Crime And Punishment Essay Research Paper Despite

Crime And Punishment Essay, Research Paper

Despite the mask we wear to seek refuge and to hide our suffering from the outside world, we as a society go to our own inner selves in determining the true value of personal suffering. Not for redemption, but for the feeling to be pitied for is why humans often dwell in emotional pain for a longer time than necessary. Dostoyevsky proves this theory to an extraordinary extent in Crime and Punishment. Dostoyevsky finds a way to drill deep into the human psyche and finds the solution to each individual s suffering. With ease, the reader can identify Dostoyevsky s message of gaining redemption through personal suffering. If this is the only conclusion readers draw in the end without further analysis, they have missed the subtle elaborations Dostoyevsky has intended for his novel. D.I. Pisarev states in his criticism that Raskolnikov suffers because he fears criminal punishment and tries too hard to analyze himself (Pisarev, 150). This is not true because his eventual criminal sufferings pale to the comparison of his inner self s struggle. While redemption through suffering is a huge them in the novel, it is not the complete idea. Why would personal suffering be the pinnacle of a novel that involves suffering between many characters. The punishment in Crime and Punishment is the ongoing battle of Raskolnikov s reluctance to see the suffering of others around him. From witnessing the misery of others, the characters of Dostoyevsky s novel develop a need to reach out and help. As evil as they may seem, each character seems to have a place in their heart to sympathize suffering and lend a helping hand. The motive for this intention varies from each character but the reaction to someone s agony is a recurring theme among every character. Thus, Dostoyevsky theorizes that in search of redemption from one s personal sufferings, humans seek the sufferings of others so that they may feel sympathy towards them and help others in need, which validates their chance at redemption.

Not what one expects in the hero of the story, Raskolnikov approaches the reader with pessimism and an ominous future. It is no coincidence that Dostoyevsky picked Raskolnikov for this character s name, which translates into split , immediately focusing on the ambivalence of this hero s actions, but more importantly, his thoughts. When analyzing Raskolnikov s suffering, the reader will realize his redemption is given to him slowly throughout the story, mostly given in the end. Raskolnikov s suffering can be seen as a block of ice brought into the unfamiliar atmosphere of room temperature. As the liquid state of water represents his amount of redemption, the ice slowly melts drop by drop. The stubborn coolness of the ice still remains in its solid form, but slowly, the warmth of the room, changing all the ice into liquid overcomes the cold. If there is anyone that represents the warmth of the room so well, it is Sonia, the daughter of Marmaledov who is driven into prostitution to care for her family. As the temperature of the room stays constant, the temperature of the ice will eventually meet an equilibrium closer to that of the room, bringing Raskolnikov closer to Sonia s ideas and moral values. Raskolnikov has the most difficult time seeing the suffering of others. Only until Sonia falls ill and cannot see him for several days is when he can finally realize the suffering of others and redeem his own to the fullest.

The agony of Marmeladov is one many can relate to. As society grows with more people with drinking problems, the reader s quickly recognize the bumbling rationalization of this drunken man. He has drunken his family into poverty and tells Raskolnikov of his hopelessness. George Gibian believes Marmeladov is still submerged in his selfish course of action (Gibian, 971). In the early chapters Marmeladov states, Because when I drink, I look for compassion, I look for feeling. I drink because I want to suffer (13). Marmeladov wants the people to pity him, but won t work to help his own self. Marmeladov is the catalyst for Raskolnikov s good will. After hearing the story of Marmeladov, Raskolnikov tries to reason with Marmeladov to help himself out. After the introduction of Marmeladov is when Dostoyevsky begins to introduce a guilty conscience in Raskolnikov s head. Raskolnikov begins to question why he ever thought of such a horrific act of violence. He says, How could I get an atrocity like that in my head. (7). Of course, Marmeladov wasn t enough to alter his decision. Gibian also states that Marmeladov welcomes suffering, but continues to spurn his responisbilities, trying to find ambiguous responses from people (Gibian, 972). The constant pity Raskolnikov receives throughout the story is shown even during the murders. Even while he is in the act of murder, the reader still feels compassion for Raskolnikov and finds it difficult to absolutely hate him. Instead, Dostoyevsky depicts a concerned picture of Raskolnikov as he franticly hides and runs from the scene, hiding the money and hallucinating at night. Readers try desperately to agree with Raskolnikov s motives for murder, even if the motives are still unclear.

Raskolnikov s theory of the extraordinary man is something he tries hard to follow, which is why it is so hard for him to realize his own suffering. Raskolnikov tries to step over the limits of his society s laws. How can he sympa