Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov is a immature, destitute adult male who lives on his ain in St. Petersburg. He is hardly able to last because he has ceased to go to his categories at the university and has lost his beginning of income, which was tutoring. As a consequence, he has non been able to pay his rent and has to avoid his landlord. The small money he receives comes from his female parent and the few bangles he is able to soak to a local agent named Alyona Ivanova. Alyona Ivanova is referred to as “ an atrocious old vixen, ” and we are told that Raskolnikov “ felt an unsurmountable repulsive force for her at the first glimpse, ” ( pg. 57 ) . Because Raskolnikov has kept himself isolated from the bulk of the environing population, he has spent his unoccupied clip thought.
Dostoevsky introduces the struggle within Raskolnikov early in the first chapter. Raskolnikov is contemplating some cryptic thing that is non announced to the reader and merely referred to as that. In his head, he continuously goes back and Forth over whether he is genuinely believing of making that or if it is merely a idea traveling around in his caput. As he is completing his ideas, he attempts to agitate off whatever that is by stating himself, “ It is non that serious at all. It ‘s merely a phantasy to divert myself ; a toy, ” but after a short minute he ends with, “ Yes, possibly it is a toy, ” ( Dostoevsky, pg. 2 ) . In this citation the “ possibly ” allows a reader to presume that Raskolnikov may, in fact, be sing this thing. The conversation Raskolnikov holds with his ego, as he goes back and Forth over this issue, shows that he his head is conflicted. This thought so early in the fresh Lashkar-e-Taibas us see Raskolnikov is already believing to himself but is non even certain of his ain ideas. Such indecisiveness over what it now an unmentioned affair sets the tone for this inner-conflict that he struggles with throughout the novel and that about consumes him.
When the truth of what that is comes out, readers grasp the appendage of the inner-dual of Raskolnikov. That, the slaying of an guiltless adult female, is something genuinely impossible by, what society considers, a rational individual. Raskolnikov is infinitely at odds with whether or non this is merely an thought formed in his caput or if he is willing to perpetrate such an act. In a dream he sees the barbarous anguish of a Equus caballus, which leads to its decease. After the dream Raskolnikov wonders how he could even contemplate slaying and cursed the idea of it stating, “ aˆ¦My God! Anyway I could n’t convey myself to make it! I could n’t make it, I could n’t make it! ” ( Dostoevsky, pg. 54 ) . Such inexorable renunciation of the act is all of a sudden and easy altered as he strolls upon a conversation where he discovers that Alyona Ivanova, the adult female he is believing of murdering, will be home entirely at a certain clip. Raskolnikov sees this as destiny and wholly burying about his dream one time once more alters his mentality and decides to perpetrate the offense. The secret plan thickens and the clang continues inside the head of Raskolnikov, as what was one time merely a “ toy ” grows into a world.
Throughout the novel the reader is able to see the enormous sum of unsupported pride Raskolnikov holds for himself. Although he lives in what seems to be a slum in St. Petersburg, does non pay his rent, and he has late dropped out of school, he believes that he is better than those around him. In malice of the degree of pride he possesses he is still content to go forth his house dressed as though he has no respect for his visual aspect. With that said, in explicating an article that he wrote, he says,
“ I merely hinted that an extraordinary adult male has the rightaˆ¦that is non an official right, but an interior right to make up one’s mind in his ain scruples to overstepaˆ¦certain obstructions, and merely in instance it is indispensable for the practical fulfillment of his thought, ”
( Dostoevsky, pg. 226 )
whatever that thought may be. He feels that he is so superior to others that he even has the right to take the life of another human being, though he adds, “ sometimes, possibly, of benefit to the whole of humanity, ” ( Dostoevsky, pg. 226 ) . He attempts to formalize his point by stating that it is more sensible for a superior being to interrupt the jurisprudence when the act benefits all of society. This allows the reader to see that his head is clearly assorted up. He believes that he is superior, though he does nil to turn out it. His exclusive “ claim to fame ” is this article that was published in a newspaper and that does non incorporate his signature, merely his initials.
