Crime and Punishment (novel)

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Crime and Punishment (Преступление и наказание) is a novel written and published in serial form in the Russian Herald in 1866 by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. The novel was Dostoevsky's first great novel and signaled his emergence as one of the world's great writers. The storyline was reportedly based on a story of a murder in the newspaper that caught the author's attention. The central narrative violates the traditional technique of the detective story. Unlike the traditional "whodunit," the plot begins with the commission of a crime. The reader knows from the beginning who committed the crime. The question that Dostoevsky wants to examine is why he commits the crime.


Plot

The central drama of the novel centers on a destitute Saint Petersburg student named Raskolnikov, who appears to be planning to murder a miserly, aged pawnbroker to prove that he is a "superman" who can transgress boundaries like Napoleon. What originates as a kind of thought experiment for this "student" (who, in fact, has dropped out of school and is rather aimless) turns into action after Raskolnikov receives a letter from his mother. The letter informs him that his sister, Dunya, has concocted a plan to "save" her brother by entering into a loveless marriage with an opportunist named Luzhin, a well-to-do lawyer who is attracted to Dunya because of her vulnerability. His mother's letter also informs him that she and his sister are coming to Petersburg for a visit. The letter greatly agitates Raskolnikov, who then decides to carry out his thought experiment. His effort to enact his plan goes awry. He oversleeps on the way to commit the murder, alowing the pawnbroker's sister to return before he leaves the flat and requiring him to kill her as well. It is through sheer blind luck he is able to escape detection.

After falling ill with fever and lying bedridden for days, Raskolnikov is overcome with paranoia and begins to imagine that everyone he meets suspects him of the murder. He is irresistably drawn back to the scene of his crime, but becomes increasingly aware that he is not the superman of his theoretical construct, but a normal person who must come to terms with his own guilt. Along the way he is guided to two figures. The first is Porfiry Petrovich, the detective who reads Raskolnikov's article about the "superman" who is not bound by common morality and immediately suspects him of the crime. Porfiry plays a game of cat and mouse with Raskolnikov in an effort to trap him into making a confession. The other is the prostitute, Sofya Semyonovna. Raskolnikov is drawn to her from the first moment he first hears about her. She turns to prostitution to help support her family, even though it means her own degradation. While Porfiry plays cat and mouse with Raskolnikov, he is drawn to Sonya's unconditional acceptance. Eventually he confesses his crime, first to Sonya and later to Porfiry. He is sentenced to Siberia where he apparently finally accepts responsibility for his actions.

Themes

Redemption through Suffering

The standard interpretation of the novel is a kind of [[Christianity|Christian] [existentialism]. Raskolnikov commits a crime, for which he must suffer in order to atain salvation. Such a reading is not entirely wrong, but incomplete. It is true that Raskolnikov suffers throughout the novel, but it is expressly not the kind of suffering that can bring about moral regeneration. He does not experience any pangs of guilt, even when he confesses. He expressly rejects any the notion that he should experience guilt or remorse over the killing of "an old louse." His inability to experience guilt for his crime is the central psychological and moral dilemma of the novel.

Raskolnikov's Superman

Philosophical themes include the nihilism expressed in Raskolnikov's theory of the superman. Raskolnikov argues that certain great mean are not bound by the ordinary moral law, but are entitled to “step over” the boundary. (The Russian word for crime has the same etiology as the verb “to step over.”) He invokes the example of Napoleon as someone who was above the conventional moral law. The use of Napoleon as a model was common in 19th century literature and culture. (See Stendahl’s The Red and the Black.) However, Dostoevsky’s use here is somewhat ironic. Raskolnikov’s murder of a decrepit pawnbroker hardly matches the exploits of Napoleon. It also adds a distinctly Russian twist to notion of Napoleon as hero figure.

The transgression of boundaries is a predominant psychological as well as philosophical theme. Raskonikov lives in a cramped basement apartment, sneaking in and out to avoid detection. Many key senses take place in hallways or other cramped areas. This emphasis on cramped and marginal spaces is connected to Raskolnikov’s relationship with his mother. From the opening letter, Pulcheria makes it clear that she has scripted the role of family savior for her son and she is determined that he will fulfill it. Raskolnikov’s reaction to her letter makes it clear that her profession of love is her means of manipulating him into doing what she wants him to do, and his decision to put his plan into motion only comes after he finds out that she is planning on moving to Petersburg, from where she will more effectively be able to manage his affairs. The psychological theme of lack of proper boundaries in many of the relationships in the novel is reinforced through the spatial relationships.


