Extraordinary Man/Superman Theories in Crime and Punishment
Raskolnikov’s theories about the ordinary man versus the extraordinary man are often blurred and indistinct in his own mind. If one is to assume that the crime was committed in order to prove a theory, then the flaws in the crime indicate the flaws or incompleteness of the theory.
If the theories seem to be contradictory at times, it is not a result of Dostoevsky’s carelessness; quite the contrary, Dostoevsky intentionally made the theory contradictory at times. Raskolnikov had to commit the murder before he had completely formulated the theory. Dostoevsky wanted to show the young intellectual being influenced by various theories and then using these theories before he had had a chance to analyze them. For example, a typical contradiction would be that Raskolnikov will at one time maintain that the murder was committed to benefit mankind, but then he will maintain that the extraordinary man must be above mankind and not be concerned with what mankind will think of him. Such an incomplete understanding of his own thoughts and such contradictory statements are the rationale that leads Raskolnikov to the possibility of redemption. A brief analysis of the various ideas will partly show what aspect of the theories are borrowed and what aspects are the result of Raskolnikov’s own thinking.
The German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1830)
Hegelian Superman Theory:
1. The Hegelian Superman exists for noble purposes; if the ends are noble, then the means can be justified. The emphasis is always on the ends rather than the means..
• The old pawnbroker is an evil person who is actually harming the poor people who come to her for pawning.
2. According to Hegel, any harmful segment of society should be removed.
• Therefore, Raskolnikov reasons that by murdering the old pawnbroker, he will be removing a harmful “louse” from society.
If the ends are noble, the means can be justified. The old pawnbroker has a lot of money that will be “wasted” upon useless requiem services for her soul after her death. With that money, Raskolnikov will be able to complete his education and devote himself to the service of humanity, or he could distribute the money among needy and starving families, thus saving hundreds of people from ruin and destitution.
German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)
The Nietzschean Superman Theory:
1. The Nietzschean Superman exists for his own self gratificiation
• Svidrigailov was born from these ideas of self-gratification. Svidrigailov would reason:
2. Since he believes that “God is dead” there is no will (or power) beyond that of my own, I must completely assert my own will until it is totally free of all restraint against it. Since there is no power beyond me that functions to punish, I am free to assert completely my own will.
3. Therefore, the Nietzschean Superman is one who possesses the strongest will and is able to make his desires and his power dominant over others.
• Svidrigailov can rape a 15-year-old girl and cause the death of a servant without any fear of punishment. He asserts his own will in order to gratify his own desires.
4. The test of this type of Superman is that he must stand completely alone and must not allow his will to be influenced by the wishes of others. Thus, this assertion of the will isolates man from society.
• When Raskolnikov attempts to assert his will, he finds himself cut off from the rest of humanity. It is this dreadful solitude that Raskolnikov cannot stand and that makes him confess to become part of humanity again.
Raskolnikov’s Extraordinary Man Theory
Raskolnikov’s own theory adopts some of all of the above ideas with certain touches of his own. For Raskolnikov,
1. All men are divided into two categories: ordinary and extraordinary.
2. The ordinary man has to live in submission and has no right to transgress the law because he is ordinary.
3. On the contrary, the extraordinary men have the right to commit any crime and to transgress the law in any way.
4. They are extraordinary because they are the men who have the gift or talent to utter a New Word. It is the extraordinary men who forge civilization onward to new heights of achievements.
5. The extraordinary man has this inner right to decide whether to overstep the law or any obstacle that stands in the way of the practical fulfillment of his idea, or New Words.
6. All great men capable of giving something new to society must not submit to the common law because if they do they cease to be great.
7. Great men create new laws by their discoveries and therefore should have the right to eliminate a few men in order to make their new discoveries known to all of humanity.
• Thus, Raskolnikov “sanctions bloodshed in the name of conscience.” (Raskolnikov constantly refers to Napoleon because Napoleon had the daring to commit various acts in order to complete his plans.)
