Raskolnikov Change In Crime And Punishment

Although murder is an abominable crime, having apathy towards this crime after having committed it is far more immoral and despicable. There are multiple times in Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky that Raskolnikov’s mentality towards his actions changes 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 there is no chance of him ever being caught for his wrong-doings. One of Raskolnikov’s attitudes towards what

His attitude in this chapter is comparable to how he feels after committing the crime. At this time in his life, rather than being a self-motivated guilt like he had after he committed the murders, it was a guilt pressured on to him by Sonia. She gave him something to look forward to whenever his sentence was completed. Although it may not be genuine, he realizes the torture he had put Sonia through, saying “he recalled how he had constantly caused her pain” (527). This reveals that he has a sense of remorse for at least some of his actions, particularly the pain he caused Sonia. The narrator also says that he will show Sonia love to try and redeem himself (527), which shows that he is willing and apt to change in order to make up for all the suffering that he has caused Sonia. If Raskolnikov actually is looking for redemption, it seems to be an attempt at impressing Sonia to try and ensure that he does not harm her any more than he already has. At the very end of Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov reads Lazarus again, as he once had Sonia read it to him. This story tells a tale of renewal and rebirth, which seems to be a goal of Raskolnikov’s at this point in his

If Crime and Punishment had been a few chapters longer, Raskolnikov likely would have changed his mind as to whether or not he is seeking redemption; thus, it cannot be concluded that the ending of this book is how Raskolnikov will feel for the rest of his life. Based on the novel as a whole and comparing it to the conclusion of the book, it is very likely that Raskolnikov will eventually go back to being indifferent about his