His idea, that some people live above the common morality Rather, he suffers from his inability to live according to his plan, his idea, to become a Napoleon, by stepping over the bounds of common morality. He recognizes even in the commission of the crime, committed to demonstrate his superiority, that he has failed. The central drama details Raskolnikov's grudging disavowal of his idea and grudging acceptance of his place within the moral universe in which he can acknowledge a sense of guilt for his act. That transformation takes place through the intervention of Porfiry and Sonya, who play surrogate father and mother roles, giving him encouragement and unconditional support, which enables him to confess and acknowledge his guilt. This is generally understood as the Christian story of sin and conversion, however, it should be noted that the epilogue, which is usually cited as proof of Raskolnikov's embrace of the central Christian message, is much more ambiguous than is often acknowledged. It is not Raskolnikov who reads the Bible every day, but Sonya. He does not make any confession of faith, but eventually, in a moment of moral transformation, breaks down in tears, which signifies not so much his conversion to Christianity, but recognition of his transgression and reintroduction into the moral community.

Sacrifice

Raskolnikov's story is only the central plotline. However, the rest of the novel presents numerous variations, both positive and negative, on the theme of sacrifice and redemption. Dostoevsky weaves the various narrative threads together to demonstrate his conviction, later expressly stated in The Brothers Karamazov, that "we are all responsible for all." This is not simply a moral judgment on his part, but an acknowledgment that what we take to be our individual lives are deeply influenced by the actions of others, for good or for ill. There are numerous examples, but the two main ones are Dunya's sacrifice to save her brother by her engagement to Luzhin, and Sonya's sacrifice of her virtue and her place in "honorable" society by becoming a prostitute to save her family from financial ruin.

Dunya's sacrifice is, ironically, an element in Pulkheria's plan for Raskolnikov to become the family savior. According to her plan, Raskolnikov will go to university, become rich and successful, and bring honor and wealth to the family. She professes to support him from her undying love, which she uses to manipulate him to accept the role that she has scripted for him. Early in the novel, Raskolnikov receives a letter from her after she has learned that he has dropped out of school, that is, deviated from the script. He learns of Dunya's plan to save him, that is, of Pulkheria's determination to enforce the script, even if it means that she has to move all the way across the country. Raskolnikov's response to the letter is sheer anguish and humiliation, with which it is apparent that he is quite familiar. His behavior is, in large part, his response to his relationship with his mother and an attempt to escape the kind of control that she exerts over him. He is intrigued by Sonya, even before he meets her, because he recognizes that she has faced similar circumstances to his own, but has not succumbed to it. He wants to meet her to ascertain her secret.

Marmeladov, Dunya's father, tells Rodya her story in their first meeting early in the novel. Marmeladov, whose name is derived from marmelade, is an alcoholic who tried to save Katerina Ivanovna after her husband, but he succumbs to his compulsion and destroys the family. Sonya saves the family by going into prostitution to support it.


Raskolnikov's real punishment is not the labor camp he is condemned to, but the torment he endures throughout the novel.

The novel begins with The novel portrays the haphazardly planned murder of a miserly, aged pawnbroker and her younger sister by a destitute Saint Petersburg student named Raskolnikov, and the emotional, mental, and physical effects that follow.

After falling ill with fever and lying bedridden for days, Raskolnikov is overcome with paranoia and begins to imagine that everyone he meets suspects him of the murder; the knowledge of his crime eventually drives him mad. Along the way, however, he meets the prostitute Sofya Semyonovna, with whom he falls in love. Dostoevsky uses this relationship as an allegory of God's love for fallen humanity, and that love's redemptive power: but only after Raskolnikov has confessed to the murder and been sent to imprisonment in Siberia.

Apart from Raskolnikov's fate, the novel, with its long and diverse list of characters, deals with themes including charity, family life, atheism, alcoholism, and Russian revolutionary activity, with Dostoevsky highly critical of contemporary Russian society. Although Dostoevsky rejected socialism, the novel also appears to be critical of the capitalism that was making its way into Russian society at that time.

Raskolnikov believed that he was a "superhuman," that he could justifiably perform a despicable act—the killing of the money lender—if it led to him being able to do a lot of good. Throughout the book there are examples: he mentions Napoleon many times, thinking that for all the blood he spilled, he did good. Raskolnikov believed that he could transcend this moral boundary by killing the money lender, gaining her money, and using it to do good. He argued that had Newton or Kepler had to kill one or even a hundred men in order to enlighten humanity with their laws and ideas, it would be worth it.

Raskolnikov's real punishment is not the labour camp he is condemned to, but the torment he endures throughout the novel. This torment manifests itself in the aforementioned paranoia, as well as his progressive belief that he is not a "superhuman", as he could not cope with what he had done.

See also: Russian literature.