Again it should be emphasized that, at the time of the murder, Raskolnikov had not worked these various theories into a consistent whole. All the individual parts were there, but some of the connecting details were missing. The murder was committed to see whether he dares commit a murder and therefore proves his will is strong, that he in fact is an extraordinary man. Am I a real man of power? (This ideas comes partly from Nietzsche). From this premise, Raskolnikov reasons that a man may commit a crime if it serves a noble end. (This part comes from Hegel). Then he chooses his victim from the “ordinary” class; he chooses someone who he considers to be a louse, the pawnbroker, Alyona.
Crime and Punishment Part III
Raskolnikov’s Extraordinary Man Theory
1. Crime is always accompanied by illness.
2. Men are either ordinary or extraordinary
3. Ordinary men have no right to transgress laws.
4. Extraordinary men have an inner right to decide whether or not to step over any law or obstacle standing in the way of fulfillment of their ideas.
5. All great men have the right to eliminate a few men in order to make their discoveries known to all mankind.
6. Ordinary, inferior men can only reproduce their own kind. Extraordinary men have the talent to utter “a new word.”
7. All great men capable of giving something NEW “a new word,” must not submit to common law or they will cease to be great.
What is important in this section:
* What is new and original in Raskolnikov’s theory (thereby making him one of the extraordinary) is that he “Sanctions bloodshed in the name of conscience.” Raskolnikov says that the great will suffer in their own conscience. “Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart.”
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Crime and Punishment Part V
Crime and Punishment Part V
Major Events:
1. Luzhin frames Sonia
2. The Marmaladov funeral party
3. The Marmaladov family is evicted and homeless
4. Raskolnikov’s confession to Sonia, first attempts to justify the murders:
Stated reason Flawed reasoning
Needed the money Never used it, counted or even looked at it
To keep himself in Never used the money
School
To prove himself He was unable to stand
Extraordinary like alone
Napolean
Alyona was a louse Sonia reminds him, she
And deserved death was a human being
Calls himself vain, All true but does not
Envious, malicious excuse the act
Base, vindictive with
A tendency towards
Insanity
The actual reason for murders
To see if he dared, if He proves himself a
He was extraordinary louse, that he murdered himself more than anyone else
Points to remember?
1. Confession to Sonia ends his social isolation (because crime separates man from society
2. He confesses because he can not stand alone.
3. His confession redeems his warm caring side but not his intellectual, calculating side.
4. This is the first of two climaxes because it marks a turning point for the character.
5. Sonia tells Raskolnikov to accept his punishment “because suffering is a great thing.” Raskolnikov does not wish to confess because he does not believe that his theory was wrong, only that he was not “extraordinary” enough to prove it.
Major Events:
1. Luzhin frames Sonia
2. The Marmaladov funeral party
3. The Marmaladov family is evicted and homeless
4. Raskolnikov’s confession to Sonia, first attempts to justify the murders:
Stated reason Flawed reasoning
Needed the money Never used it, counted or even looked at it
To keep himself in Never used the money
School
To prove himself He was unable to stand
Extraordinary like alone
Napolean
Alyona was a louse Sonia reminds him, she
And deserved death was a human being
Calls himself vain, All true but does not
Envious, malicious excuse the act
Base, vindictive with
A tendency towards
Insanity
The actual reason for murders
To see if he dared, if He proves himself a
He was extraordinary louse, that he murdered himself more than anyone else
Points to remember?
1. Confession to Sonia ends his social isolation (because crime separates man from society
2. He confesses because he can not stand alone.
3. His confession redeems his warm caring side but not his intellectual, calculating side.
4. This is the first of two climaxes because it marks a turning point for the character.
5. Sonia tells Raskolnikov to accept his punishment “because suffering is a great thing.” Raskolnikov does not wish to confess because he does not believe that his theory was wrong, only that he was not “extraordinary” enough to prove it.
Crime and Punishment Part IV
Crime and Punishment Part IV
Theme: “Suffering leads to salvation.” Through suffering, man’s sins are purified. Raskolnikov goes to Sonia because he sees her as a symbol of “all the suffering of humanity.” He goes to her to see if she can take his confession upon herself and help him to “bear his own cross.” Because she bears the sins of others (like Christ), Sonia is a “Christ like figure.”
