What Makes Crime and Punishment a Unique Novel
What Makes Crime and Punishment a Unique Novel
Recently I began reading Crime and Punishment, an 1866 novel by famous Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. The novel centers on Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, a young man who recently dropped out of college because of his poverty. Raskolnikov kills and rob an old pawnbroker to help himself to escape poverty, and kills the old woman’s sister after she witnesses the murder. There are many things that make Crime and Punishment a unique read and have given it a reputation as an amazing novel:
The philosophy in Crime and Punishment. Crime and Punishment is a timeless novel, partly because of its philosophical questions that still apply today. In the novel, after his heinous crime, Raskolnikov justifies his actions in many ways to himself. One way in which he does so, is by stating that with the right resources, and without poverty holding him back, Raskolnikov could accomplish great things. Through these accomplishments, Raskolnikov believes he could benefit society in a far more positive way than the old pawnbroker, Lizaveta Ivanovna ever could. Raskolnikov’s rationalization throughout the work mirrors the beliefs of utilitarianism. Through the situation in Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky exposes fundamental flaws in utilitarianism. Raskolnikov's actions, even if they did benefit society as a whole, were ultimately incorrect, as he took the lives of two people. Dostoevsky’s personal philosophy being inserted into the book, as Crime and Punishment of utilitarianism is one of the many factors that makes Crime and Punishment a timeless book, as utilitarianism still exists to this day.
The structure of Crime and Punishment. Crime and Punishment is truly a unique book in terms of its structure. While in many other stories, a mrurder is thought to the climatic moment of the book, the murder in Crime and Punishment happens at the start of the novel. What truly makes this novel great is not the murder itself, but the actions taking place after the murder. While many novels are strictly concerned about the mind of a person before killing, Dostoevsky explores Raskolnikov’s mind after the murder. Knowing of the murder from the outset of the novel leads to a much more suspensful experience, as Raskolnikov develops and the reader sees the different emotions he experiences after the killing, as the police investigate the crime.
The character of Raskolnikov. One of the things that make this novel so special is the way in which Dostoevsky was able to explore the mind of a criminal. Raskolnikov is the protagonist of the novel, and although the reader is able to identify the murder as incorrect, the reader nonetheless sympathizes with Raskolnikov. Raskolnikov is much more than a one-dimensional serial killer. Without giving much away, Dostoevsky shows Raskolnikov to be a conflicted character after the murderer, and at the beginning of the novel, shows the true reasons for Raskolnikov’s actions, and does not simply paint him as a heartless character. At the beginning of the novel, Raskolnikov sees his poverty as the root of problems of so many others in the novel. His sister is about to get married to man who she doesn’t truly love, and his mother is going to extreme measures to try to fund Raskolnikov’s life. While Raskolnikov was obviously wrong to kill the two sisters, he is more than just a self-motivated character.
Raskolnikov sounds like an interesting person. I think the points you made were interesting and gave me insight as to what makes the story great. Your explanation of how utilitarianism is used in the book actually helped me understand something I've never heard of before. Your combination of both plot and your background knowledge also helped reinforce your argument that the book is unique. And, character complexity is something that I don't see too often on other novels, so I'm glad you not only pointed it out but also explained it incredibly well. Great job!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this blog post! Your focus on the philosophical, structural, and character-driven aspects of the book are all well done and concise and make me very interested in reading the book. The focus on the flaws in utilitarianism was the most intriguing aspect to me, as philosophical ideologies are very interesting to me. Overall great work!
ReplyDeleteRaskolnikov's situation seems like it would be able to give someone an example of why crime is more often committed by people in poverty (they are desperate for money and don't have a good way to survive). I also think I would want to read this book because it focuses on the aftermath of what would normally be the climax (the murder), instead of focusing on the climax itself. I will definitely need to check this book out.
ReplyDelete