Everett's Third Entry on Crime and Punishment

Leaving part 4,5 and 6 all to one blog was a huge mistake. So much happened between suicide, confessions, dreams, mind games, and falling in and out of love that it all blurred into one big thought. All this jumble though eases my previous fears that the book would have no plot or climax. Too much is way better than too little in my opinion.

I finished the book and tried to figure out what I though may be most significant to what I leave the book feeling. I came to the conclusion that the dreams seemed to be the biggest clue as to what the characters truely felt and what had happened and what would happen. Svidrigailvov's dream was very confusing but I managed to come to the conclusion that the 5 year old girl represented possibly girl's like Sonya and his young fiance. His attraction to his finacee was her youth and age and although the girl was 5, not 15, she was maybe a symbol of the innocense he was drawn too. He could have maybe seen this in Sonya as well and after being rather violently rejected realized how terrible his feelings and actions really were. He awoke from the dream and commited suicide. I'm almost certain that it was from the guilt he felt from his rape attempt and marriages. Raskolnikov's dreams, especially the dream of the house tuned into his deep emotions towards his crime. The guilt and angst he felt after killing Alena are expressed by his eagerness to kill her and then the failure to do so express the guilt that he cannot escape. The dreams offered me simpler interpretations of what was occuring and gave them deeper meaning.

Throught out part 4 and part 5 I was trying to figure out what the conclusion could be. I was almost certain that Raskolnikov would be caught before the book was over, I was just desperate to find out how. In my desperation I think I started digging really deep and trying to find the character's that could give him up. I thought that the strong hate that Peter Petrovich felt for Raskolnikov would possibly lead to something regarding the murder, but he never seemed to get any suspicions. When Sonya is told about the crime and promises to keep it secret I trusted her. She owed him greatly for giving her family money and showing her affection and I felt like she would follow up on her promise. When Svidrigailov tells Raskolnikov he overheard his confession I was sure that it was over. He would try and use the power to get Sonya and Raskolnikov would refuse. He loves his sister a lot and throughout the entire book shows hardly anyone passion except her and I knew he wouldn't use her to save himself. Therefore I thought he would be caught and sent to jail.

But I never predicted the actual outcome. I thought that is Raskolnikov were going to admit to the crime he would have already done so long earlier. His illness and guilt was much more severe in the beginning with fainting and bursting out of rooms, and he overcame it, but I guess it was still haunting him more than he showed. I assumed suicide before a confession and I was shocked when I read it.

So much more happened and I can't write it all and give my thoughts but overall I feel very connected to the book. I took a lot of notes and did a lot of active reading and it really helped me find a good understanding of Crime and Punishment. I enjoyed it very much and I am looking forward to more readings.