Christine's journals: Crime and Punishment

Journal Entry #1:

I have to honestly say that I needed to go over certain parts while I read this book more than once. Crime and Punishment is not one of those books where you quickly take a glance at the words and keep on going, it is a book that has to be taken time to read thoroughly in order to come to grips with the plot and what the author is trying to convey to the reader.

In the book, Raskolnikov is an intelligent man, but from the beginning you could also notice that he was not mentally stable. He constantly talked to himself, feared human encounters and was always tense and restless. In many ways, the book itself was about the appeal and obstacle of isolation—yes it did help when in tricky situations but in the end, keeping to yourself is not healthy. Raskolnikov would try and be as inconspicuous as possible, hiding in the shadows, taking routes where he was certain no one would be and crossing streets to avoid anyone. Throughout the book it was obvious that a crime was going to be committed but the author never truly stated the crime until later on, it kept me sort of on the lookout for what would happen next.

The town Raskolnikov was residing in did not help his state of mind. There were children starving, drunks raiding the streets, the air was foul and there was a financial crisis going on. In my opinion, the environment you live in affects your decisions, actions, and your overall mentality. No, this environment did not help Raskolnikov at all, it just congested his mind and his thoughts.

Journal Entry #2:

Near the middle of the book the punishment has come in, Raskolnikov has done the crime and unexpectedly killed another person, now he is faced with guilt and a sudden illness. This sudden illness is not an illness at all, his mind is playing tricks on him and this is its way of showing him what he has done was heinous, at least that’s my opinion. After the murders, Raskolnikov becomes dizzy and often faints, all the while remaining delirious and disconnected from reality. He spends hours on end trying to cover his tracks and doesn’t worry at all about the punishment he will receive after he’s been found out.

I personally do not think that the murder of Alyona Ivanovna was justified. Yes, Raskolnikov was poor and he needed the money and yes, she might have been an ill-mannered “wicked old crone” but that does not give her a right to be killed. I understand Raskolnikov was desperate and had a certain dislike towards her but that does not make her murder any better. I believe that there might have been other ways to gain the money he needed and not including murdering someone.

Another thing I do not agree with is the fact that Raskolnikov refuses any help from the people around him. I think that even though he may have a lot on his mind with the murder and all, he still should be courteous to the people around him and separate himself from his manic thoughts when in their presence. Even though it seems impossible and he is consistently distracted he should at least try and be civilized, he keeps pushing away the ones that he should be clinging to at the moment.

Journal Entry#3:

“You see, I wanted to become a Napoleon, that’s why I killed…” (Pg. 415) Raskolnikov goes on to tell Sonya that the reason he killed Alyona Ivanovna was not because of the money but because of the power that the murder would give him, “…I just wanted to dare, Sonya, that’s the whole reason!” (Pg. 418) By doing something that others don’t usually do—killing—he would become extraordinary, special, like no other and therefore better than those around him. Raskolnikov was selfish, just plain old selfish, in all he did. I find this just as a justifiable reason as killing for money—it was unethical. Many people do things, bad things, because of the power they think it will bestow upon them, I believe that these are just stupid actions that are ludicrous and won’t give anyone any type of power.

“Now, even if I were guilty (which I’m not saying at all), why on earth should I come and confess my guilt” (Pg. 458) I honestly think that even though Raskolnikov might think it foolish, he should go ahead and confess. It has come to the point where many can guess that it was he who is the murderer and there is now no point in hiding it. He’s only prolonging the inevitable. It would clear his conscience if he went to the police himself and confessed to the crime, but he is too stubborn and caught up in his own pride to do anything about it. After he told Sonya that he killed Lizaveta I saw a stir in him, he seemed somewhat different, this doesn’t go to say that he’s changed and was a rational and a righteous person but he did seem to gain little light in him, the light being realization. He realized what he has done and why he has done it, he didn’t kill for anyone, he killed for himself.