Analysis

The behavior of Raskolnikov throughout the book can also be found in other works of Dostoevsky, such as Notes from Underground and The Brothers Karamazov, (his behavior is most similar to Ivan Karamazov from The Brothers Karamazov). He creates suffering for himself by killing the pawnbroker and living so destitutely despite his ability to get a good job. Razumikhin was in the same situation as Raskolnikov and lived to a large degree better, and when Razumikhin offered to get him a job, Raskolnikov refused; he led on the police that he was the murderer, even though they had no evidence of it. He constantly tries to reach and defy the boundaries of what he can or cannot do (throughout the book he is always measuring his own fear, and mentally trying to talk himself out of it), and his depravity (referring to his irrationality and paranoia) is commonly interpreted as an affirmation of himself as a transcendent conscience and a rejection of rationality and reason. This is a theme common in existentialism; Friedrich Nietzsche praised Dostoevsky's writings despite the theism present in it and Walter Kaufmann considered Dostoevsky's works to be the inspiration for Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis). Raskolnikov believes that only after defying morality and the law through killing some one can he be one of the greats, like Napoleon (he left most of the money in the pawnbroker's house). Dostoevsky also uses Sofya to show how only belief in God can cure man's depravity, which is where Dostoevsky differs from many other existentialists. Though this particular philosophy is unique entirely to Dostoevsky, because of its emphasis of Christianity and existentialism (whether or not Dostoevsky was a true existentialist is debated), similar themes can be seen in writings by Jean Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, Herman Hesse and Franz Kafka.

Themes

Salvation through suffering

Crime and Punishment illustrates the theme of attaining salvation through suffering, a common feature in Dostoevsky's work. This is the (mainly Christian) notion that the act of suffering has a purifying effect on the human spirit allowing for salvation in God. A character who embodies this theme is Sonya, who maintains enough faith to guide and support Raskolnikov despite her own immense suffering. While it may seem grim, it is a relatively optimistic notion in the realm of Christian morality. For example, even the originally malevolent Svidrigailov is able to perform extreme acts of charity following the suffering induced by Dunya's complete rejection. Dostoevsky holds to the idea that salvation is a possible option for all people, even those who have sinned grievously. It is the realization of this fact that leads to Raskolnikov's confession. Although Dunya could never love Svidrigailov, Sonya loves Raskolnikov and exemplifies the trait of ideal Christian forgiveness, allowing Raskolnikov to confront his crime and accept his punishment.

Christian existentialism

A central idea in Christian existentialism is defining the moral boundaries of human action within a God ruled world. Raskolnikov examines the set boundaries and decides that an ostensibly immoral act is justifiable under the condition that it leads to something incredibly great. However, Dostoevsky rules against such ambitious thinking by having Raskolnikov crumble and fail in the aftermath of his crime.

Characters

Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov

Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, variously referred to by the diminutive forms Rodya and Rodka, is the protagonist from whose perspective the story is primarily told. A drop-out who is living in abject poverty in a top-floor flat in the slums of Saint Petersburg, hiding from his landlady to avoid paying rent. The root of Raskolnikov's name, "raskol'" is Russian for schism, or split.

Sofya Semyonovna Marmeladova

Sofya Semyonovna Marmeladova, variously referred to by the diminutive form Sonya and Sonechka, is the daughter of a drunk, Semyon Zakharovich. Raskolnikov meets Marmeladov in a tavern at the beginning of the novel and learns that Sonya, his eldest daughter, has been driven into prostitution to support the family. He is immediately interested in her, although they do not meet until Marmeladov's tragic death, when Raskolnikov generously gives her family the money that his mother has sent to him to help them pay for the funeral. Although she is a prostitute, Sonya is the spiritual center of the novel. Rodion is drawn to her because, like him, she is asked to play the role of family savior. She willingly takes on the role of prostitution to save the family, and while she recognizes her shameful place in society, her inner person remains untouched due to her faith. It is this feature which so attracts Raskolnikov. He finds himself drawn to her to such an extent she is the first person to whom he confesses his crime. Despite the fact that one of the victims, Lizaveta, was a friend of hers she supports him—encouraging him to accept responsibility for his action and confess. After his confession she follows him to Siberia where she lives in the same town as the prison - it is here that Rodion finally falls in love with her.

