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Modern Criticism Professor Aubrey Rough Draft
Redemption in Crime and Punishment
One of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s greatest accomplishments is creating a book that masterfully intertwines sociological ideals and an in depth psychological analysis while still writing a truly great piece of literature. The novel being Crime and Punishment, which explicitly describes the protagonist Rodin Romanovich Raskolnikov’s fluctuating mental state as he commits a brutal crime, becomes tortured by guilt, and finally turns himself in. But what makes Crime and Punishment such an enticing novel? It is the psychological analysis and transformation of a criminal, the symbols used throughout the story, the sociological and philosophical voices and terms that underline the whole novel, and most importantly it is the idea of redemption. I will argue that Dostoevsky uses all these elements to create a captivating novel, one that follows the journey of the protagonist as he fights within himself throughout the book. Through the characters and themes in his Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky argues that a person can become redeemed by submitting to one’s suffering, especially on another’s behalf. Dostoevsky in this, offers a path to redemption for the audience. Crime and Punishment follows a poor impoverished student living in the poor town of St. Petersburg, who believes himself to be extraordinary and above the people he is subjugated to
surround himself with. He has a theory that extraordinary people have the right to commit crimes and even murder people that are below them. This theory carries on throughout most of the book. Due to this theory Raskolnikov plots to kill and rob the pawnbroker, Alyona Ivanovna. He succeeds in the murder of the old pawnbroker and her sister but after the murder grows ill from deliria and paranoia. Due to this paranoia he grapples with whether if he should confess to his crimes or not, this feeling of what to do carries on throughout the novel. Later, he witnesses the death of Marmeladov, he then gives Marmeladov’s widow almost all the money he has. Raskolnikov also meets Sonya, who is the daughter of Marmeladov, he feels for her, since she has been forced to prostitute herself for money by her step mother. Sonya becomes a symbol for redemption for Raskolnikov and he promises to tell her who murdered the pawnbroker. Once Raskolnikov finishes another interview with Porfiry, he is the officer who is investigating the murder case and also has suspicions that Raskolnikov is the murderer, he decides he will tell Sonya he is the one who murdered the two women. After he tells her of his crimes she hopes that he will confess to the murders and seek religious redemption, she even vows to go to Siberia with him, which is where he would spend his sentence. At first Raskolnikov does not want to confess but after much deliberation and guilt he goes to the police station and confesses to the crimes. Raskonikov then goes to Siberia to spend his prison sentence, Sonya follows him there. In the end of the book Raskolnkov realizes he is in love with Sonya and that once his sentence is over he will be a better man for her, and in such is reborn. Dostoyevskys masterful psychoanalysis of the main character Raskolnikov as well as several other characters is a key part of Crime and Punishment. The major focus of this novel is a deep exploration in the minds of a criminal and the ones closest to him. The inner world of
Raskolnikov fails to be. And of course the most important character to many besides Raskolnikov himself is Sonya. Sonya is known as the character who helps Raskolnikov into his confession and ultimate redemption. Sonya illustrates important social and political issues that were of concern to Dostoevsky, such as the treatment of women, the effects of poverty and the importance of religious faith. She also is an important part of the theme of with suffering one can be redeemed. Since she was forced to prostitute herself for money, she symbolizes that even the deepest of transgressions can be redeemed through ones suffering and faith. Another important psychological element in Crime and Punishment are the dreams had by Raskolnikov and Svidrigailov. In Raskolnkovs first dream, many believe it is a warning for what is to come if he commits the crime, one critic agrees with this by saying “represented in the first dream by the beating of the mare into which, Raskolnikov subconsciously realizes, his life will develop if he perseveres in his determination to kill the pawnbroker. The dream is the last attempt by his subconscious to hold out to him a way of life opposite to that to which his reason and will have committed him” (Gibian, 985). Another critic argues that Raskolnikovs and Svidrigailokvs dreams intertwine with each other, I believe this just further cements the statement of Svidrigailovs and Rakolnikovs similarities. In the article Uwamsoba says “Svidrigâiloff’s hallucination, dreams and suicide comprise one of Crime and Punishment’s most powerful sequences. Dostoyevsky, in an attempt to show the relationship between Raskolnikov and Svidrigâiloff, seems to bring the dreams Svidrigâiloff had on his last night into correspondence, if not wholly exact with those Raskolnikov had had earlier” (Uwamsoba, 147). Many say that it is the dreams had in the book that show the true meaning of the story. As according to Freud “dreams occupy a special place in Psychoanalysis, they are indispensable. It is the dream in part which symbolically directs our attention to the meaning of the story”.
