Resumo de Crime And Punishment - Fyodor Mikhaylovick Dostoevsky

Author: Fyodor Mikhaylovick Dostoevsky
Title: Crime and Punishment

Fyodor Mikhaylovick Dostoevsky (1821-1881) is an outstanding creator of modern psychological novels. He identified himself with his nihilistic heroes, since he saw a great deal of himself in them. The Protagonist Raskolnikov reflects the split personality (schizophrenia)of Dostoevsky himself.

Raskolnikov means heretic-schimistic, which summarizes his character. To begin with, he is a rational, strong, impulsive good-looking young man and a keen observer of suffering society. But later, he wants to prove to himself that he is extraordinary, a lawmaker, a new Napoleon. He chooses murder as an expedient.

Raskolnikov categorizes people into two groups
1. People who are commanding and demanding, who are law unto themselves.
2. People who are embodiments of good and evil. The herd morality of common men
who do not raise their voices against tyranny.

Though Raskolnikov belonged to the second category, he dreamt of leading life of first category. He idolizes Napoleon and like him, wants to become a lawmaker. He is basically sincere, but poverty around him, and the suffering of his mother, sister and Marmeladovs spurs him on to commit crime. His sister Dounia, submitting herself to the humiliation of prostitution, troubles his mind. He decides to relieve the pain of suffering society by taking law into his hands.

Finally, Raskolnikov plans to murder Alyona Ivanovna- a disgusting pawn broker. For Rakolnikov, she symbolizes the tyranny in society. After killing her, he intends to loot her booty and distribute it amongst the poor. But, as soon as he decides to commit the murder, his dual personality starts playing truant with him.

Dostoevsky introduces devices like nightmares and dream sequences in his stories to highlight the split personality of the protagonist. When Raskolnikov is planning to execute the murder, he has a highly symbolic dream of a mare being beaten by a drunken peasant, which makes him recoil from his criminal designs. But, again his theory of cleansing the society, prompts him to commit the murder.

Finally, Raskolnikov murders the old woman but the second murder he commits of the dull witted Lizaveta was against his plan. Immediately, after he commits the murder aftermath sets in. Instead of looting the wealth of the old woman, Raskolnikov cowers under the bed. He feels ashamed of his deed.

?A Napoleon creep under the old woman?s bed! Ugh, how loathsome!?
He seems to be tortured not by the moral aspect of crime but by the disgusting manner in which it was carried out.

Raskolnikov?s split personality comes to the fore. He finds himself in a spiritual vacuum. He sees the nightmare in which he is seen to be stabbing the old woman repeatedly. Instead of dying the old woman keeps laughing at him continuously. He realizes that he had killed the old woman physically but the old woman killed him spiritually. Therefore ?I shall never, never forgive the old woman? cries his vexed soul. He repeats the killing much more forcefully in his nightmare.

Due to lack of evidence, Raskolnikov could not be prosecuted by law. But he fears his conscience which keeps torturing him. Sometimes he even thinks of confessing his crime, but he immediately gives up the idea by justifying his deed as a noble one. His ideas sound contradictory. In fact, the confusion in his mind is attributed to the fact that he commits the murder even before he has completely formulated and analyzed his theory.

Raskolnikov?s doubts and contradictory thoughts pave way for the possibility of his redemption. He clings to Sonia (Marmaledov?sdaughter), who is his only hope in life. He is greatly influenced by her tremendous capacity to sacrifice and suffer for others. She is the symbol of the suffering humanity.

Raskolnikov could not bear the burden of crime on his conscience and thinks of seeking solace in the Bible. He asks Sonia to read the story of the raising of Lazarus, which is considered to be the greatest miracle that Christ performed. Raskolnikov also suffers from a kind of death as a result of his crime. Crime has isolated him from society and his family. He thus is figuratively dead. He thinks that his salvation is possible only through Sonia, who has profound faith in God.

Sonia also considers herself to be a criminal. She says that she has killed her body through prostitution and thus has committed crime upon her own self. So, she could understand the intensity of suffering and tries to help Raskolnikov seek solace.

Finally, on Sonia?s advice, Raskolnikov agrees to confess his crime and surrenders to the police. His act of falling at Sonia?s feet before going to the police station, symbolizes his humble submission to all the suffering of the humanity. Out of her love and dedication to Raskolnikov, Sonia follows him to Siberia.

In the end, Raskolnikov picks up the Bible and turns the page which refers to turning a new leaf in his own life also.

By sketching the character of Raskolnikov, who exhibits a dual personality, Dostoevsky has predicted that there will be personalities who with a false intention of helping the humanity, would try to wipe out the entire community ruthlessly.

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Notes compiled by : J. Prabha.

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