One of the most important positions of Raskolnikov ‘s dueling personalities can be seen through his interaction with others. “ The moral-psychological traits of his character incorporate this antinomy between natural kindness, understanding, and pityaˆ¦ ” ( Unkown ) . Thesiss are the words of a jurisprudence pupil who explains that when moving on replete Raskolnikov is sort, sympathetic and has commiseration for others. While he can frequently be highly compassionate for those around him his admitted feeling of high quality over others leads him to the mistreatment of them every bit good as his delusional ideal mentioned in his article “ On Crime. ” The compassion he shows is often counteracted, because after executing an act of kindness Raskolnikov is frequently upset at himself for making the title. “ What a stupid thing I ‘ve done, they have Sonia and I want it myself, ” ( Dostoevsky, pg. 23 ) Raskolnikov says this after he leaves some money, which he does non hold much of, for a friend and his hapless household. This shows his feeling of sorrow for making what is clearly a good title. Subsequently, he shows sorrow after protecting a bibulous immature miss who is being pursued by an older adult male. The fact that Raskolnikov is non able to do what he sees as quality determinations in goad of the minute state of affairss can be attributed to the confusion at drama in his head and the insanity it is doing. His personality is ever at odds and Dostoevsky uses the continual shifting in his character ‘s caput to demo this. Raskolnikov ‘s thought that he is superior is disproved non by his actions but by the sorrow he has for doing determinations that seem to be rational.
In the hebdomads following Raskolnikov ‘s offense his mental status deteriorates even more. After many yearss of ill slumber he is surrounded by many of the people he knows and some he does non cognize. Raskolnikov finds that he really feels he is incorrect for what he did. The struggle in his caput displacements from the determination of whether or non to take the life of the pawnbroker, to whether or non he should squeal to his offense. “ However, Raskolnikov ‘s beliefs are undermined by the guilt and unwellness he experiences after the slaying, making a split in which he desires to relieve his guilt and besides desires to confirm himself as extraordinary, ” ( TheDoctor ) . This new “ split ” in his head grows out of the original struggle. His guilt is something that is non wholly shown, but it is present. Raskolnikov believes, even as a inmate in a Siberian labour cantonment, that his offense would hold been something apprehensible had non the pawnbroker ‘s guiltless sister walked in and seen him. Raskolnikov ‘s guilt grows due to those he is closest to. Sonia encourages Raskolnikov to squeal his offense because it is the lone manner he could be redeemed. Even with the 1 he loves most stating him to squeal, Raskolnikov ‘s pride is still present and he possesses a demand to turn out that he is genuinely a superior being. With all these desires traveling on in his caput Raskolnikov does non cognize how to get down his pride and accept that the lone manner he can be is through penitence.
In his insanity Raskolnikov is driven to make many overzealous things as he abandons his sister, female parent, and best friend, and about lets the truth, that he committed the slayings, faux pas out. He is one time once more alienated from everyone, except Sonia. The relationship between Raskolnikov and Sonia grows strong and he learns to swear her. “ In the book ‘s concluding scene Raskolnikov finds himself in a province of close craze at the constabulary station, and he confesses his offense, ” ( Unknown ) . This citation explains Raskolnikov ‘s mental status as the narrative is coming nigh to a stopping point. Raskolnikov is so taken by his insanity that he wonders through the metropolis in an effort to publically squeal. He is so horrified by the crowd that he can non convey himself to make the confession publically. His head could hardly work as he walked into the constabulary station where he would eventually declare his guilt and have up to his offense. When he hears of the self-destruction of person he knows he becomes so baffled that he walks out of the constabulary station. His head is now so weak that he can be sidetracked easy. He reenters the station when he sees Sonia, the 1 who has eventually convinced him to squeal. It seems as though she has to really command his head in the concluding scenes in order for him to hold adequate strength to confess.
Crime and Punishment, as a novel, contains many thoughts of the writer Fyodor Dostoevsky. About everything in the book revolves around his character Raskolnikov. Raskolnikov ‘s inner-struggle histories for a bulk of the novel. From his love for his household, to his devotedness to his friends, and even his willingness to put on the line his life for aliens, he can be considered good. Due to his selfishness and pride, which he allows to estrange him from society, he may be considered merely the antonym. When these multiple personalities mix with the ideals he has created during his drawn-out periods of separation from others, it generates a adult male whose head is torn into many waies. Raskolnikov is unable to take his ain way and allows opportunity to command his actions. He is close to traveling wholly insane and he likely would hold if non for the relationship formed with Sonia in which she takes the topographic point of opportunity and ushers Raskolnikov in the way of salvation.
