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Crime And Punishment By Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov

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The book Crime and Punishment is an interesting fictional novel because we are able to read about the thoughts of murderer and the mental suffering that he endures. This book is about a young man Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov and his process of redemption after murdering an innocent woman. By reading Crime and Punishment we read Raskolnikov’s thoughts, and are therefore able to determine Raskolnikov’s world view and how it affects his actions. Throughout the book Crime and Punishment, the main character Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov seems to believe that there is no point to life, but if there is, it is that life is just a series of hardships. In the book Crime and Punishment, the main character Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov seems to believes that …show more content…

At the beginning of the book, Raskolnikov overhears a man talking about a woman named Alyona Ivanovna: “we have a stupid, senseless, worthless, spiteful, ailing, horrid old woman” . . . “[k]ill her, take her money and with the help of it devote oneself to the service of humanity and the good of all” (45). Raskolnikov believes that since this lady is old and is no longer contributing to society, he feels justified killing the lady. The worse part of this is that after the murder while confessing to his friend Sonya he admitted “I wanted to have the daring. . . and I killed her. I only wanted to have the daring, Sonia! That was the whole cause of it” (276). Raskolnikov is saying that he did not kill for money or power; he did this horrible crime because he wanted to prove to himself that he could

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Raskolnikov shows his ambiguous morality with almost everything he does. Prior to murdering the pawnbroker and her sister, he thought he would be able to keep it together and stay calm. Right after, and even while committing the murder, he starts to become paranoid and restless. Throughout the novel, Raskolnikov goes through phases where he switches from being in a conscious state, into a state of unconsciousness. Raskolnikov is also a very forgetful person, but also tends to overthink things, which contrasts and could/does make him paranoid about his crimes and the thought of others finding out.

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589 Words | 3 Pages

In Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment, the protagonist Raskolnikov is a character with a clear heavily ambiguous morality. His thoughts and actions throughout the novel demonstrate both traits- as well as ethical and unethical decisions. His ambiguity creates a complex and nuanced portrayal of a character torn between his own morality and the morality of society. This ambiguity is even seen as a literal duality. In the first few pages of the novel, he is detailed as wearing unkempt clothing, and his environment as being heavily impoverished, yet Raskolnikov is described as, “exceptionally handsome, above average on height, slim, well-built, with beautiful dark eyes and dark brown hair.”(pg

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1237 Words | 5 Pages

One notable quote on moral corruption in the novel is when Raskolnikov says "I did not kill a human being, but a principle!" It highlights his moral justification for the murder and how it led to his downfall. Another quote is "By nothing but a fantastic theory that you've made up, you've taken away the life of a poor, decrepit creature, the drunken brute," it shows how the moral justification led to a terrible crime. Another quote that highlights the moral corruption is "The more I think of it, the more plainly I see that I have been a fool, that I have been duped, that I have been utterly in the dark about myself. "

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Crime and Punishment Summary Raskolnikov leaves his nervously as he does not want to see his landlady, to whom he owes money, and he is debating whether or not he can go through with some important task. As he walks through town he is “rehearsing” for whatever the big task may be. Raskolnikov arrives at a woman’s apartment and asks to sell his watch, the pawnbroker only offers him a small amount of money.

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931 Words | 4 Pages

Raskolnikov 's act of violence is what causes him to go insane, impacts the lives of the people around him, and finally violence is Raskolnikov’s way of proving himself as an above-average individual. Dostoyevsky used violence to change the course of not only Raskolnikov’s life but also the lives of the people around him. The story shows how one man 's image of himself as a higher being can cause him to commit violent acts, which impact everyone around

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66 Words | 1 Pages

His vivid descriptions of the sounds, which are the complete antithesis of his silent murdering of the pawnbroker, demonstrate fear and a sense of nativity from violence. As a reaction, Raskolnikov develops terror and anguish, as he questions and asks himself, if the possibility of people finding out about the pawnbroker’s murder can occur. In addition, Raskolnikov’s third dream challenges his ability of coping with crime.

