Friday, August 14, 2009
Summer Reading assignment: Journal #1 Crime and Punishment-- Angela
During the beginning of the book, I was slightly confused as to who was telling the story and what the mood was. However, as the main character, Raskolnikov, started describing the setting and the landlady, I soon noticed hints of nervousness. In part one, section four, while discussing his sister's engagement, he seemed rather jealous and didn't take into consideration whether or not his sister's fiance would treat her well. All he seemed to care about was himself. In most of the beginning, I felt as if Raskolnikov was a lot like Holden from Catcher in the Rye because of how descriptive and self conscious he was. As he talks about his hatred for the pawn broker, Alyona Ivanovna, Raskolnikovs crazed tendencies seem to shine through.Right before the murder took place, I started to realize how much detail it took to plan a murder. He was over-analyzing everything. It amazed me how easily Raskolnikov got past everyone. He was drunk, but he was also suspicious. While I read about how he got past each floor of the apartment, I became quite interested in the book and did not want to put it down. However, once I started reading about the slashing and killing, I realized how powerful Raskolnikov really was.After the killing, when Raskolnikov went back to the house in fear that the pawn broker was still alive, it almost scared me a little to read about how someone could be that cruel. I didn't like reading about parts such as "He ran back to the body, seized the axe, and raised it one more time over the old women”. I felt more sympathy towards Lizaveta than towards the pawn broker. Raskolnikov at least had a motive for wanting to kill the pawn broker. Lizaveta was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Shortly after the murders, I was amused by certain parts such as on page 80 when he talks abut how he may have fallen into madeness and on page 90 when he describes his unbearable shivering. These parts reminded me of the play Hamlet, when Gertrude would wake up and constantly rub her hands, trying to convince herself that all of the blood did not exist. At each point in both books, signs of true madness in these characters became apparent
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Angela, your post was very similar to all the things I was thinking about the beginning of the book. In all honesty, the beginning was rather tedious and difficult to get through. I, too was confused in the beginning as to who exactly was telling the story. All I knew about this person was his surroundings and his severe anxiety. I hated not really knowing much about him at first. I also liked how you connected Raskolnikov to Holden. Although I didn't make the immediate connection the way you did, I'm now able to see the similarities in their personalities.
ReplyDeleteLike you, reading the book really opened my eyes to how much detail it takes to plan a murder. It's not something you can just decide one day, and execute at free will the next. Also, it made me realize how much damage having a murder on your conscience can do. Raskolnikov went back and forth several times debating whether or not he should kill the pawn broken. Committing murder is not exactly an easy thing to do.
You have really great ideas.
Like you and Felice, I had difficulty distinguishing who was the telling the story. That is simply because Dostoevsky failed to provide us with the name of the protagonist at the very beginning of the novel.
ReplyDeleteI also like your connection between Raskolnikov and Holden Caufield, however, I'm not so sure it's accurate.
Holden is a cynical character, who enjoyed a casual, intellectual conversation with others. Whereas Raskolnikov is described to be, "over-anxious, with a tendency to hypochondria." Holden was descriptive, as you mentioned- but I don't recall him being self-conscious (at least not to the degree that Raskolnikov is). Holden was known for his looseness. He understood that he wasn't 'good-looking', and used his gray hair to his advantage. Raskolnikov is self-conscious (although that probably has to do with the fact that he's about to commit a murder, and is overly-conscious of appearing suspicious). I wouldn't go as far as to say, "...Raskolnikov was a lot like Holden..."
At least you're enjoying the book. :)
Angela, like you, Felice and Rema, I too found it difficult to figure out the main character in the beginning of the book. I didn't like not knowing who he was at first. The book was difficult for me to get through.
ReplyDeleteThe murder was the most fascinating part to me. It was intriguing to get to look in the mind of a murder and see what exactly is really going through their mind. I thought he would ponder the murder more than he actually did, though. Your connection between this book and Hamlet was very good. It shows how both characters were in severe denial.
I strongly agree with the connection you made between Raskolnikov and Holden. Holden was very fond of himself, kept to himself, loved his younger sister, and was childlike. Raskolnikov was also very arrogant, despised society, and had childlike thoughts. The major characteristic they both shared was that they both had psycological problems. Both Raskolnikov and Holden's mental issues were not revealed until the end of the novel. There were clues throughout the novel that made the reader suspect the character to be mentally unstable.
ReplyDeleteLike everyone else who commented on your journal, I could not understand the main character in the begining. That was probably the only time Dostoevsky lured me into the novel, other then the crime scene.