Final Paper

Mikaela Pyatt

Mr. Shapiro 

AP English Period 1

May 5th, 2014

Justifiable Murder 

After Raskolnikov kills Alyona Ivanova and accidentally kills her sister Lizaveta, he exposed himself to conflicting feelings about whether the murders were justifiable or not. He painstakingly plots Alyona’s murder because he could justify it, but a lot of his internet conflict arrises when he finds out Lizaveta was Sonia’s friend. Ultimately, Raskolnikov confessed, which seems to contradict everything he stood for throughout the book. Crime and Punishment serves to show the illogicalness in many human institutions and ways, yet also prove why things are the way they are.

Even though we are outwardly taught that we are all made to be equal, the truth is, whether unconsciously are not, people are inherently different therefore judged differently. Humans system of life is consumed by categorizing and stereotyping based off of common occurrences and past experiences. No, stereotyping is not good and leads to  prejudices and blatant  ignorance because people think they know a person based on their title. However, those stereotypes do hold truth and humans cannot be blamed for making them because it is almost a natural reflex when you meet a person. Where problems arise are when people start classifying those titles as “good” or “bad”. Wshen people are ranked a hierarchy is established. You are more inclined to trust a priest than to trust prostitute, and you would probably feel more comfortable letting a 20 year old female babysit your kids rather than a 45 year old male. Even if that stereotype or concern may be true 99% of the time, that 1% shows more than the 99% because it shows that there are no absolute truths and that not everything you believe is as simple and black and white as what shown on the surface. This is event when Luzhin accused Sonia of stealing money from him. No one believed Sonia and she was close to being arrested until someone more “credible” stepped in. Luzhin was able to simply declare that Sonia was a thief and he would have gotten away with it if Lebeziatnikov had not stepped in even though his accusal was simply his word against Sonia’s. Sonia would not have offered to empty her pockets if she had known the money was there. However, since Sonia has a yellow card, the police would not have had a problem believing Luzhin, and Sonia’s life would have been destroyed simply because of her title. Raskolnikov summed it up perfectly when he said “it was all due to your social position and the habits associated with it” (page 386). That quote is at the heart of injustice in society, and can explain the murders of Travon Martin and Jordan Davis. In honor of this past Black History Month (because Gulliver always puts so much energy into celebrating every February), it was great to hear that another man did not get convicted of murdering an unarmed black teen  (good to know know that if my sisters loud music hurts my ears, I can shoot her thanks to the stand your ground law). More likely than not, Travon Martin  and Jordan Davis’s fate were due to their “social position and habits associated with it”. It’s evident that the value of people’s life is attached to their social position, and some people’s lives prove to be more valuable than others. Part of Raskolnikov’s justification for killing Aliona Ivanova was that she was simply an “old pawnbroker”. Yes, one old mean pawnbroker’s life probably won’t affect the world as much as someone of greater importance like the president. Whether we like it or not, we aren't just all “humans” and we are far from reaching a society where everyone is valued equally. Even though Aliona Ivanova wasn't someone of great importance, it’s hard to tell if that means her life is so worthless that Raskolnikov can use that as a valid reason of killing her. 

If one had to choose between a single person being killed or a thousand people getting killed, usually one would feel morally obligated to choose the single person. However, things get more complicated if that single person was someone like Albert Einstein or George Washington. It proves that humans are valued differently based on their “productivity” or conceived importance, even though in the end all people die. Raskolnikov was dealing with a great internal conflict because he wanted to prove to himself that he was important enough to be able to live even though others had to die. He continuously compared himself to Napoleon, because he viewed Napoleon as one of the people who’s single life was worth more than multiples people’s lives. In one of Raskolnikov contemplations he said, “I didn't kill a human being, but a principle!” (page 261), which shows that when he killed Alyona Ivanova, he wasn't completely doing it for money or because he was mentally ill. He did it to prove something to himself that there is superiority when it comes to human lives, and he is more superior than other people. However, like the narrator from Notes From the Underground (NFTU), Raskolnikov is conflicted as to if he really is superior or not. On page 261 he says, “is it that I am perhaps viler and more loathsome than that the louse I killed” because he is no longer sure that he can justify his murder, even though he tried to “pick out the most useless one”, referring to Alyona Ivanova. There is a concept of “bloodshed in the name of consciousness” that Porfiry brought up from one of Raskolnikov’s controversial articles that Raskolnikov was previously sticking to and giving his life up for. Like the narrator from NFTU, Raskolnikov sees himself as both inferior and superior, or how Raskolnikov put it “ordinary and extraordinary” (page 247). By being extraordinary, one has rights that the ordinary men do not have simply because of their title. The extraordinary people “have a right to commit any crime and transgress the law in any way” (page 247). This is how Raskolnikov justifies his right to kill Alyona Ivanova because he is simply “extraordinary” and she is “ordinary”. There are many times when people hear of celebrities or extremely wealthy people have less severe  punishments than regular everyday people. Whether one thinks that it is due to those people being able to get better lawyers or really the legal system is less harsh on more “important” people, its not a phenomenon that is far from reality. Raskolnikov thought it was okay to kill Alyona Ivanova to create that separation that he is an extraordinary person and that she was ordinary, and that should make the murder valid and not worthy of a punishment. However, Raskolnikov makes a transition into the book from being able to completely justify his murder to feelings of being conflicted and guilt which is why his actions at the end of the book contradict his actions in the beginning of the book. 

