Persuasive Essay On Forgiveness And Punishment

Capital punishment is one of the most controversial topics in today’s world. Many people believe that it is morally wrong to have capital punishment as a sentence to a crime. People also do believe that it is morally permissible for a severe crime. Capital punishment is also known as the death penalty. It can be given as a sentence when somebody is convicted of an extremely violent crime. The biggest issue that can be seen with this is that somebody could be innocent and sentenced with the death penalty because of the nature of the crime that they have been accused of even if they didn’t commit it. I believe that there is a moral line between using the death penalty and using other forms of punishment.

“Cause we all make mistakes sometimes and we’ve all stepped across that line” (Toby Mac, 2012). What is asked for by many when a mistake has been made? This would be forgiveness. Toby Mac, a Christian hip hop recording artist sings about the burden of carrying around sin and how hard it is to ask for forgiveness and to forgive. Some people forgive more easily than others and often depending on the situation, forgiveness may take time. In a world full of temptation even Christians make mistakes. In his song “Forgiveness (feat. Lecrae)”, the lyrics: My heart’s been broken and my wounds been open - And I don’t know if I can hear I’m sorry been spoken - But those forgiving much should be quicker to give it - And God forgave me for it all, Jesus bled – Forgiveness - So when the stones fly and they aimed at you - Just say forgive them, Father, they know not what they do (verse 2, Lecrae).

Raskolnikov’s brusque affectation eventually yields to his predilection for salvation and redemption. He ultimately comes to the realization that he is not worthy of being “extraordinary” because of the crippling guilt that followed his murder of the pawnbroker. Raskolnikov reflects upon the implications of his crime on his psyche, “I murdered myself, not her! I crushed myself once for all,

He immediately convinced himself that it was a sign that he must commit the murder the next night. The use of coincidence and environment as self-justification shows that he feels guilty and needs validation for his crimes. He cannot turn to God like Sonia because he is a selfish man and repenting means that he must admit to himself that he had done wrong. Instead of feeling disappointment in himself he will blame his actions on the world around him. Raskolnikov askes Sonia to read him a passage out of the Bible and she reads him the story of Lazarus.

After murdering Alyona and Lizaveta Ivanovna, Raskolnikov is tormented by the vast sense of guilt he feels. His guilt is most notable when it was pointed out by Zossimov who notes that at the mention of the murders alone seems to visibly affect Raskolnikov. He also almost nearly confesses to the crime multiple times, once in Part II: Chapter VI, to a police inspector. He also seems to faint at the mention of the murders, this occurring a multitude of times, once in Part II: Chapter I and again in Part III: Chapter III. Throughout Part II: Chapters I-VI Raskolnikov suffers delirium, weakness, and anxiety. This entire scenario is proving to take a toll on his mental state and physical well being. It also shows that he is not apart of the “superman echelon” mentioned in his article On Crime. It does show how he lacks the mere self control it takes to prevent himself from being caught. He has an ongoing struggle between wanting avoid suspicion and wanting to confess. This internal conflict causes him to act in an unstable manner, sometimes trying to come off as innocent and other

After the gruesome murder in Part 1 of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov becomes indecisive in his guilt, ethics, and even daily actions, and through the uncertainty he loses all the control he had in his life. He goes around debating whether he should turn himself in, the people he should tell, and his future actions. In his indecisiveness he begins to feel helpless, and through his friend’s death and his total exhaustion, it seems like he loses only more control. His day culminates, as he arrives home, only to realize he forgot his family’s expected arrival, and becomes inadequately prepared to deal with his family’s caring concern. After having so much power through the murder

However, it becomes clear throughout the novel that he does feel guilty. For example, when Raskolnikov helps Semyon Zakharovich Marmeladov return to his family after he is ran over, Raskolnikov walks away feeling like he has somewhat atoned for his sins. Also, proving that Raskolnikov feels guilty for what he did is that, at the end of the novel, Raskolnikov confesses in the street, even though there was someone charged with the crime already. If, according to Raskolnikov, an extraordinary man, which he believes himself to be, should feel no guilt, then why does Raskolnikov feel the need to atone for his sins by helping Semyon Zakharovick Marmeladov`s family and then eventually

Dostoevsky sets Raskolnikov upon a path of most resistance to moving on with his life. When Raskolnikov confesses his transgression of the law to Sonia Marmeladova, he feels a small weight lifted off of his shoulders, which in turn helps him to think about the future with a clearer vision than he had before. Sonia is represented as someone who is loving understanding in order to offset the characteristics of the new Raskolnikov, “Suffer and expiate your sins by it, that’s what you must do” (361). He and Sonia represent two halves of society's way of dealing with the past, present, and future. In life, people will either accept what they have done and try to move past the situation that is holding them back, or they will continue to struggle with what they have done and will take most of their life trying to accept the consequences. As a character, Raskolnikov is tied so close to his past and the sins that he committed, that until he met Sonia he was not able to see clearly in the slightest. Sonia is what Raskolnikov must become in order to proceed throughout the rest of his

