Amy's journals: Crime and Punishment

journal #1:Okay… Crime and Punishment is the worst book I’ve ever read!!!!
This book is very confusing. Sometimes I have to read the same paragraph at least two times to understand it clearly. I feel like the storyline isn’t so clear. It’s all over the place. Dostoevsky included a lot of useless details that are not relevant to the story. To me, the most confusing thing is the characters’ names. The names are so hard, and they have more than one name to refer themselves. I have to peek at the translator’s note every 2 minutes to check the characters’ names.
The tone and the mood of this book are very dark and depressing. The main character, Raskolnikov, seems to be a very depressed character. (He acts like a psycho too). On the other hand, I think he is pretty intelligent. He planned out everything to murder Alyona Ivanova and her sister. I was astonished when he escaped Alyona’s apartment without getting caught. He was smart enough to go inside someone else’s apartment to hide in there for a moment, and then run back out. I also felt bad for Alyona’s sister. There was no reason for her to die. Lizveta was killed because Raskolnikove had to cover up his trace. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. As I was reading the book, I realized that poverty could cause major corruptions. One reason why Raskolnikov killed Alyona was because he was poor. If he weren’t poor, maybe he would’ve not killed her. The theme “poverty” comes up a lot throughout the book.


journal #2:I guess Raskolnikov isn’t so cold hearted. He feels guilty of what he had done. He even threw out all the things he stole from Alyona’s house. Though I found it a bit ironic how he became “ill” after he committed the murder. He had a fever and didn't even have any strength to move his body. He was also scared whenever people talked about the murder case. After committing such crime, I was surprised with Raskolnikov’s reaction.
In part two, Luzhin visited Raskolnikov’s house. Luzhin seems really conceited and arrogant. When Zossimov and Razumikhin started to discuss about the murder case, Luzhin tried to show off his cleverness by interrupting in their conversation. However, Razumikhin finds this disrespectful and did not like it. Therefore, he criticized him. Just then, Raskolnikov comes in and announced that Luzhin wants to marry his “poor” sister. This statement offended Luzhin, and he left the house. Although I feel bad for Luzhin, I understand Raskolnikov’s hatred towards Luzhin. Raskolnikov’s sister, Dunya, is sacrificing herself to help him. She decided to marry Luzhin because she knows Raskolnikov needs financial help. Even I would not allow this marriage if I was Raskolnikov.
Zossimov realized something about Raskolnikov. He told Razumikhin that every time they talk about the murder, Raskolnikov gets irritated. Zossimov sensed a suspicious behavior of Raskolnikov. I wonder if people will find out that it was Raskolnikov who killed Alyona Ivanova and Lizveta.


journal #3:The book was not about murder and the consequences, but it was about human nature, how one reacts and feels based on the situation. Crime and Punishment is a murder story, told from a murderer’s point of view. I don’t think I’ve ever thought about a murder story from the murderer’s point of view. I always thought the murderer is the bad one, and I would feel pity for the poor victims. Because Raskolnikov was the narrator, it opened my eyes to a new perspective.
After killing Alyona Ivanova and Lizveta, Raskolnikov had to deal with his conscience and the guilt inside of him. He couldn’t sleep, eat, and was afraid to meet people. I think what Dostoevsky is trying to portray in the book is that it is easier to commit a crime or get punished for what you have done, than to hide your feelings and feel guilty inside you. Raskolnikov had proved this. It was easier for him to kill Alyona and Lizveta. Though, what made him go insane and ill was the part where he tried to trick people and pretend that he hadn’t done anything.
Towards the end of the book, religion plays a significant role. Right before Raskolnikov went to the police station to confess, Sonya gave him a cross. The cross symbolizes Jesus. Jesus died on the cross to forgive us our sins. The cross depicts that Raskolnikov can be forgiven once he confesses. It also symbolizes that he can come back to the world with no worries, and no feeling of guilt. He can forget about his crime and start a new life.