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909 Words | 4 Pages

Within Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov's actions prove a certain nihilism by plotting to murder a woman under the pretense that killing her would benefit society. The nihilism incorporated in the novel shapes the entire plot of the book. During a scene at the seedy bar, two nondescript men consider murdering Alyona Ivanovna: “Kill her and take her money, so that afterwards with its help you can devote yourself to the

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1302 Words | 6 Pages

Why does Raskolnikov never stop to think about his own paper, when it holds the way to his self-character infection? Why does he never scrutinize the homicide he carried out, why does he not attempt and perceive whether his wrongdoing is uncommon or normal? Why does he not battle with his utilitarianism when it is self-evident, by

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Moreover, After Raskolnikov has confessed to the murder, he is sentenced to eight years of hard labor in Siberia, which is described as, “on the bank of a wide, lonely river there is a town, one of Russia’s administration centres; in the town there is a fortress, in the fortress a prison, “(637). Raskolnikov’s prison sentence is symbolic of the consequences of violent revolution. The wide, lonely river represents how the proletariat will become alienated from society because of poverty. Moreover, because Dostoevsky describes the river as described as wide, it also indicates that the alienation that the proletariat experience will become worse after the revolution. The town is also described as having a fortress.

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374 Words | 2 Pages

In Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, the protagonist Raskolnikov killed an old pawnbroker and took her money in her apartment. He rationalized his actions by basically saying she deserved it because she was a malicious old woman, petty, cantankerous, and scheming, useless to herself and to society, and her life brought no happiness to herself or to others. He also justified taking her money because he believed that her money would fall into the hands of corrupt officials anyway if she was found dead, while he could put the money to better use. He planned to use it to further his education so that he can help others in the future. According to Kantian theory, and most modern ethical theories, Raskolnikov acted in an unjust manner.

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1025 Words | 5 Pages

He steps out of his blind belief that left him with more harm than good. Character development in Crime and Punishment is essential to follow Raskolnikov’s progression of ideas and conflict regarding the murder he committed. Through three different dreams, Dostoevsky presents the undisplayed emotions of guilt, hatred, and reflection. The dreams then clearly juxtapose with Raskolnikov’s behavior and actions towards others, further developing a layer of complexity in both the character and the unraveling of the

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I was in a hurry to overstep . . . I didn’t mean to kill a human being, but a principle! I killed the principle, but I didn’t overstep, I stopped on this side. ”(Dostoyevsky 217) Raskolnikov has to convince himself that he is one of the superhuman people that have the right to break social standards and laws.

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837 Words | 4 Pages

Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment was written in response to Russia’s social changes in the 1860s, but it has grown timeless because it leads its readers to question the ways in which they discover faith and happiness. Nihilism, or the rejection of morality and religion, pervades the thoughts and goals of the characters, and creates an intense conflict in the formation of their ideologies. Throughout the novel, the development of the protagonist, Raskolnikov, and the effect other characters have on that development is the most effective way that Dostoevsky is able to demonstrate how our lives are shaped by our religious and ideological perspectives. Religion affects every character in the novel differently, but the differences we see

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1046 Words | 5 Pages

There are multiple times in Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky that Raskolnikov’s mentality towards his actions change drastically. Although the ending of Crime and Punishment may suggest that Raskolnikov has a chance at redemption, his mental state is far too inconsistent to come to this conclusion. In one chapter, Raskolnikov is remorseful and deeply regrets his actions, even telling himself that he will confess, but in another, he acts as if he never even committed the crime and he believes that there is no chance of him ever being caught for his wrongdoings. Raskolnikov’s first attitude towards what he has done is shown immediately after he murders Aliona and Lizaveta.

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1588 Words | 7 Pages

Raskolnikov confronts reality and can never again legitimize his activities in light of political perspectives. The writer of Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky composed this book uncovering some of his own perspectives on legislative issues and consolidating them all through the story. Like Raskolnikov, Dostoyevsky was captured by the administration and punished for his offense. He was rebuffed for his radical communist positions, just to later reject these thoughts. Through the story, the creator fuses a solid message of exactly how intense the legislature is and the solid impact of governmental issues.

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