit more human. For these reasons, when all is said and done, it is difficult to determine
Even when Raskolnikov was asleep he received painful messages of others who were suffering, just as he was. In one particular instance, before the double-murder, Raskolnikov is brought back to the poverty he suffered throughout his childhood. He once again feels a great empathy toward the suffered, but this time
Raskolnikov murders an old pawnbroker woman for seemingly no reason at all. His sister and mother move to St. Petersburg following his sister's engagement to a man whom Raskolnikov was extremely displeased. Raskolnikov undergoes severe mental trauma, and falls ill after the
In one of the first scenes when we first meet Raskolnikov, he has come across a young girl who is drunk. He sees her and immediately wants to help, so he finds a nearby police officer and tells him they must “keep her out of this scoundrel’s hands,” in reference to Svid, who has previously tried to “approach the girl” with suspicious intentions (44, 42). Raskolnikov seemed to
The author showed his opinion on the structure of the society, social norms and beliefs. He expressed his disagreement with “The Extraordinary Man Theory”. He told the audience that all people have feelings and emotions and cannot rely only on logic and calculations. People cannot hurt others and go unpunished. The ending of the novel helped to strengthen his ideas and convictions. In the end, everyone in the novel received the deserved punishment assigned either by the law or by fate. Raskolnikov and Svidrigailov realized that their actions were wrong and contradicted to the all social norms. They recognized that they were not extraordinary men. Dostoevsky made this novel very educative and filled with morality. It is great for people of all times and generations. It reveals what is good and wrong; it teaches how to be a