Allusion: A reference to a well known person, place, historical event, piece of literature, music or art, etc. that the author expects the reader to be familiar. An author may use an allusion as a sort of short hand to suggest ideas, themes or views. The most often alluded to items in English/American literature are the Bible, Shakespearean plays and Greek and Roman mythology.
Lazarus allusion: Raskolnikov asks Sonia to read the story of Lazarus from the Bible. By speaking of Lazarus, Dostoevsky is saying that in some ways Raskolnikov and Lazarus are alike.
Raskolnikov & Lazarus Allusion Comparison
Lazarus Raskolnikov
Literally dead Spiritually & therefore
Figuratively dead through sin
Needs physical rebirth Needs spiritual rebirth
Jesus raises him from Sonia raises him from
Physical death spiritual death
Physically reborn Spiritually reborn by the ending of isolation through confession
Points to Remember
1. Svidrigalov is ease dropping on the conversation between Raskolnikov and Sonia.
2. Sonia’s purpose is to redeem Raskolnikov through her suffering for him (like Christ suffered for the sins of others); she will help him “bear his cross” (a Biblical allusion).
3. Porfiry’s purpose is to redeem Raskolnikov’s intellectual side. Point: He could have arrested Raskolnikov by this time. He has enough evidence, but he does not because:
• He has a sincere liking for him.
• (and most important) If arrested now, Raskolnikov would never come to a realization about the error of his theory. This is important because punishment without understanding is not beneficial nor corrective. Without understanding, the talents Raskolnikov has would be wasted and would not benefit him or Russia.
4. Nikolay’s confession is thematic and is a result of his belief that suffering (even without sin), leads to redemption.
Theme: “Suffering leads to salvation.” Through suffering, man’s sins are purified. Raskolnikov goes to Sonia because he sees her as a symbol of “all the suffering of humanity.” He goes to her to see if she can take his confession upon herself and help him to “bear his own cross.” Because she bears the sins of others (like Christ), Sonia is a “Christ like figure.”
Allusion: A reference to a well known person, place, historical event, piece of literature, music or art, etc. that the author expects the reader to be familiar. An author may use an allusion as a sort of short hand to suggest ideas, themes or views. The most often alluded to items in English/American literature are the Bible, Shakespearean plays and Greek and Roman mythology.
Lazarus allusion: Raskolnikov asks Sonia to read the story of Lazarus from the Bible. By speaking of Lazarus, Dostoevsky is saying that in some ways Raskolnikov and Lazarus are alike.
Raskolnikov & Lazarus Allusion Comparison
Lazarus Raskolnikov
Literally dead Spiritually & therefore
Figuratively dead through sin
Needs physical rebirth Needs spiritual rebirth
Jesus raises him from Sonia raises him from
Physical death spiritual death
Physically reborn Spiritually reborn by the ending of isolation through confession
Points to Remember
1. Svidrigalov is ease dropping on the conversation between Raskolnikov and Sonia.
2. Sonia’s purpose is to redeem Raskolnikov through her suffering for him (like Christ suffered for the sins of others); she will help him “bear his cross” (a Biblical allusion).
3. Porfiry’s purpose is to redeem Raskolnikov’s intellectual side. Point: He could have arrested Raskolnikov by this time. He has enough evidence, but he does not because:
• He has a sincere liking for him.
• (and most important) If arrested now, Raskolnikov would never come to a realization about the error of his theory. This is important because punishment without understanding is not beneficial nor corrective. Without understanding, the talents Raskolnikov has would be wasted and would not benefit him or Russia.
4. Nikolay’s confession is thematic and is a result of his belief that suffering (even without sin), leads to redemption.
Crime and Punishment Part III
Extraordinary Man/Superman Theories in Crime and Punishment
Raskolnikov’s theories about the ordinary man versus the extraordinary man are often blurred and indistinct in his own mind. If one is to assume that the crime was committed in order to prove a theory, then the flaws in the crime indicate the flaws or incompleteness of the theory.
