Comment on Mikaelas

Wendell Pfeffer

Comment on Mikaelas – October 28

            Mikaela brings some great valid points from her latest reading of the novel. Mikaela I agree that it is incredibly strange that the police have accused the painter for the murder instead of Raskolnikov. Raskolnikov was sick the day of the murder and he is acting rather strange. I disagree when you state that no one “else seems to think that something is mentally wrong with him” and that it is only physical. There were many incidents that people questioned why he looked and acted so strange. I know that you haven’t read this part of the story yet but in the later stages of the novel Raskolnikov has a conversation with Zamiotov, he works for the police station. Raskolnikov brings up the murder of the pawnbroker and proposes an idea of what he would do if he were the one responsible. While he does this he turns pale and becomes really nervous and as a result Zamiotov becomes suspicious. His physical appearance did play a roll but his mental state had an even greater influence, the way he phrased his sentences and acted rather awkward are what caused Zamiotov to become suspicious. Also if I someone committed a murder why would you even think about bringing it up, I understand that Raskolnikov is paranoid but he has to pull himself together if he is going to have a slight chance of getting away with it.  In the end you predicted that Dostoevsky “is trying to add more and more pressure onto Raskolnikov until he will actually burst.” Actually it turned out differently, Raskolnikov is cured from his sickness because he helped try to save someone’s life – Marmeladovs. He leveled off his guilt with a good deed he committed himself into doing. I predict that Zamiotov will accuse Raskolnikov of the murder because of the conversation they had together at the crystal palace.