In the first two chapters we learn
less about the main character then we do about Marmeladov. Both he and
Raskolnikov both seem to have had a brighter past, yet that past has seemed to
crumple up from under them. I thought a really good image was of the horribly
worn out hat from Zimmermann’s. Before, it was something nice and of value yet
now no one would recognize that, somewhat like Marmeladov and Raskolinkov’s
past lives. Marmeladov was just adding to the misfortunes of his live with the help
of being an alcoholic, and could not get out of the whole he dug himself into. This
book is probably about crime and punishment, and even though no actual crimes
were committed thus far, I feel like Marmeladov was committing a crime against
his family. He knew right from wrong and did not avoid the punishment from his
wife. Maybe it suggests that subconsciously people know there should be some sort
of punishment for them to reconcile with guilt from their actions.
The
first two chapters also left me with many questions about Raskolinkov. After
being yelled at and called a “German hater” Raskolinkov became worried and said
that “For this business I should
be as unnoticeable as possible…”. At first I thought it was just his bad nerves
and paranoia but then after he left the old woman’s apartment he said, “What
filthy things my heart is capable of”, then “and for a whole month I’ve been...”
I think he is guilty of some crime. Possibly theft because when he left the old
woman’s house he may have noticed how easy it would be to steal from her after thinking about her keys and how she is often home alone. Yet, I am still unsure.
I agree with Mikaela's thoughts that both Marmeladov and Raskolinkov's subconscious punish them for their wrong deeds and misbehavior. Raskolinkov's social anxiety or fear of speaking to others could possibly be seen as his subconscious regretting what he is going to do in the future and trying to leave as few of his tracks as possible in the event he is caught and is sent to punishment. Marmeladov feels sorrow and guilt of his actions against his family: leaving them to starve, allowing his daughter to prostitute herself, and getting fired once again from his job. Both men have the knowledge of what is right and what is wrong but yet they still choose to commit a deed that is in the long run a wrong act.
ReplyDeleteAs Chapter 2 progresses, the development in Marmeladov's character shows the remorse he had towards what he has done and only fears what his wife and family will think of him. He knows he deserves to be beaten and screamed at and any other punishment his wife throws onto him, but he cannot live with the pain of losing his family completely.
I also agree with Mikaela. Because the title of the book is Crime and Punishment, we already assume that some crime will be committed followed by effects caused depending on what the crime was. Just as I had said in my review, Raskolinkov's attitude towards the rest of society will eventually lead him to get into some sort of trouble either by himself or along with Marmeladov. Seeing that Marmeladov is having issues with not only his wife but also his daughter can also lead him to get into some sort of trouble with Raskolnikov in order to maybe get something in return to maybe help his family with something that they need. We are still not sure who will commit this crime or what it even is, but we can definitely see some motives in both the characters of Raskolinkov and Marmeladov to commit some crime that will soon lead them to face bigger issues than those that they currently obtain early on in the book.
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