If the theories seem to be contradictory at times, it is not a result of Dostoevsky’s carelessness; quite the contrary, Dostoevsky intentionally made the theory contradictory at times. Raskolnikov had to commit the murder before he had completely formulated the theory. Dostoevsky wanted to show the young intellectual being influenced by various theories and then using these theories before he had had a chance to analyze them. For example, a typical contradiction would be that Raskolnikov will at one time maintain that the murder was committed to benefit mankind, but then he will maintain that the extraordinary man must be above mankind and not be concerned with what mankind will think of him. Such an incomplete understanding of his own thoughts and such contradictory statements are the rationale that leads Raskolnikov to the possibility of redemption. A brief analysis of the various ideas will partly show what aspect of the theories are borrowed and what aspects are the result of Raskolnikov’s own thinking.
The German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1830)
Hegelian Superman Theory:
1. The Hegelian Superman exists for noble purposes; if the ends are noble, then the means can be justified. The emphasis is always on the ends rather than the means.
• The old pawnbroker is an evil person who is actually harming the poor people who come to her for pawning.
2. According to Hegel, any harmful segment of society should be removed.
• Therefore, Raskolnikov reasons that by murdering the old pawnbroker, he will be removing a harmful “louse” from society.
If the ends are noble, the means can be justified. The old pawnbroker has a lot of money that will be “wasted” upon useless requiem services for her soul after her death. With that money, Raskolnikov will be able to complete his education and devote himself to the service of humanity, or he could distribute the money among needy and starving families, thus saving hundreds of people from ruin and destitution.
German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)
The Nietzschean Superman Theory:
1. The Nietzschean Superman exists for his own self gratificiation
• Svidrigailov was born from these ideas of self-gratification. Svidrigailov would reason:
2. Since he believes that “God is dead” there is no will (or power) beyond that of my own, I must completely assert my own will until it is totally free of all restraint against it. Since there is no power beyond me that functions to punish, I am free to assert completely my own will.
3. Therefore, the Nietzschean Superman is one who possesses the strongest will and is able to make his desires and his power dominant over others.
• Svidrigailov can rape a 15-year-old girl and cause the death of a servant without any fear of punishment. He asserts his own will in order to gratify his own desires.
4. The test of this type of Superman is that he must stand completely alone and must not allow his will to be influenced by the wishes of others. Thus, this assertion of the will isolates man from society.
• When Raskolnikov attempts to assert his will, he finds himself cut off from the rest of humanity. It is this dreadful solitude that Raskolnikov cannot stand and that makes him confess to become part of humanity again.
Crime and Punishment Part III:
Raskolnikov’s Extraordinary Man Theory
Raskolnikov’s own theory adopts some of all of the above ideas with certain touches of his own. For Raskolnikov,
1. All men are divided into two categories: ordinary and extraordinary.
2. The ordinary man has to live in submission and has no right to transgress the law because he is ordinary.
3. On the contrary, the extraordinary men have the right to commit any crime and to transgress the law in any way.
4. They are extraordinary because they are the men who have the gift or talent to utter a New Word. It is the extraordinary men who forge civilization onward to new heights of achievements.
5. The extraordinary man has this inner right to decide whether to overstep the law or any obstacle that stands in the way of the practical fulfillment of his idea, or New Words.
6. All great men capable of giving something new to society must not submit to the common law because if they do they cease to be great.
7. Great men create new laws by their discoveries and therefore should have the right to eliminate a few men in order to make their new discoveries known to all of humanity.
• Thus, Raskolnikov “sanctions bloodshed in the name of conscience.” (Raskolnikov constantly refers to Napoleon because Napoleon had the daring to commit various acts in order to complete his plans).
Again it should be emphasized that, at the time of the murder, Raskolnikov had not worked these various theories into a consistent whole. All the individual parts were there, but some of the connecting details were missing. The murder was committed to see whether he dares commit a murder and therefore prove his will is strong, that he in fact is an extraordinary man. Am I a real man of power? (This idea comes partly from Nietzsche). From this premise, Raskolnikov reasons that a man may commit a crime if it serves a noble end. (This part comes from Hegel). Then he chooses his victim from the “ordinary” class; he chooses someone who he considers to be a louse, the pawnbroker, Alyona.
