Raskolnikov V. Svidrigailov

The “Search for justice” is a common characteristic of all of our lives, but it is perhaps best represented by the struggle with which Rakolnikov must face in Crime and Punishment. Faced with a bleak situation in his life, Raskolnikov must come to understand not the definition of justice in societal terms, but rather who is eligible to determine the meaning of justice and carry it out in the first place. Through his killing of the pawnbroker and her sister, Raskolnikov comes to realize that he is ineligible to deliver justice himself and must rely on the will of God to define his set of morals and standards.

    Raskolnikov shares similar traits to Svidrigailov; however, unlike Svidrigailov, he’s is burdened by a conscience that wants him to do the right thing. Rask has two sides to him, a dark side that is similar to that of Svidrigailov, and a good side that feels remorse for killing the pawnbroker. Rask has a bit of Svidrigailov in him because he doesn’t believe that what he did was wrong and has a wicked side to him that comes out when he sees the pawnbroker, especially in his dream where “he began to smash the old woman on the head” with a vengeance because of how much he

When Raskolnikov was a student he enjoyed the debate and human contact, but also strived for acceptance. He had a dual nature to himself, which could be characterized by his cold intelligence, which separated him from society, and his compassionate side. After Raskolnikov murdered Alyona and Lizaveta Ivanovna

Raskolnikov's character involves a split personality between that of his generosity and love with his pride

Raskolnikov mixes his temporal diction to emphasize the predetermined nature of his punishment when he says, “...And ultimately, ultimately I am a louse,’ he added, grinding his teeth, ‘because I myself am perhaps even more vile and nasty than the louse I killed, and I had anticipated beforehand that I would tell myself after I killed her.” He stresses that he inevitably knows how he should feel about the crime and brings to question whether there is a point of punishment if he knows how he should feel rather than actually feeling remorse. Consequently, his punishment is also just for the aesthetic value—not for a genuine concern for placing society on equitable terms, but just to engage in the social contract by means of confession. Furthermore, his mental torment lies in viewing the pawnbroker and viewing himself as a louse, with the interchangeability of the victim and perpetrator showing how an attempt at quantifying punishment so that it may be equal to the crime. Raskolnikov’s position as a criminal in face of a higher institution is additionally conveyed when he described his crime as if it were the justice system as he states, “I resolved to observe all possible justice in carrying it out, weight, measure, arithmetic” (275). However, this is an ironic statement because he’s the criminal and his actions did not entail a premeditated

While walking on the street, Raskolnikov is enraged by a man who is preying upon a drunken girl. All of the sudden, Raskolnikov has a complete shift in attitude toward the situation and becomes indifferent to what the man does with the girl. In this scene, Dostoevsky uses diction, figurative language and dialogue to convey the complexity of Raskolnikov’s thoughts and feelings. With this insight he provides, Dostoevsky reveals an inner-conflict that Raskolnikov struggles with: his desire to be protective and have good morals, which conflicts with his pessimism and lack of control over his emotions.

Despite the fact that he carries out an intense wrongdoing, Raskolnikov declines to trust its possibility. Alluding to the hypothesis of being an “extraordinary man”, Raskolnikov states, “the extraordinary, on the other hand, have the right to commit all sorts of crimes and break the law in all sorts of ways precisely because they are extraordinary”(308). Only, Sonya's Christ-like qualities can convince Raskolnikov that he doesn’t encompass the requirements of being an “extraordinary” person. Initially, after talking to Sonya, Raskolnikov, though he understands the suffering and punishment he must endure, can’t accept the penalty. After rejecting Sonya’s proposal of confession, Raskolnikov’s mind and body deteriorate causing even more

Raskolnikov reflecting on his mistakes plays a big role in the novel. Throughout the book the reader grows to learn that Raskolnikov believes he is an extraordinary individual who doesn’t need to follow the law. He often believes that the murder he committed was to benefit mankind however his confession contradicts this belief. Towards the end of the novel as he begins to reflect on his crimes, he realizes through the help of Sonya, that he must receive punishment for his unlawful acts. Raskolnikov sees Sonya as a very weak figure at first but she soon changes in his eyes and becomes his inspiration for his actions. Through her suffering and compassion she unintentionally makes Raskolnikov see her as a godly figure and becomes the symbol of the

