Comparing Dostoevsky's Crime And Punishment Essay

In Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky highlights a time of tremendous psychosomatic turmoil within his main character, Raskolnikov. At this point, Raskolnikov and Porfiry have established their relationship in reference to the murder of the pawnbroker and her sister. The two have gone back and forth—Porfiry certain that Raskolnikov is hiding something, while Raskolnikov has weaved around any curveballs thrown in an attempt to trigger a confession. However, Porfiry downright challenges Raskolnikov with the discovery of Raskolnikov’s “ordinary paper”. The paper details Raskolnikov’s beliefs about people who are considered ordinary and those who are extraordinary, which in turn allows for murder. Through use of allusion, syntax, and diction

Throughout, Dostoevsky highlights the passage’s over-arching theme’s relevancy when Raskolnikov relates his theory to Napoleons rein in history, he “maintain[s] that all great men or even men a little out of the common, that [are] to say capable of giving some new word, must from their very nature be criminals—more or less, of course,” (Dostoevsky 466). Historically, Napoleon, both politically and socially, has ensured his status as an admired yet provocative leader. Raskolnikov’s allusion to this cunning leader emphasizes the motivation of his paper, and shows Dostoevsky’s attempt to “rationalize” Raskolnikov’s reasoning behind the murders successfully. Through these relations, we are able to see that Raskolnikov truly believes he is either a “great [man] or even a little out of the common.” By committing the act, it uncovers not just a physical commitment, but mental too—Raskolnikov’s final step in assuming this “great man”, was to fully commit to his Superman Theory. By putting himself above others, murdering the pawnbroker and Lizaveta—an act supposedly only excusable for those who were extraordinary—he attempts to assume this role of greatness. The allusion controls the piece entirely, providing us with a real life connection to understand what Raskolnikov feels. Napoleon Bonaparte is often described as both good and evil, a contradictory of emotions—while the name Raskolnikov directly means