Crime and Punishment Part III
Raskolnikov’s Extraordinary Man Theory
1. Crime is always accompanied by illness.
2. Men are either ordinary or extraordinary
3. Ordinary men have no right to transgress laws.
4. Extraordinary men have an inner right to decide whether or not to step over any law or obstacle standing in the way of fulfillment of their ideas.
5. All great men have the right to eliminate a few men in order to make their discoveries known to all mankind.
6. Ordinary, inferior men can only reproduce their own kind. Extraordinary men have the talent to utter “a new word.”
7. All great men capable of giving something NEW “a new word,” must not submit to common law or they will cease to be great.
What is important in this section:
* What is new and original in Raskolnikov’s theory (thereby making him one of the extraordinary) is that he “Sanctions bloodshed in the name of conscience.” Raskolnikov says that the great will suffer in their own conscience. “Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart.”
Raskolnikov’s theories about the ordinary man versus the extraordinary man are often blurred and indistinct in his own mind. If one is to assume that the crime was committed in order to prove a theory, then the flaws in the crime indicate the flaws or incompleteness of the theory.
If the theories seem to be contradictory at times, it is not a result of Dostoevsky’s carelessness; quite the contrary, Dostoevsky intentionally made the theory contradictory at times. Raskolnikov had to commit the murder before he had completely formulated the theory. Dostoevsky wanted to show the young intellectual being influenced by various theories and then using these theories before he had had a chance to analyze them. For example, a typical contradiction would be that Raskolnikov will at one time maintain that the murder was committed to benefit mankind, but then he will maintain that the extraordinary man must be above mankind and not be concerned with what mankind will think of him. Such an incomplete understanding of his own thoughts and such contradictory statements are the rationale that leads Raskolnikov to the possibility of redemption. A brief analysis of the various ideas will partly show what aspect of the theories are borrowed and what aspects are the result of Raskolnikov’s own thinking.
The German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1830)
Hegelian Superman Theory:
1. The Hegelian Superman exists for noble purposes; if the ends are noble, then the means can be justified. The emphasis is always on the ends rather than the means.
• The old pawnbroker is an evil person who is actually harming the poor people who come to her for pawning.
2. According to Hegel, any harmful segment of society should be removed.
• Therefore, Raskolnikov reasons that by murdering the old pawnbroker, he will be removing a harmful “louse” from society.
If the ends are noble, the means can be justified. The old pawnbroker has a lot of money that will be “wasted” upon useless requiem services for her soul after her death. With that money, Raskolnikov will be able to complete his education and devote himself to the service of humanity, or he could distribute the money among needy and starving families, thus saving hundreds of people from ruin and destitution.
German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)
The Nietzschean Superman Theory:
1. The Nietzschean Superman exists for his own self gratificiation
• Svidrigailov was born from these ideas of self-gratification. Svidrigailov would reason:
2. Since he believes that “God is dead” there is no will (or power) beyond that of my own, I must completely assert my own will until it is totally free of all restraint against it. Since there is no power beyond me that functions to punish, I am free to assert completely my own will.
3. Therefore, the Nietzschean Superman is one who possesses the strongest will and is able to make his desires and his power dominant over others.
• Svidrigailov can rape a 15-year-old girl and cause the death of a servant without any fear of punishment. He asserts his own will in order to gratify his own desires.
4. The test of this type of Superman is that he must stand completely alone and must not allow his will to be influenced by the wishes of others. Thus, this assertion of the will isolates man from society.
• When Raskolnikov attempts to assert his will, he finds himself cut off from the rest of humanity. It is this dreadful solitude that Raskolnikov cannot stand and that makes him confess to become part of humanity again.
Crime and Punishment Part III:
Raskolnikov’s Extraordinary Man Theory
Raskolnikov’s own theory adopts some of all of the above ideas with certain touches of his own. For Raskolnikov,
1. All men are divided into two categories: ordinary and extraordinary.
2. The ordinary man has to live in submission and has no right to transgress the law because he is ordinary.
3. On the contrary, the extraordinary men have the right to commit any crime and to transgress the law in any way.
4. They are extraordinary because they are the men who have the gift or talent to utter a New Word. It is the extraordinary men who forge civilization onward to new heights of achievements.
