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Raskolnikov's Dual Personality In Crime And Punishment

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Raskolnikov’s Dual Personality as Shown Through Doubles
In Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment Raskolnikov displays two distinct personalities that become the main source of tension and conflict in the novel.
One side of his personality is cold, calculating, proud and intellectual. When he displays this side of his personality, he believes his reasoning to be completely rational and empirical, although it does not appear so from an outside perspective. This reasoning leads him to develop his theory on crime and criminals, and ultimately to commit a murder himself. Without this side of Raskolnikov’s personality, there would be no crime and thus no conflict in the novel.
The other side of his personality is warm, compassionate and family-oriented. …show more content…

In order to highlight these dual personalities and the tension between them, Dostoevsky uses doppleganger figures that are faced with similar conflicts and decisions as Raskolnikov, but often make drastically different decisions based off of their own balance of these two contrasting aspects of personalities. Specifically, the contrast between Raskolnikov and: Marmeladov, Sonya, and Svidrigailov are used to highlight the tension between his dual …show more content…

The presence of Marmeladov highlights the pride caused by the first side of his personality as a vice he cannot escape, while also demonstrating the importance of the second side of his personality in curbing the effects of his vice on his family. Svidrigailov and Sonya are personifications of the two sides of his personality and show the extremes of the different moralities that result. Sonya is the personification of the warm, compassionate and family-oriented side of his personality, and shows the anguish that results from extreme morality in the face of difficult decisions. Svidrigailov is the personification of the cold, calculating, proud and intellectual side of his personality. When Svidrigailov says to Sonya “there are two ways open for [Raskolnikov]: A bullet in the head or Siberia” (Dostoevsky 500), he effectively highlights the two actions that would result from a resolution of Raskolnikov’s inner conflict. Either he can let the first side of his personality win and kill himself to save his pride and superiority, as Svidrigailov did, or he can let the second part of his personality win, and search for redemption through hard labor in Siberia, with Sonya by his side. By placing these characters in close contact with Raskolnikov, especially directly before his decision to turn himself in, Dostoevsky dramatizes and personifies the mental

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Raskolnikov is attracted to the suffering of Sonya, who carries the weight of her family’s hardships on her shoulders. Raskolnikov and Sonya meet when Marmeladov dies, and their relationship continues to develop quickly over the following days. The introduction of Sonia into Raskolnikov’s life is extremely important for Raskolnikov, as he has been isolated and lacking real human connection for quite some time. This relationship is so powerful and meaningful to Raskolnikov that it compels him to confess his crimes to Sonia. Through his words, his daughter, and his death, Marmeladov’s impact on Raskolnikov proves how much a person or event can change one’s

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Raskolnikov is content with the conditions of the prison he is in. The other prisoners do not care much or Raskolnikov, but they love Sonya. Raskolnikov is ill and in a fever-induced dream, he sees that everyone has gotten a virus that makes them think they are the only person who knows the truth. The people cannot get along and they destroy each other. Sonya comes to the prison often and sits outside so that R can see her out his window.

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He tells them to leave his apartment and his mother and sister end up staying with Razumihin. Luzhin sends a letter to Dunya and her mother saying he wants to meet with them but not Raskolnikov, but Dunya asks him to be there, as well as Razumihin. Sonya, Marmeladov’s daughter, comes to Raskolnkov’s apartment and asks him to attend her father’s funeral. Later Raskolnikov and Razumihin go to see the man Porfiry who is investigating the murder of the pawnbroker and Lizaveta. The investigator says that he read Raskolnivok’s article in the paper about ordinary and extraordinary people, and that in the article it said “extraordinary people have the right to kill, but only if the murder is necessary in order to help make progress in the world.”

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In Feodor Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment”, Raskolnikov’s mind is being pulled between trying to justify his crime and being guilted into admitting to committing the crime. The internal struggle Raskolnikov is going through, is shown by using psychology of a criminal to prove that his mind is forever changed because of the crime. Raskolnikov’s split mind is shown in part three chapter six during to monologue Raskolnikov has while laying in bed. The monologue shows the reader what is going on inside of Raskolnikov’s brian as he not only tries to justify the crime but also as he feels guilty because of his crime.

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They are both displayed as attractive. Raskolnikov is “exceptionally handsome, above the average in height, slim, well-built, with beautiful dark eyes and dark brown hair” (9). But, his looks are deceiving because he is the “perfect madman” (209). He is vicious by murdering two people, while his friend still believes he has “a noble nature and kind heart” (386). The contrast between Raskolnikov and Sonya is self-sacrifice.

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