Crime and Punishment appear to be one of the most widely spread novels of Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky. Despite being created at the end of the 19th century, it is extremely popular both in the author’s native country and outside its territory. All the plot is articulated on the random murder committed by a former student Rodion Raskolnikov, who resides in Saint Petersburg. The student encountered a significant lack of money, which prevented him from further studying and made him incapable of paying for his flat. Inner worries about this issue led him to kill the hostess of his residence. In addition, he had to murder the witness of the happening. This action and numerous reflections in this regard change the personality of the character considerably. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to trace the phycological journey of Raskolnikov and describe his changes from the beginning of the novel to the end.
It should be noted that before the murder, Raskolnikov had already felt despondent. Due to lack of money, his nutrition is poor, he wears old clothes and struggles from apathy (Allan para. 6). Several months before the happening, the character had to stop his studying process and provide lessons. During this period, Raskolnikov does not contact other people and spends a great amount of time in his flat lying on the bed. Immediately in advance of his action, he imagines the theory, according to which people can be divided into two groups: usual and unusual, who are capable of performing great deals. These thoughts appear to be the primary reason for his action.
Immediately after the murder, Raskolnikov is weak both in the context of physical and mental state, and he has almost fallen ill. He is in a delirious state, sleeps for a long time, refuses to eat, and loses the internal sense (Allan para. 5). The character is feared:
For the first moment he thought he was going mad. A dreadful chill came over him; but the chill was from the fever that had begun long before in his sleep. Now he was suddenly taken with violent shivering, so that his teeth chattered and all his limbs were shaking (Dostoevsky part 1, chapter 2).
After the murder, his worries become inadequate and drive the student mad. He feels as if the punishment for his action is coming: “Surely it isn’t beginning already! Surely it isn’t my punishment coming upon me? It is!” (Dostoevsky part 1, chapter 2). His behavior cannot be considered normal, and occasionally, he doubts whether he committed the crime in real life or whether it was the figment of his imagination.
In addition, Raskolnikov faces a choice: on the one hand, he is willing to admit his guilt, but on the other hand, he is determined to hide the truth. He is ashamed and fears that his family will reveal his crime, and he even reflects on the escapade and suicide:
Yes, to escape the disgrace I thought of drowning myself, Dounia, but as I looked into the water, I thought that if I had considered myself strong till now I’d better not be afraid of disgrace (Dostoevsky part 4, chapter 7).
At the end of the novel, after a long and tough fight with himself, Raskolnikov decides to reveal his guilt in the crime. The character is driven by the motive to be an honest and strong personality, which is not feared by the shame (Allan para. 8). His pride does not allow him to escape or commit suicide. For this reason, he reveals the truth on own accord.
Works Cited
Allan, Derek. “The Power of an Idea: Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment.” Literary Imagination, vol. 18, no. 2, 2016, pp. 133–148.
Dostoevsky, Fyodor. Crime and Punishment. Translated by John Bickers, Dagny and David Widger, The Project Gutenberg, 2006.