5. The extraordinary man has this inner right to decide whether to overstep the law or any obstacle that stands in the way of the practical fulfillment of his idea, or New Words.
6. All great men capable of giving something new to society must not submit to the common law because if they do they cease to be great.
7. Great men create new laws by their discoveries and therefore should have the right to eliminate a few men in order to make their new discoveries known to all of humanity.
• Thus, Raskolnikov “sanctions bloodshed in the name of conscience.” (Raskolnikov constantly refers to Napoleon because Napoleon had the daring to commit various acts in order to complete his plans).
Again it should be emphasized that, at the time of the murder, Raskolnikov had not worked these various theories into a consistent whole. All the individual parts were there, but some of the connecting details were missing. The murder was committed to see whether he dares commit a murder and therefore prove his will is strong, that he in fact is an extraordinary man. Am I a real man of power? (This idea comes partly from Nietzsche). From this premise, Raskolnikov reasons that a man may commit a crime if it serves a noble end. (This part comes from Hegel). Then he chooses his victim from the “ordinary” class; he chooses someone who he considers to be a louse, the pawnbroker, Alyona.
Crime and Punishment Part III
Raskolnikov’s Extraordinary Man Theory
1. Crime is always accompanied by illness.
2. Men are either ordinary or extraordinary
3. Ordinary men have no right to transgress laws.
4. Extraordinary men have an inner right to decide whether or not to step over any law or obstacle standing in the way of fulfillment of their ideas.
5. All great men have the right to eliminate a few men in order to make their discoveries known to all mankind.
6. Ordinary, inferior men can only reproduce their own kind. Extraordinary men have the talent to utter “a new word.”
7. All great men capable of giving something NEW “a new word,” must not submit to common law or they will cease to be great.
What is important in this section:
* What is new and original in Raskolnikov’s theory (thereby making him one of the extraordinary) is that he “Sanctions bloodshed in the name of conscience.” Raskolnikov says that the great will suffer in their own conscience. “Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart.”
Crime and punishment Part II
Crime and Punishment Part II
Guilt and Obsession
• Raskolnikov’s theory says that there is a failure of will in every crime. This is evidenced by careless mistakes. He leaves the door open; he does not get rid of the evidence immediately etc., which causes fear of discovery.
• Raskolnikov’s theory states that illness accompanies crime. His illness (chills, fever and delirium are psychosomatic and the beginning of his punishment).
Raskolnikov’s theory states that crime isolates one from human contact. The extraordinary man must stand alone and need no one. He realizes that the crime has isolated him from society. That he can never be open and free with another person if he is to avoid discovery, yet he yearns for human contact. (duality). Suspicious Behavior
• Raskolnikov’s obsession with the bloody sock
• Fear of discovery
• Delirium
• Raskolnikov’s illness after the crime ties in with his published theory.
• He is extremely lethargic only showing interest in the crime.
• Hypothetical confession to Zametov
• Returns to the scene of the crime.
Important Points in Part II
• Raskolnikov does not count the money. This indicates that the crime was not committed for financial gain.
• Raskolnikov vacillates between the dual desire to confess (and thereby end his isolation from society) and the desire to hide his guilt (and avoid punishment).
• Sonia is revealed as a symbol of great suffering and shame (revealing a Christ-like nature).
Guilt and Obsession
• Raskolnikov’s theory says that there is a failure of will in every crime. This is evidenced by careless mistakes. He leaves the door open; he does not get rid of the evidence immediately etc., which causes fear of discovery.
• Raskolnikov’s theory states that illness accompanies crime. His illness (chills, fever and delirium are psychosomatic and the beginning of his punishment).
Raskolnikov’s theory states that crime isolates one from human contact. The extraordinary man must stand alone and need no one. He realizes that the crime has isolated him from society. That he can never be open and free with another person if he is to avoid discovery, yet he yearns for human contact. (duality). Suspicious Behavior
• Raskolnikov’s obsession with the bloody sock
• Fear of discovery
• Delirium
• Raskolnikov’s illness after the crime ties in with his published theory.