After Raskolnikov had committed the murder, he began to go through a long period of trials and upheaval. By using the story of Lazarus, Dostoevsky begins to explain further the death and rebirth of Raskolnikov’s psychological wellbeing and the importance of the acceptance of guilt. By incorporating the story of Lazarus, Dostoevsky allows readers to see a direct reflection of Raskolnikov’s own mind. Just as Lazarus lay slowly dying of illness, Raskolnikov’s guilt was inducing a slow and withering death of his psychological wellbeing. Lazarus’s death symbolizes Raskolnikov’s falling off the edge of insanity, showing forth the death of his mind. The story of Lazarus also symbolizes Sonya as Raskolnikov’s saviour. Just as Raskolnikov slips into his emotional death, Sonya reaches in to pull him out, as if she was bringing him back alive much like how Jesus Christ brought Lazarus back. She accomplishes this by providing Raskolnikov with the spiritual steadiness he that he had lost during the committing of his murders. Sonya affects Raskolnikov through her basic character, just as Christ actively portrayed his beliefs through the manner in which he lived his

However, Dostoevsky does not hold Raskolnikov completely accountable for the emotional and social defects that lead up to his crime, ultimately outlining his beliefs on how man should be punished. Dostoevsky makes apparent the idea that Raskolnikov at times acts out of his own control, seemingly under the influence of a higher power. Before his murder, he pleads to be stopped by God or any influence, but “in spite of his dread, he was driven into crime, like a mere tool of Fate” (Lavrin 31). He is used by Dostoevsky to make an example and represent all of man at times. During the murder, Dostoevsky describes the event as though Raskolnikov were possessed, “He seemed not to use his own strength in this. But as soon as he had once again brought

During the time when Raskolnikov conversated with the Zamiotov at the restaurant, he was given an opportunity to confess but rather choose to be a wimp and leave. Suddenly Raskolnikov blurts, “[w]hat if it was I who murdered the old woman and Lizaveta? … is it possible though, I don’t think so… he left, quivering all over with a kind of wild hysteria…” (159-160). There were many opportunities given to Raskolnikov to confess in the presence of an officer. On the other hand, he choose to back out of his plan at the last second and leave keeping Zamiotov in thought. His delusional thoughts prevented him from confessing at this stage. Even at the point of confessing his sins to Sonia, Raskolnikov bluntly informs her “I learned [that] people won’t change, nobody can reform them, and it’s not worth the effort. It’s the law of their being… whoever is strong strong and self-confident in mind and spirit has power over them. [I] looked at Sonia but no longer cared whether she understood or not… Sonia realized that this dark catechism had become his creed and his law” (398). While Sonia is present in the room when Raskolnikov intends to confess, he indirectly states his confession. Raskolnikov was not courageous enough to verbally confess his crimes. He showed cowardice while talking to Sonia. Sonia is Raskolnikov’s love, in that manner Raskolnikov should be able to express himself freely,

In order to understand Raskolnikov’s guilt, it is important to understand the religious influences at work in the time period and place he lived in. In St. Petersburg where Raskolnikov lives, there are strong Christian influences from the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Church condemns killing people with few exceptions. Although is not a devout believer, these influences are still at work in the book. It is clear that Raskolnikov is struggling to fight God away because, as he says that “once God’s will gets mixed up in it, nothing will be done” (389). He acknowledges that the guilt he has is God’s doing, and he struggles internally to get rid of it. The idea that he is not able to feel good about the murder that he knows improved society. He states that “what bothers [him] is this permission according to conscience” (253). Even though he wants to establish his own moral code, it is impossible for him to do so because of the influence of religion.

He has to decide whether he wants to be in trouble or not and this is a problem! That shows that even though, physical consequences might not come, a normal person’s conscience can and will provide a much more insufferable punishment to deal with. The punishment of knowing that you have done wrong is demanding on Raskolnikov and at the end of the book, he ends up confessing to his crimes to end the torment and clear his conscience.

“Americans have always had ambivalent feelings about crime and punishment” (71). Many say our American System of Justice is broken, for they believe the system is looking to just punish those who have done wrong and is not looking to rehabilitate them, especially for juveniles. Then there are some who say, the American System of Justice does not need to change for it already punishes criminals with due process, and rehabilitates them. The American System of Justice should change the way they punish criminals, because those who are incarcerated for nonviolent crimes are taking up space in our prison system, juveniles are being put in solitary confinement and coming out more damaged than they were, and lastly some offenders are serving to long for the crime they committed.