In the novel “Crime and Punishment” by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Raskolnikov is the protagonist and main character throughout the plot. In order to highlight specific traits within Raskolnikov’s character, Dostoevsky uses Svidrigailov as a foil. Although both of these characters have committed crimes, Svidrigailov does so without feeling remorse for his actions. Svidrigailov toys with others emphasizing the part of Raskolnikov that regrets the actions of his crime and the side that feels the need to fess up for his actions. Unlike Raskolnikov, by the end of the novel Svidrigailov is not able to find a purpose to like anymore and ends his own life. The actions and emotions portrayed through Raskolnikov and Svidrigailov instigate the theme of alienation

Raskolnikov murders the pawnbroker, because he wants to prove his experiment correct, that he can effectively transcend the law for a higher purpose. Understandably, Porfiry inquires, “What if some man or youth imagines that he is a Lycurgus or Mahomet - and suppose he begins to remove all obstacles...he has some great enterprise before him and needs money...and tries to get it” (Dostoevsky 230). Raskolnikov is precisely the figure Porfiry is describing; he imagines himself to be of equal status to ‘extraordinary men’, such as Napoleon, Machiavelli, and King Solomon. The cruel method which Raskolnikov employs to fulfill his “great enterprise” demonstrates nihilism.

Raskolnikov has many intrusive thoughts about murdering the miserable pawnbroker. After a close encounter with his landlady, he thinks, “I want to attempt a thing like that and am frightened by these trifles’” (Dostoevsky 2). This is one of several duplicitous ideas that pass through Raskolnikov's mind. He is contemplating the death of an innocent solely for her money - the obvious motive - but to prove his superiority to society, which he blames for his crippling poverty. Even theoretically, he is a nihilist: a mere consideration of killing requires some moral abandonment.

Upon murdering the pawnbroker, Raskolnikov immediately experiences the throes of guilt and fear. When he arrives home, Raskolnikov lays on the sofa, overwhelmed with “[s]craps and shreds

The style of this section revolves around the act of Raskolnikov killing the old pawnbroker. In the first paragraph shows his irrational thinking, as he did not want to waste another second with this women when he has the power to kill her. He does this “almost mechanically”, meaning he was doing it subconsciously, as if it was a natural reflex to him, further showing his inability for rational thought. The description of the frail old woman explains his lack of care for her, even though she was so weak and disabled. The scene laid before him is that of pure terror, which he has absolutely no impact from. The fact that he sees her as nothing does not sit well with the reader, and as he refers to her of such little significance.

Raskolnikov is alienated from his community; he lives alone, eats alone, and thinks alone, with one of his only points of contact being Razumihin. Raskolnikov favors seclusion due to his Napoleon theory that he is one of the few “chosen ones” needed to carry out the mission of many others. It was in this isolation that his mind concocted the plan to kill the pawnbroker, and he did so because he saw himself superior to her, as someone who was saving many by killing few. This self-inflicted alienation is the root cause of his warped sense of morality and justice. Razumihin shares his thoughts and feelings with everyone and tries his best to help out anyone having a hard time. Even though Razumihin had a kind heart and made a positive impact on others, he never considered himself above or superior to anyone else, only equal to them. When Raskolnikov’s family came to see him, rather than Raskolnikov acting as a son and Razumihin being a stranger, their roles were flipped, showing how isolation could potentially destroy once loving and caring relationships while socializing could help form familial bonds even with complete strangers. Raskolnikov’s and Razumihin’s relationships with the people around them demonstrate how total alienation from society can corrode and corrupt a mind with criminal thoughts and impulses, turning even the most loving son into a stranger in front of his

Dostoevsky’s novel Crime and Punishment analyzes a provocative theory constructed by the main character, Raskolnikov. His theory divides ordinary and extraordinary people. According to Raskolnikov, ordinary people have no opinion of their own, being just mere followers, while extraordinary people craft new opinions for the society. Extraordinary people are prone to greatness, being therefore justified to act in any way in order to achieve it, even if it means to kill or steal. An interesting example Raskolnikov makes is: