CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

BY: Fyodor Dostoevsky

1. BACKGROUND OF THE AUTHOR

Fyodor Dostoevsky
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky was born in 1821, the second of seven children, and lived until 1881. His
father, an army doctor attached to the staff of a public hospital, was a stern and self-righteous man while his mother
was the opposite — passive, kind, and generous — and perhaps this fact accounts for Dostoevsky's filling his novels
with characters who seem to possess opposite extremes of temperament.
Dostoevsky's early education was in an army engineering school, where he was apparently bored with the
dull routine and the unimaginative student life. He spent most of his time, therefore, dabbling in literary matters and in
reading the latest authors; his penchant for literature was obsessive. And almost as obsessive was Dostoevsky's
preoccupation with death, for while the young student was away at school, his father was killed by the serfs on his
estate. This sudden and savage murder smoldered within the young Dostoevsky, and when he began to write, the
subject of crime, and murder in particular, was present in every new publication.
After spending two years in the army, Dostoevsky launched his literary career with Poor Folk, a novel that
was an immediate and popular success and one highly acclaimed by the critics.
Perhaps the most crucial years of Dostoevsky's melodramatic life occurred soon after the publication of Poor
Folk. Using influences acquired with his literary achievements, he became involved in political intrigues of a
questionable nature. He was, for example, deeply influenced by new and radical ideas that were entering Russia from
the West, and he soon became affiliated with those who hoped to revolutionize Russia with all sorts of Western reforms.
Dostoevsky published many articles concerning various political questions knowing full well that they were illegal and
that all printing was controlled and censored by the government.
The rebellious writer and his friends were, of course, soon deemed treasonous revolutionaries and placed in
prison. After nine months, a number of them, including Dostoevsky, were tried, found guilty, and condemned to be shot
by a firing squad.
The entire group was accordingly assembled, all preparations were completed, and the victims were tied and
blindfolded. Then, seconds before the shots were to be fired, a messenger from the Tsar arrived. A reprieve had been
granted. Actually the Tsar had never intended that the men were to be shot; he merely used this cruel method to teach
Dostoevsky and his friends a lesson. This harrowing encounter with death, however, haunted him for the rest of his
life.
After the commutation of the death sentence, Dostoevsky was sent to Siberia and during the four years in
prison there, he changed his entire outlook on life. During this time, in horrible living conditions, he began to re-examine
his values. A total change occurred within the man. He experienced his first epileptic seizure and began to reject a
heretofore blind acceptance of the new ideas that Russia was absorbing. He underwent a spiritual regeneration so
profound that he emerged with a prophetic belief in the sacred mission of the Russian people. He believed that the
salvation of the world was in the hands of the Russian people and that eventually Russia would rise to dominate the
world. It was also in prison that Dostoevsky formulated his well-known theories about the necessity of suffering.
Suffering became man's chief means of salvation.
2. BACKGROUND OF THE WORK

Raskolnikov, an impoverished student, conceives of himself as being an extraordinary young man and then
formulates a theory whereby the extraordinary men of the world have a right to commit any crime if they have something
of worth to offer humanity. To prove his theory, he murders an old, despicable pawnbroker and her half-sister who
happened to come upon him suddenly. Immediately after the crime, he becomes ill and lies in his room semi-conscious
for several days. When he recovers, he finds that a friend, Razumihkin, had looked for him. While he is recovering, he
receives a visit from Luzhin, who is engaged to Raskolnikov's sister, Dunya. Raskolnikov insults Luzhin and sends him
away because he resents Luzhin's domineering attitude toward Dunya.

