Raskolnikov's Point Of View Of The Relationship Between Crime And Punishment

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.

Firstly Readers learn much about Raskolnikov's charactor from his family, and primarily, his sister Dúnya. In chapter three Raskolnikov recieves a letter from his mother where we learn that his sister was being treated rudely and unkindly with her employer Svidrigaylov, and that Raskolnikov wasn't to know because he would drop his work and go defend his sisters honor. This partcular part of the letter tells us that Raskolnikov feels protective of his sister, and this theme comes up several times in Crime and Punishment, especially when Svidrigaylov comes to visit. Later in the novel, Dúnya and her mother visit Raskolnikov to access his health, the readers learn more about his sister. Dúnya is a very caculating, logical, selfless, and altogether good person. Her natural good nature help empahzise Raskolnikov's selfish charactor.

Raskolnikov first meets Marmeladov at a dirty tavern. His clothes are ragged and soiled and he has a "yellow, even

Unsure of whether someone witnessed the heinous murder, Raskolnikov again falls into a spiral of dreams. This time, the old landlady was “being mercilessly beaten” by Ilya Petrovich, the police officer (Dostoevsky 115). Angry about how a policeman, who is supposed to guard humanity, can attack a civilian, Raskolnikov feels disgusted. The dream is a shadow of Raskolnikov carrying out his gruesome murder. It highlights his new-found feeling of guilt. The mental trauma that he now faces constantly haunts him. While Raskolnikov condemns Ilya Petrovich in the dream, he neither admits his wrongdoings nor does he repent for his actions. This cognitive dissonance between his thoughts and behavior show readers that Raskolnikov has lost a sense of self and is swimming in a sea of confusion. His subconscious values caution him about the crime that he is about to undertake but his despite that, he moves forward with his “plan”. When we wakes up, he is feverish and delusional. Nastasya, the maid, exclaims “blood” thinking that the blood in his ears is responsible for his auditory hallucinations. However, in Raskolnikov’s mind, the mere mention of “blood” equates to murder. Unable to eat or drink, Raskolnikov then again falls unconscious, traversing between his conscious and

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.

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

Raskolnikov, the main character of the novel Crime and Punishment by Feodor Dostoevsky, actually possesses two completely contradicting personalities. One part of him is intellectual: cold, unfeeling, inhumane, and exhibiting tremendous self-will. It is this side of him that enables him to commit the most terrible crime imaginable - taking another human life. The other part of his personality is warm and compassionate. This side of him  does charitable acts and fights against the evil in his society.

Raskolnikov fails to distance himself from his long trains of deep thought, even when in public, showing that it takes more than a change of scenery to break his neurotic tendencies. This is exhibited during Raskolnikov’s initial visit to the old woman’s house, as he goes “down the sidewalk like a drunk man, not noticing the passers-by and running into them, and was in the next street before he came to his senses” (10). Even when in public, Raskolnikov remains so withdrawn from other people that he doesn’t even notice them as he walks by. The word “drunk” is used to describe Raskolnikov implying that he was acting so oddly it was attributed to being inebriated. This seen again after Raskolnikov receives the letter from his mother and leaves his house to clear his head, it is evident however that his mind remains clouded as he “walk[s] without noticing where he was going, whispering and even talking aloud to himself, to the surprise of passers-by” (40). Raskolnikov is behaving even more erratically than before, as now he is walking without a destination in mind. He is now also talking aloud to himself; oblivious to the attention he is drawing, further isolating himself in his own thoughts. This behavior persists all the way to near the end of the novel, after Raskolnikov meets with Svidrigailov. “As usual, once he

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,

When he first enters his house, his family had “been crying” and had “suffered agonies” waiting, yet it changes to a “cry of rapturous joy” once he appears, immediately displaying the stark contrast between his emotional and affectionate family and him (186). His mother and sister clasp him in their arms, yet a “sudden, unbearable thought” prevents him from even “lifting his arms to embrace them (186).” As his family affectionately cries and hugs him, he is so selfishly concerned with his own past actions, he fails to return even the slightest bit of their caring and endearment. In exact contrast to his family “kiss[ing] him, laughing” and “cry[ing],” “he took a step forward, faltered, and fell to the ground (186).” Raskolnikov obsesses so much about his crime and his guilt, that when he tries to take a step forward and accept his family’s love, he falters and faints, showing after his murder of Alyona, he is completely unable to reunite with the pure joy and love that his family

“You won’t understand and will only suffer misery… on my account! Well, you are crying and embracing me again. Why do you do it?... And can you love such a mean wretch?” (325). This is when Raskolnikov is beginning to tell Sonia about his murders. He believes that Sonia would leave him and not love him anymore. This is important because it shows Raskolnikov’s guilt.

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

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

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

Therefore Amoia notes that, "as the implications of the deed unfold in his conscience, Raskolnikov attempts to jusitfy his actions as a 'rational' crime" (53). Though he understands that he will be able to escape the physical punishement for the crime, he has yet to comprehend the burden that comes with such an unethical action. Even when Porfiry suggests that the criminal who murdered the pawnbroker may run away but, "psychologically he won't escape" (287), Raskolnikov becomes infuriated and accuses Porfiry of trying to scare him. However, Raskolnikov fails to understand the meaning behind Porfiry's words perhaps because he still chooses not to rely on his conscience and confess to the crime.While the superiority complex sets him apart from the society in the beginning, his piercing conscience distances him from people later on in the novel. He refuses to speak to Razumuikhin or to his family. It only before he goes to jail, that he decides to see his mother. Even when he does so, he is relieved that Dunya is not in the room. He later admits to Dunya that he doesn't, "even remember why [I] even went" to meet his mother. His conscience does not allow him to face his loved ones and eventually, he tries to isolate himself from society. While Raskolnikov tries to alienate himself from his own conscience, he is alienating himself from humanity in general.