Crime and Punsishment is by no means an easy read, but what makes it different from other books I've read is how psychological it is as opposed to being based on action. Most of the novel takes place in the mind of the main character, Raskolnikov, who is proud, contemptous and almost completely detached from society as well as in a semi--delerious mental state. What I find funny is the fact that Raskolnikov's mind is his greatest enemy and that is what causes much of his anguish and torment. It is in his own mind where Raskolnikov struggles the desire to commit the crime and his repulsion at the physical manifestation of it.
But he is not repulsed by the lack of morality in the action because he feels as if it almost a duty to kill the widow.
But its after the crime that we see the most interesting part as Raskolnikov's punishment begins and he is riddled with paranoia as he obssesses over possibly overlooked stains in his clothing and properly hiding the stolen goods. But we also see guilt set in when he gets strong urges to confess many times. I thought it was interesting, and a bit confusing, how it seemed that Raskolnikov hid the things so poorly. He even scolds himself for it. To me, it seemed like it was purposeful carelessness because he wanted to get caught because his conscience was starting to bother him, but then again it might have just been a bout of fever.
posted by Mikaela M.
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I like your reading of Raskonikov's carelessness after the crime as a manifestation of his subconscious desire to be caught. Definitely keep that question in mind as you read. After all, he's based his crime on a moral theory. Do you think that Raskolnikov questions his own moral theory, or that it's his emotional reaction to his crime that causes his uncertainty?
ReplyDeleteI personally believe that Raskolnikov does NOT question his moral theory. Later on in the book, it is revealed that Raskolnikov created an article "On Crime" that reflects to his motives toward committing the crime in the first place, or rather, this article was the basis behind his crime. Raskolnikov felt that there are certain individuals that can bypass the law and commit crime at will; he felt he was this type of extraordinary or superior individual when he committed his crime as confirmed by himself when he speaks to Sonia. Raskolnikov shows no lament toward having committed the crime and still believes his moral theory is correct (though he does see himself as a failure in the aspect of "extraordinary"). Throughout the novel, the fear of a punishment was what created Raskolnikov's paranoia, but ironically, this fear /paranoia was his true punishment as is evident when he receives the punishment he feared (jail) -- he discovered happiness out of "suffering".
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