As soon as he can be about again, Raskolnikov goes out and reads about the crime in all the newspapers of
the last few days. He meets an official from the police station and almost confesses the crime. He does go far enough
in his ranting that the official becomes suspicious. Later, he witnesses the death of Marmeladov, a minor government
official, who is struck by a carriage as he staggers across the street in a drunken stupor. Raskolnikov assists the man
and leaves all his money to the destitute widow. When he returns to his room, he finds his mother and sister who have
just arrived to prepare for the wedding with Luzhin. He denounces Luzhin and refuses to allow his sister to marry such
a mean and nasty man. About the same time, Svidrigailov, Dunya's former employer, arrives in town and looks up
Raskolnikov and asks for a meeting with Dunya. Previously Svidrigailov had attempted to seduce Dunya and when
Raskolnikov had heard of it, he naturally formed a violent dislike for the man.

Raskolnikov hears that the police inspector, Porfiry, is interviewing all people who had ever had any business
with the old pawnbroker. Therefore, he goes for an interview and leaves thinking that the police suspect him. Since he
had met Sonya Marmeladov, the daughter of the dead man that he had helped, he goes to her and asks her to read to
him from the Bible the story of Lazarus. He feels great sympathy with Sonya who had been forced into prostitution in
order to support her family while her father drank constantly. In her suffering, she becomes a universal symbol for
Raskolnikov. He promises to tell her who murdered the old pawnbroker and her sister who was a friend of Sonya's.

After another interview with Porfiry, Raskolnikov determines to confess to Sonya. He returns to her and during
the confession, Svidrigailov is listening through the adjoining door. He uses this information to try to force Dunya to
sleep with him. She refuses and he kills himself later in the night.

Porfiry informs Raskolnikov that he knows who murdered the pawnbroker. After talking with Sonya,
Raskolnikov fully confesses to the murder and is sentenced to eight years in a Siberian prison. Sonya follows him, and
with her help, Raskolnikov begins his regeneration.

