The title of Crime of Punishment focuses on one crime, but has multiple instances of punishment. Although Raskolnikov kills the two old women very early on in the narrative, it is not until the epilogue that he actually receives any true repercussions for these murders. However, this does not mean that he is without punishment, as his psyche is torn asunder by the guilt he feels for his sins. Raskolnikov is no doubt a criminal, but his ways of reacting to the crime contrast heavily with any normal criminal’s behavior after having committed a murder. Specifically, Raskolnikov is punished by his dreams, his memories, and even his guilt, and in a way they are even more effective than the eventual punishment he receives in Siberia. Beginning with his dreams, Raskolnikov undergoes torture in his sleep even before killing the pawnbroker, as he has a terrible dream about a horse being abused by its owner. Raskolnikov dreamt that he was, “a child about seven years old,” and that he was with his father (Page 57). …show more content…
On a number of accounts, his sentence is lessened, such as the benevolent deeds he has been credited with, his saving Nikolay from the punishment he doesn’t deserve, and even the fact that he was not being considered for this crime (even though he was). As promised earlier, “Porfiry Petrovitch fully kept his word” about acting completely surprised with Raskolnikov’s confession (Page 529). In the face of all of this, though, Raskolnikov still fights to take more punishment, as he wants to be washed clean of this crime completely, and does not want to cheat himself out of redemption by serving less time in Siberia. Raskolnikov is completely cooperative in the process of his confession, and had even, “shown a desire to exaggerate his guilt.” (Page 528). All things considered, Raskolnikov undeniably gets the punishment he