• He is extremely lethargic only showing interest in the crime.
• Hypothetical confession to Zametov
• Returns to the scene of the crime.
Important Points in Part II
• Raskolnikov does not count the money. This indicates that the crime was not committed for financial gain.
• Raskolnikov vacillates between the dual desire to confess (and thereby end his isolation from society) and the desire to hide his guilt (and avoid punishment).
• Sonia is revealed as a symbol of great suffering and shame (revealing a Christ-like nature).
Friday, March 20, 2009
Crime and Punishment Part 1
Crime and Punishment Part I
Conflict:
External – man vs. a hostile society
(poverty, crime)
Internal – man vs. himself
(Raskolnikov’s battling dual natures calculating and caring sides)
The purpose of the novel is to unite the two factions of Raskolnikov’s personality into one whole functioning person.
Theme: Suffering leads to redemption.
The whole story is developed through duality, dual conflicts as well as dual characterization
Roskolnikov
Calculating
Cold
Uncaring
Intellectual
Caring
Warm
Compassionate
Humane
Humble & Meek
Other characters
Calculating Characters
Alyona
Svidrigalov (evil)
Porfiry
Caring Characters
Lizaveta
Sonia ("Christ like")
Conflict:
External – man vs. a hostile society
(poverty, crime)
Internal – man vs. himself
(Raskolnikov’s battling dual natures calculating and caring sides)
The purpose of the novel is to unite the two factions of Raskolnikov’s personality into one whole functioning person.
Theme: Suffering leads to redemption.
The whole story is developed through duality, dual conflicts as well as dual characterization
Roskolnikov
Calculating
Cold
Uncaring
Intellectual
Caring
Warm
Compassionate
Humane
Humble & Meek
Other characters
Calculating Characters
Alyona
Svidrigalov (evil)
Porfiry
Caring Characters
Lizaveta
Sonia ("Christ like")
Reflections of Dostoevsky in Crime and Punishment
• Influenced by the radical new ideas from the West that were entering Russia during the 19th century
• He became involved in some liberal, revolutionary movements and wanted Russia to catch up with the rest of Europe
• He began writing and publishing contraband articles on a variety of political questions. This was illegal because printing was controlled and censored by the government
• He (along with 14 others) was arrested in 1849 and sentenced to death before a firing squad. Moments before his execution they were reprieved. He never forgot the experience and it haunted him for years
• Dostoevsky spent the next 5 years in a Siberian prison under horrible conditions.
• In Siberia, Dostoevsky changes his life
1. Had first epileptic seizure
2. Rejects blind acceptance of new ideas
3. Becomes a Slavophil (believes the salvation of the world was in the hands of Russia and eventually Russia would rise to dominate the world, therefore each Russian must contribute his utmost to the development of Russian ideas and culture) like Porfiry
4. Formulates his ideas about suffering as the means of salvation
• His first wife is a tubercular young widow with a young son by her first marriage. The marriage was short because she dies of her disease (like Katerina)
• He became involved in some liberal, revolutionary movements and wanted Russia to catch up with the rest of Europe
• He began writing and publishing contraband articles on a variety of political questions. This was illegal because printing was controlled and censored by the government
• He (along with 14 others) was arrested in 1849 and sentenced to death before a firing squad. Moments before his execution they were reprieved. He never forgot the experience and it haunted him for years
• Dostoevsky spent the next 5 years in a Siberian prison under horrible conditions.
• In Siberia, Dostoevsky changes his life
1. Had first epileptic seizure
2. Rejects blind acceptance of new ideas
3. Becomes a Slavophil (believes the salvation of the world was in the hands of Russia and eventually Russia would rise to dominate the world, therefore each Russian must contribute his utmost to the development of Russian ideas and culture) like Porfiry
4. Formulates his ideas about suffering as the means of salvation
• His first wife is a tubercular young widow with a young son by her first marriage. The marriage was short because she dies of her disease (like Katerina)
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