3. CHARACTERIZATION
3.1 Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov (Rodya, Rodenka, or Rodka) - a poverty-stricken student who
conceives of a theory of the "Ubermensch" or extraordinary man who has the right and/or obligation to
trangress the laws of the ordinary man in order to give a New Word or idea to all of humanity. He uses this
theory as a justification or rationalization to commit murder.
3.2 Sonya Marmeladov (Sofya Semyonovna Marmeladov) - a quiet, modest, suffering prostitute who will
become Raskolnikov's chief redemptive figure.
3.3 Porfiry Petrovitch - an official of the investigating department who is in charge of the "crime."
3.4 Svidrigailov (Arkady Ivanovitch) - a sensualist and vulgarian who asserts his own will in order to achieve
his personal goals.
 3.5 Dunya (Avdotya Romanovna Raskolnikov) - Raskolnikov's devoted sister who was previously
Svidrigailov's employee and who was propositioned by him.
3.6 Razumihkin (Dmitri Prokofitch) - one of Raskolnikov's student friends who will become enamored of his
sister Dunya.
3.7 Semyon Zakharovitch Marmeladov - a dismissed government clerk who is an alcoholic.
3.8 Katerina Ivanovna Marmeladov - Marmeladov's consumptive wife had been previously married to an
army officer by whom she had three children.
3.9 Pulcheria Alexandrovna Raskolnikov - Raskolnikov's mother who is frightened of her moody and
intellectual son.
3.10 Alyona Ivanovna - the sadistic and nasty moneylender whom Raskolnikov murders.
3.11 Lizaveta Ivanovna - the mild, likable half-sister to Alyona who is brutalized by her.
3.12 Polenka, Lyona, Kolya (Kolka) - Katerina Ivanovna's children by a previous marriage. Sonyas greatest
fear is that Polenka might have to enter into prostitution — Raskolnikov plagues her with this thought.
3.13 Luzhin (Pyotr Petrovitch) - a petty and miserly clerk in government who wants a poor person for his
bride so that she will be indebted to him.
3.14 Lebezyatnikov (Andrey Semyonovitch) - Luzhin's roommate who calls himself an "advanced liberal."
3.15 Nastasya - Praskovya Pavlovna's maid who befriends Raskolnikov and looks after him when he is ill.
3.16 Amalia Fyodorovna - the Marmeladov's landlady who is particularly disliked by Katerina Ivanovna
Marmeladov.
3.17 Zametov (Zamyotov), Alexander Gigorevitch - the chief clerk at the police station.
3.18 Ilya Petrovitch - a loud and somewhat overbearing police official to whom Raskolnikov makes his
confession when there was no one else to confess to.
4. ANALYSIS
4.1 Figure of Speech/Literary Devices
Irony and Paradox/Oxymoron
Holy Sinner: Sonia, a prostitute, is the novel’s saintliest character.
Immoral Altruist: Raskolnikov rejects the moral law but helps the downtrodden.
Freedom That Enslaves: Raskolnikov believes that he is free to make any decision, even
an immoral one, without suffering consequences. But when he commits murder, his
conscience seizes control of him.
Imprisonment That Liberates: Raskolnikov does not become truly free until he is in prison.
Wealthy Poor: The Marmeladov children are rich in what really counts in life, love.
Superior Simpleton: The pawnbroker’s moronic sister, Lizaveta, unwittingly thwarts the
perfect crime planned by a self-styled superior human being. Although she dies and
 Raskolnikov escapes, she sets in motion a series of events that eventually result in
Raskolnikov’s confession.
Simile
"He stopped short and was still as death. But all was quiet, so it must have been his fancy.
All at once he heard distinctly a faint cry, as though someone had uttered a low broken
moan" (Part 1, Chapter 7).
"it is as if he had two separate personalities, each dominating him alternately" (Part 3,
Chapter 2).
"while the direction of the actions is deranged and dependent on various morbid
impressions--it's like a dream" (Part 3, Chapter 3).
"I did not care a damn whether I would spend the rest of my life like a spider catching them
all in my web and sucking the living juices out of them" (Part 5, Chapter 4)
"Which all men shed," he put in almost frantically, "which flows and has always flowed in
streams, which is spilt like champagne" (Part 6, Chapter 7).
Personification
"His legs felt suddenly weak, a cold shiver ran down his spine, and his heart seemed to
stand still for a moment, then suddenly began throbbing as though it were set free" (Part 3,
Chapter 6).
"Raskolnikov’s burning and intent eyes grew more penetrating every moment, piercing into
his soul, into his consciousness" (Part 4, Chapter 3).
"tears stood in their eyes" (Epilogue 2).
Allusion
Allusion to Napoleon Bonaparte: “I wanted to make myself a Napoleon,” states Raskolnikov,
“and that is why I killed her.” His is murder of the pawnbroker serves for him two purposes:
to prove he is above the law, and to establish the truth of his superiority.
Allusion to Jesus Christ: "Why am I to be pitied, you say? Yes! There's nothing to pity me
for! I ought to be crucified, crucified on a cross, not pitied! Crucify me, oh judge, crucify me
but pity me?" (Part 1, Chapter 2).
Allusion to Napoleon Bonaparte: “I wanted to make myself a Napoleon,” states Raskolnikov,
“and that is why I killed her.” His is murder of the pawnbroker serves for him two purposes:
to prove he is above the law, and to establish the truth of his superiority.

Allusion to Jesus Christ: "Why am I to be pitied, you say? Yes! There's nothing to pity me
for! I ought to be crucified, crucified on a cross, not pitied! Crucify me, oh judge, crucify me
but pity me?" (Part 1, Chapter 2).
Allusion: "Bitter is the ascent to Golgotha" (Part 1, Chapter 4).
Allusion to Lazarus: "And he that was dead came forth" (Part 4, Chapter 4).
 Repetition
of Everlasting , Live, and Vile: "...everlasting darkness, everlasting solitude, everlasting
tempest around him...Only to live, to live and live! Life, whatever it may be!...vile
creature!...And vile is he who calls him vile for that" (Part 2, Chapter 6).
"What you need now is fresh air, fresh air, fresh air!" (Part 6, Chapter 2).
"Seven years, only seven years...seven years as though they were seven days" (Epi. 2).
IRONY
Sonia is a prostitute but also helps Raskolnikov find salvation
Raskolnikov only finds freedom once he has been sentenced
Raskolnikov thought he was making the world a better place by killing Alyona Ivanovna

