Raskolnikov's Room Essay

The title of Feodor Dostoevsky’s work, Crime and Punishment, leads the mind to think that the book will focus on a great punishment set by enforcers of the law that a criminal will have to endure, but the book does not really focus on any physical repercussions of the crimes of the main character, Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov.

In Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky creates a psychological thriller, in which he reimagines his own life through the eyes of Raskolnikov. Whereas the Russian government sentences Dostoevsky to Siberia as punishment for sedition, Siberia serves a means of atonement for Raskolnikov. This type of religious undertone reinforces the novel’s existentialistic messages that emphasizes individual existence, freedom and choice. It holds the view that humans define their own meaning in life, and try to make rational decisions despite existing in an irrational universe. Thus, humans create their own purpose in life and their choices define who they are. Dostoevsky utilizes figurative language, specifically biblical allusions, as a way of conveying and clarifying these themes to the reader. By connecting to Bible, the author universalizes the intention, allowing the reader to apply the text to their own lives, and granting the audience further insight into the novel. Thus, biblical allusions help enrich the themes of Crime and Punishment while also cementing the central message of salvation- anyone, even murderers, have the potential to redeem themselves.

First, let me introduce you to the main character himself otherwise known as the murderer in this story. Raskolnikov is the main protagonist of the novel, making the story in his point of view. He is very alienated from society due to his

Dostoevsky depicts his mind through the utilization of various literary devices, clever diction, and abrupt phrases and in turn, he is able to display the fractured mind of Raskolnikov. The structure of the novel plays a key role in the depiction of Raskolnikov’s sanity. The author is able to create a climactic scene that alters the life of Raskolnikov. He creates two major phases.

In literature, liminal spaces symbolize decisions, boundaries the hero must cross. However, in Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment, these transitional areas haunt the protagonist Raskolnikov, reminding him of the threshold he refuses to cross: facing retribution for a murder. After he kills Ivanovna, a pawnbroker, he breaks down, disturbed by his dreams and conscience. Regardless, he cannot force himself to confess, until he meets Sonia, who convinces him to take responsibility for his actions. Dostoyevsky saturates the novel with references to liminal space, and for good reason. As Raskolnikov descends into a metaphorical liminal space-- a purgatory between the murder and consequences-- and eventually ascends and redeems himself, their prominence mocks his stagnation in liminality.

In Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment, the character of Raskolnikov is one who may be considered evil or immoral for his actions, however his portrayal by the author is one that instills sympathy in the reader for the character due to his motives and personal, internal consequences he suffers for his crime of murder. There is considerable evidence supporting the view that Raskolnikov wants his theory surrounding the murder to be proven wrong, to get caught, and to be punished. This tells the reader that deep

As a prolonged attempt to preserve his fragile ego, Raskolnikov’s experience with guilt reveals his weak self-esteem. Thus, although Raskolnikov fails his own test of strength, his double murder opens his eyes to the emotional vulnerability he did not expect to see in himself, instilling an ever-present sense of guilt that characterizes the remainder of the novel.

In “Queen of Spades” written by Alexander Pushkin and in the novel Crime and Punishment written by Fyodor Dostoyevsky the main characters struggle with committing a crime that leads to their downfall. This essay carefully analyzes the similarities and contrasts between the two main criminals, focusing mainly on the planning structure of the crimes, the aftershock on both criminals, and the justifications for their crimes. These details of each character will show the two different classifications of criminals; the obsessed and the martyr. In the “Queen of Spades” Hermann is considered the obsessed since the murder of the Countess was only committed because of his obsession with the cards. In Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov is considered the

The room is as shabby as it is small--not a seemingly likely place for posing intellectual questions of great significance. But Dostoevsky is a writer fond of achieving great things with equally great economy. Just as he stretches a two-week period into a hefty novel, Dostoevsky makes a dingy student's apartment more important than a grand palace. Raskolnikov's room becomes a nexus for the story. It is there Raskolnikov cowers, broods and slips into depraved and fitful slumber. Almost all of the major characters in the book pay a visit to the room, and sometimes it even seems as if they are all stuffed into the tiny space at once. Yet the room is more than just a meeting place, more than a central location. It takes on a character of its own, illustrating Raskolnikov's mental turmoil, becoming an image of him to others and perhaps even doing much to induce or at least enforce his degenerate state.

My understanding of the significance of cultural influence on Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment was deepened through the oral discussion. Much of the discussion focused on the role of Dostoyevsky’s choice of time and place and style of writing. The time and place Dostoyevsky sets this novel is important to take into account as, I learned through the discussion, it is heavily connected with why Raskolnikov wanted to murder Alyona Ivonka. The oral discussion also elaborated on the literary techniques Dostoyevsky uses to bring Raskolnikov's character to life, because it would be impossible to completely comprehend Raskolnikov’s transformation after the murder if it was not for his detailed descriptions. We also found it very interesting of how much of a connection does the detailed description relate with Dostoyevsky’s own life.

From declaring he wanted to become a Napoleon to wishing for financial independence to murdering for his own sake, he rattles off various motives, showing his obsessive rationalization (394-397). By presenting his conflicting intentions, Dostoevsky exhibits the chaos within Raskolnikov’s mind.

The protagonist, Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, a former student, decides to murder and rob an old pawn broker, Alyona Ivanovna, not due to his desperate need of money, but due to a theory he wants to test. Raskolnikov leaves no evidence which would lead the investigation to him; however, the police lieutenant in charge of the case, Porfiry Petrovich, a meticulous thinker, understands Raskolnikov’s theory and has a big role in influencing the student to confess. Between the murder and the confession, Raskolnikov undergoes a long and painful process of thought. His friend, Razumikhin Prokofych, along with a prostitute and his future significant other, Sonia Semyonovna Marmeladova, are part of the protagonist’s path. In the end, Sonia turns out to be Raskolnikov’s salvation as she helps him find redemption and start living

As well as the city of St. Petersburg, the small room that Raskolnikov rents serves as a symbol of his guilt. The tight confines of the room represent the unrelenting guilt which has grasped hold of him.

During this interactive oral, it was pointed out that the dreams in this novel are very influential to a character’s state of mind and actions. We discussed the graphic dream in which Raskolnikov, as a child, watches a mare as it is beaten to death. This dream is interpreted by Raskolnikov as a cue to murder the old woman. The mare seems to be a parallel to the

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