Other characters

  • Avdotya Romanovna Raskolnikova - Raskolnikov's sister, diminutive form Dunya for short, who with her mother's blessings plans to marry the wealthy, yet morally depraved, Luzhin to save the family from financial destitution. She is followed to St. Petersburg by an obsessive Svidrigailov, who, unable to make a conquest of her seeks to win her through blackmail, appealing to her desire to save her brother. In the end, she escapes Svidrigailov, rejects Luzhin and marries Raskolnikov's loyal friend, Razumikhin.
  • Arkady Ivanovich Svidrigailov - Wealthy former employer and current pursuer of Dunya, suspected of multiple acts of murder, who overhears Raskolnikov's confession to Sonya. With this knowledge he torments Raskolnikov and attempts to blackmail Dunya. His motives for pursuing Dunya are complex. His desire is certainly aroused by her rejection, but it also seems that he is looking for some kind of redemption himself, and hoping that she can provide it. Their relationship is the opposite of the Raskolnikov/Sonya relationship. When Dunya tells him she could never love him (after attempting to shoot him) he lets her go and commits suicide. Despite his apparent malevolence, Svidrigailov is similar to Raskolnikov with his random acts of charity. He fronts the money for the Marmeladov children to enter an orphanage (after both their parents die) and leaves the rest of his money to his rather young fiancee.
  • Dmitri Prokofych Razumikhin - Raskolnikov's loyal, good-natured and only friend. The root of Razumikhin's name, "razumny" means reason. Unlike his friend, Razumikhin does not overreach in an attempt to become a new Napoleon. He shows that a poor student who is willing to work hard and live within his means can achieve success. He is a contrast to Raskolnikov, who rejects this approach.
  • Katerina Ivanovna Marmeladova - Semyon Marmeladov's long-suffering wife. Katerina is a proud woman without the means to support her ambitions. After her husband dies, Mameladov "saves" the family by marrying her, but their relationship is doomed from the beginning. She is humiliated by her inferior position and berates her husband. Already at rock bottom, after Marmeladov's death she loses everything. She goes insane and dies shortly thereafter.
  • Porfiry Petrovich - The detective in charge of solving Raskolnikov's murders who, along with Sonya, guides Raskolnikov towards confession. Despite the lack of evidence he becomes certain Raskolnikov is the murderer after reading his article. Porfiry plays a cat and mouse game with Raskolnikov in order to get him to confess.
  • Semyon Zakharovich Marmeladov - Hopeless drunk who "saves" the widowed Katerina Ivanovna by marrying her, but who is unable to satisfy her ambitions. Marmeladov, whose name is derived from marmelade, has a "jelly-like" character who indulges in his own suffering. He apparently humiliates himself in order to be berated by his wife.
  • Pulkheria Alexandrovna Raskolnikova - widow and mother of Raskolnikov. She professes motherly love for her son, but from Raskolnikov's perspective, she uses it to manipulate him into playing the role of family savior. He feels inadequate to her demands, as expressed in his dream of the beaten mare who cannot pull the load. Raskolnikov's murder of the old pawnbroker is a veiled strike at his mother. After he confesses to the murder, he meets his mother one last time. She is unable to acknowledge that he is a murderer, and continues to maintain that he going to perform some great act. In the end, she cannot accept reality, goes mad and dies.
  • Pyotr Petrovich Luzhin - Despicable man who wants to marry Dunya so she'll be completely subservient to him. Raskolnikov does not take kindly to him and Luzhin is embittered. When Dunya proves ungrateful for his efforts to save her family, he attempts to frame Sonya for theft, and is cast out.
  • Andrei Semyonovich Lebezyatnikov - Luzhin's radically Socialist roommate who witnesses his attempt to frame Sonya.
  • Alyona Ivanovna - Old pawnbroker who Raskolnikov describes as "an old louse." Raskolnikov kills her to carry out his plan.
  • Lizaveta Ivanovna - friend of Sonya, Lizaveta is Alyona's simple, innocent sister who arrives during the murder and is subsequently killed.
  • Zossimov
  • Nastasya Petrovna
  • Ilya Petrovich
  • Alexander Grigorievich Zamyotov
  • Nikolai Dementiev
  • Polina Mikhailovna Marmeladova

Structure

The novel is divided into six parts with an epilogue. Each part contains between five and eight chapters and the epilogue has two. The entire novel is written from a third person past tense omniscient perspective chiefly from Raskolnikov's point of view though it briefly switches to Dunya, Svidrigailov and Sonya during its course.

In 1971, an unpublished scene written in first person perspective from Raskolinkov's point of view was released with Dostoevsky's annotated manuscript of the Russian Literary Monuments series. A translation of that scene is available in most modern editions of the novel.

Movie versions

There have been literally dozens of film adaptions of the novel. Some of the best-known are:

  • Crime and Punishment (1935, starring Peter Lorre, Edward Arnold and Marian Marsh)
  • Преступление и наказание (USSR, 1969, starring Georgi Taratorkin, Tatyana Bedova, Victoria Fyodorova) [1]
  • Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment (1998, a TV movie starring Patrick Dempsey, Ben Kingsley and Julie Delpy)
  • Crime and Punishment in Suburbia (2000, an adaptation set in modern America and "loosely based" on the novel)
  • Crime and Punishment (1979, miniseries starring Crispin Glover, Vanessa Redgrave and John Hurt)
  • Crime and Punishment mini-series (2002, starring John Simm)

External links

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