4.2 POINT OF VIEW

- 3RD Person Omniscient – it is focalized from the point of view of Raskolnikov; however it does at
times switch to the perspective of Sviidrigailov, Razumikhin, Peter Petrovich, or Dunya.
4.3 SYMBOLISMS

Attic Apartment: Raskolnikov lives on the top floor of a five-story building. This “lofty” location seems
to represent his view that intellectually he is far above ordinary human beings—so far above them
that he is above their law and their moral codes. But his “penthouse” is a small, shabby room,
suggesting that he is quite ordinary in many respects—in some ways even inferior to the common
man. Here, then, we have a veiled foreshadowing of where the novel is going.

July Heat: In the opening paragraphs of the novel, the narrator tells the reader that it is an extremely
hot day in St. Petersburg. The oppressive heat appears to symbolize the feverish state of
Raskolnikov’s mind and body as he contemplates murder.

Pawned Ring, Watch: These items appear to represent the moral values Raskolnikov grew up with
and abandoned. The ring was a gift from his sister; the watch was his father’s. These items remain
in the limbo of the pawnbroker’s apartment while Raskolnikov is in the limbo of nihilism, struggling to
hold onto his new and dangerous ideas while his conscience tells him to redeem himself by
reaffirming the old and unchanging moral values.

Illness: Raskolnikov’s physical debilities represent his moral and philosophical debilities. As long as
he rejects proven moral truths, he rejects healing medicine.

Seven Hundred Thirty Steps: That is the number of steps Raskolnikov must walk from his
residence to reach the residence of the pawnbroker, for he has counted the steps. This number
seems to represent the self-confidence of Raskolnikov in his scheme to kill the pawnbroker. After all,
he has planned every detail, even going so far as to measure the exact distance from his residence
to the pawnbroker’s. His planning helps prop up his view that he is a superior human.

Cross: The cross Sonia gives Raskolnikov near the end of the novel represents redemption.
4.4 QUOTABLE LINES
- “Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart. The really
great men must, I think, have a great sadness on earth.”
- “To go wrong in one’s own way is better than to go right in someone else’s.”
- “The darker the night, the brighter the stars, the deeper the grief, the closer is God.”
- “It takes something more than intelligence to act intelligently.”
- “And the more I drink the more I feel it. That’s why I drink too. I try to find sympathy and
feeling in drink…. I drink so that I may suffer twice as much.”
- “A hundred suspicions don’t make a proof.”
- “Power is given only to him who dares to stoop and take it… one must have the courage to
dare.”
- “Only to live, to live and live! Life, whatever it may be!.”
- There is nothing in the world more difficult than candor, and nothing easier than flattery. If
there is a hundred of a fraction of a false note to candor, it immediately produces dissonance,
and as a result, exposure. But in flattery, even if everything is false down to the last note, it
is still pleasant, and people will listen not without pleasure; with coarse pleasure, perhaps,
but pleasure nevertheless.”
- “Truly great men must I think, experience great sorrow on the earth.”
- “The man who has conscience suffers whilst acknowledging his sin: That is his
punishment.”
- “What do you think, would not one tiny crime be wiped out by thousands of good deeds?”
4.5 THEMES
- No one is above the law
- A human being often consists of a Hyde and a Jekyll
- Success in life requires hard work and righteous living
- Love is loyal
- Foolproof plans can quickly become foolhardy
- Suffering brings illumination
- Redemption and the power of love
- Regardless of any crime committed, absolution may be achieved and that is through love
- Dostoevsky’s life had a profound effect on not only his writing, but the plot of Crime and
Punishment
 4.6 CULTURAL IMPLICATIONS
- Nihilism
- Wide spread poverty
- Ignorance of the law

5. REFLECTIONS: “How is the book relevant to today’s time? What you learned after reading it?
The novel “Crime and Punishment”