Crime and Punishment presentation: Ebenezer

ROLES FOR AP LITERATURE CLASS: CRIME and PUNISHMENT

What is ...

Allusion?
A reference to or representation of, a place, event, literary work, myth, or work of art, either directly or by implication.

Symbolism?
A practice of representing things by means of symbols or by attributing meanings to objects, events, or relationships.

There are several religious elements within Dostoevsky’s novel. For instance, they can show up through the form of biblical references. On page 328, Sonya is reading the story of Lazarus to Raskolinkov.

In this passage, the author alludes to specific chapters in the bible to illustrate an important point. According to the Gospel of John, Lazarus was dead when Jesus came to Bethany. After four days of his death, Jesus resurrects this man back to life. This allusion could refer to Raskolnikov’s progression throughout the story. He is spiritually dead based on the crimes he committed; and is hoping for an opportunity to change for the better.

Religion can also embody the form of objects. For example, Sonya gives Raskolinkov a cross at the end of chapter IV in Part 5. On page 422, Sonya says: “We’ll go to suffer together, and we’ll bear the cross together! ...”

Symbolically the cross must represent self sacrifice and commitment. Jesus Christ for example, bears himself on the cross in an effort to eliminate sin from his people. Raskolinkov is essentially doing the same thing. He is sacrificing what he believed in the past, in hopes of eliminating his past sin. In addition, the cross could also symbolize the commitment between Sonya and our protagonist.