The Crime

When I first picked up Crime and Punishment, I predicted that the book would be broken into two equal parts: the first describing the lengthy procedure the protagonist would go through to plan out and execute the crime, and the second describing the harsh consequences he would face after committing the act. Now that I have read Parts I and II, I realize that the punishment part is much more in-depth than the process by which Raskolniknov commits the murder. The crime has a profound effect on Raskolniknov physically and mentally; he is paralyzed by his fear of being caught at times, yet so neurotic that he puts himself into situations where he could easily be discovered. Although his actual punishment has not yet been defined, the emotional struggle he is left to deal with causes his mental and physical state to deteriorate.
In Part I, Raskolniknov battles with his decision to end Alyona Ivanovna the pawnbroker’s life. But he seems to justify his decision by focusing on her loathsome qualities. He stated in Chapter VI of Part I: “Having located the old woman, who, from very first glance, before he knew anything in particular about her, filled him with insurmountable loathing… A strange idea was hatching in his head, like a chicken from an egg, and occupied him very much.” Raskolniknov’s very first impression of the woman was one filled with hatred and contempt. The next several pages were filled with suspense as I eagerly read on to see how Raskolniknov would get up the courage to execute the crime. He appeared to empathize with Alyona’s sister Lizaveta and felt sorry that Alyona controlled her life and money. However, he did not think twice about killing the sister after she witnessed the crime scene in the apartment. Although Raskolniknov may justify the first murder by listing Alyona’s wretched qualities, the act of killing Lizaveta was for purely selfish reasons; to make sure he wouldn’t get caught. What I also find ironic is how Raskolniknov’s attitude toward criminals before the crime changed so much from after he executed the murder. Before the dastardly deed was perpetrated, Raskolniknov scoffed at criminals for not covering their tracks and for being easily detected by the police. He stated, “…the criminal himself, almost any criminal, experiences at the moment of the crime a sort of failure of will and reason, which, on the contrary, are replaced by a phenomenal childish thoughtlessness, just as the moment when reason and prudence are most necessary.” Raskolniknov is somewhat of a hypocrite because he did not carry out the crime like a skilled masterminded would have. In fact, he barely escaped the crime scene unnoticed and put himself in risky positions where he could have been accused of committing the murder.
Raskolniknov’s conscience seems to be the main antagonist in the story so far. I think that Raskolniknov subconsciously desires to be caught so he can put an end to his pain and suffering. Will Raskolniknov’s conscience win and cause him to confess, or will another character beat him to it?
posted by Leslie P.