It is also important to note the underlying themes that run throughout this story. The ideas of nihilism, Christianity and existentialism are apparent and it is necessary to understand the importance of these philosophies and ideals. Firstly, it is clear from the start of the book, that the protagonists’ negative outlook on the world could mirror a nihilistic point of view, one that could also be compared to Nietches theory of the “superman”. What does this mean exactly? Nihilism rejected family and societal bonds as well as emotional and aesthetic concerns in favor of a strict materialism, to think in a purely rational manner is to think only with logic. Morals, emotions, and feelings do not coexist with the purely rational thought associated with nihilism. Most agree with this statement, one critic saying: Raskolnikov is carved in the image of the Nietzchean metaphysical rebel who has pushed things too far to a nihilistic end. To Nietzche, the superman commits crime or does anything for self-gratification, and not for humanity. Raskolnikov is confronted by a world without mercy, faith, hope, charity, justice, or purpose (Uwasomba, 145). It is clear that Raskolnikov a nihilist; unsentimental for most of the novel, he cares nothing about the emotions of others. However, at the end of the novel, as Raskolnikov discovers love he sheds his nihilistic view. Through this action, the novel condemns nihilism as empty and instead shows a different path for the protagonist, one that is not devoid of love and emotion. it can be shown that Dostoevsky attempts to stop nihilism from becoming a part of Russian culture by showing contradictory emotions and actions within such rational thinkers as Svidrigailov and Raskolnikov. In the end, Dostoevsky shows that human emotions cannot be ignored and irrationalism is necessary. After throwing away his nihilistic theories, Raskolnikov begins to turn to Christianity, Sonia is a big influence on his Christian redemption. A very important symbol that shows
interpreted in many different ways, I will argue that the main purpose is to show that through ones suffering one can be redeemed, and that Raskolnikov himself ultimately does redeem himself with the help from Sonia specifically, as shown in previous paragraphs. I believe that Raskolnikovs own personal mental torture is his punishment throughout the book, it shows he is not past redemption and still does have a conscience, it is his schizophrenic nature that makes him suffer from paranoia and delusion, making it hard for him to choose the right or wrong path, but it does not make him irredeemable and in the end he fails in his previous theory of the “superman”, one article agrees with this by saying:
the man who, obsessed with his own deification, engaged in a daring experiment which he deemed emblematic of "freedom and power, but above all power finds himself unable to make good his claim and pass his test. Trapped in what he calls his cowardice, unnerved by the humiliating realization of the failure of his project, his pride disintegrating, Prisonlike submits to Sonia's Christly mediation and gives himself up to the police (Rudicina, 3). In this passage the critic is reinforcing my statement by saying that Raskolnikov fails in his previous thesis of being able to kill without remorse or consequence and instead after much paranoia and deliria he submits to Sonias idea of restitution and confesses to his sins. There are, of course, many other ideas on the meaning behind Crime and Punishment and it is important to hear other writers’ theories regarding the book. In A socio- psychological exploration of Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s crime and punishment the critic, Chijioke Uwasomba, states that in Crime and Punishment “The writer appears to be saying that the world is meaningless as it is full of injustice, exploitation and other forms of inequities” (Uwamsoba, 147). While I do agree with this statement I believe that the critic is missing a vital part of the
meaning behind Crime and Punishment, I do think that Dostoyevsky is trying to highlight the injustice in the world around us, consequently saying that often life can seem meaningless. But I only think this is half of the meaning. While Dostoyevsky may be trying to highlight many issues and inequities in Russia at that time, he is also saying that suffering may be inevitable but through ones’ suffering can be a path to regeneration and a new more meaningful life, as seen with Raskolnikovs trials and tribulations throughout the story. Paul Squires also argues that “Raskolnikov's confession is one of the world's psychological masterpieces. He confessed in order to rid himself of a burden; not because he repented, however. Prison finally meant to be "in freedom" (Squires, 821). I partially do agree with Squires, prison definitely did mean freedom, by freedom Squires is saying that Raskolnikov has finally freed his mind from all of the delusions and paranoia he is plagued with throughout the novel because of the crime he committed. Subsequently of course he does feel freedom from finally confessing his sins. But I do not agree with Squires in regards to saying that he did not repent, while after the confession Raskolnikov may go back and forth with right and wrong, it is in the epilogue where you will really see the change in him and why I believe he is ultimately redeemed. In my opinion the epilogue of Crime and Punishment is the reason that truly shows Raskolnikov wanting to redeem and now can start a new life and journey, it states That is the beginning of a new story, though; the story of a man's gradual renewal and rebirth, of his gradual transition from one world to another, of his acquaintance with a new reality of which he had previously been completely ignorant. That would make the subject of a new story; our present story is ended. (Dostoyevsky, 522)
and concepts while not being too convoluted and keeping a strong story line. But it is not just a story of a murder and the punishment that ensues, it is the inner working of the mind of a confused man and the philosophies that run throughout the book being that of Freudian, Marxian, Christian, and existentialist voice. By using all of these elements Dostoyevsky creates a compelling and enticing novel that shows a clear path to redemption through the life of Raskolnikov and the other main characters.
Bibliography
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"Dostoevsky in Crime and Punishment, " in the Norton Critical Edition of Crime and Punishment, ed. George Gibian (New York: Norton, 1975), pp. 244-258.
Gibian, George. “Traditional Symbolism in Crime and Punishment.” PMLA , vol. 70, no. 5, 1955, pp. 979–996., www.jstor.org/stable/459881.
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Squires, Paul C. "Dostoevsky's Doctrine of Criminal Responsibility." Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology 5th ser. 27.6 (1937): 820-23. Web.
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