Crime and Punishment

Crime and Punishment (???????????? ? ?????????) is a novel written in 1866 by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky.

Analysis

The behavior of Raskolnikov throughout the book can also be found in other works of Dostoevsky, such as Notes from Underground and The Brothers Karamazov, (his behavior is most similar to Ivan Karamazov from The Brothers Karamazov). He creates suffering for himself by killing the pawnbroker and living so destitutely despite his ability to get a good job. Razumikhin was in the same situation as Raskolnikov and lived to a large degree better, and when Razumikhin offered to get him a job, Raskolnikov refused; he led on the police that he was the murderer, even though they had no evidence of it. He constantly tries to reach and defy the boundaries of what he can or cannot do (throughout the book he is always measuring his own fear, and mentally trying to talk himself out of it), and his depravity (referring to his irrationality and paranoia) is commonly interpreted as an affirmation of himself as a transcendent conscience and a rejection of rationality and reason. This is a theme common in existentialism; Friedrich Nietzsche praised Dostoevsky's writings despite the theism present in it and Walter Kaufmann considered Dostoevsky's works to be the inspiration for Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis). Raskolnikov believes that only after defying morality and the law through killing some one can he be one of the greats, like Napoleon (he left most of the money in the pawnbroker's house). Dostoevsky also uses Sofya to show how only belief in God can cure man's depravity, which is where Dostoevsky differs from many other existentialists. Though this particular philosophy is unique entirely to Dostoevsky, because of its emphasis of Christianity and existentialism (whether or not Dostoevsky was a true existentialist is debated), similar themes can be seen in writings by Jean Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, Herman Hesse and Franz Kafka.

Related Topics:
Dostoevsky - Notes from Underground - The Brothers Karamazov - Paranoia - Transcendent - Conscience - Reason - Friedrich Nietzsche - Theism - Walter Kaufmann - Metamorphosis - Morality - Napoleon - Existentialist - Philosophy - Christianity - Existentialism - Jean Paul Sartre - Albert Camus - Herman Hesse - Franz Kafka

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