In NFTU there is an idea that humans fight natural selection, and have created a system that removes themselves from the circle of life and rules or Darwinism.  Dostoevsky includes these ideas into Raskolnikov’s thoughts and actions. Alyona Ivanova was not helpful to the greater human race and humanity lost nothing by her being removed. In a Darwinistic point of view it’s the same thing as when the weakest zebra gets killed by a lion, its bad for the individual zebra but it makes the pack stronger. There is no punishment for the lion because that is simply how the world is supposed to work, lions kill zebras.  Raskolnikov tried to apply these same rules to his philosophy and connect back to his ideas ordinary and extraordinary beings. He is able to do that to a certain point, however, the societies that majority of humans live in don’t allow this type of thinking. A good and morally correct person would more than likely live by the idea that “all men are created equal”. According to Dostoevsky in NFTU, since humans are at the top of the food chain, the only thing that they have to fear is each other. Therefore, humans create morals and religion to support the idea of peace, which keeps humans from destroying each other. When people stray from these ideas of virtue, it creates guilt and people who don't have guilt are socially scrutinized as psychopaths and narcissists and are outcasted. However, there is a narcissistic side to all humans which is why social rules are created to suppress these feelings. Raskolnikov becomes caught between the ideas of natural selection and morality. Initially he is distant from the ideas of guilt and religion, but in practice he falls back to the ideas of what is good and bad in society. Raskolnikov is sickened by the fact that perhaps he actually did do something wrong, and may feel guilt from his actions. Despite the fact that he perceived Alyona Ivanova as worthless, he still cannot move past the murder, and that is what makes him physically sick as well. When Raskolnikov is influenced by Sonia, he then starts to think of ways to make up for his actions. 

In the end, Raskolnikov confesses to the murder of Alyona and Lizaveta Ivanova. At the beginning of the story when he meticulously plots the killing, Raskolnikov does not think that what he does will have any effects on other people, and that he will be able to prove that her life was not significant at all. However, when he is forced to kill Lizaveta, he realizes how his actions can cause problems and seep into other people’s lives. When Raskolnikov falls in love with Sonia, he starts worrying about her opinion along with his own. Out of everyone, her ideas impact Raskolnikov the most. In NFTU on page 23, the narrator wrote that “Man is sometimes extraordinarily, passionately, in love with suffering”, and it is an idea that Dostoyevsky connects in Crime and Punishment as well. People who have suffered more are thought to deserve more because they have experienced and went through hard things. Suffering is connected to virtue and suffering is a way to make good for ones sins. After Raskolnikov confessed to Sonia, she did not judge him or think of him more poorly but showed him that his murder did cause pain to other people. Sonia was friends with Lizaveta and wore her cross as Raskolnikov confessed to her and it showed him that his actions did have a negative side and hurt other people. Because Sonia suffered by having to be a prostitute to care for her family and having to endure the deaths of her parents, she is more righteous and worthy of being listened to. Raskolnikov would have never confessed to the murder or become susceptible to the morals of religion if it were not for Sonia. It shows why people embrace the walls of religion, because it makes them feel safer and feel like any wrongs can be undone.  By confessing to the murder, and confessing in front of God, Raskolnikov is able to do right for himself and for Sonia. Throughout the story Raskolnikov ideas supported then completely breaking down. What he did “in the name of consciousness” was too faulty for him to live peacefully and without guilt. Like in NFTU Dostoyevsky can simultaneously prove something, and contradict it as well.  Raskolnikov could not completely justify the murder and was left with having to counter everything he did in the past.           

                                                               Works Cited

Dostoevsky, Fyodor . Crime and Punishment . New York: Barns & Noble Classics , 2007. Print.

Dostoyevsky, Fyodor . Notes from the Underground. New York: Dover, 1992. Print.

Finito

Wendell Pfeffer

Term Paper –Crime and Punishment

5/4/14

 The sheer power of guilt can be chaotic to the human brain, however in Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment Raskolnikovs change in character is not driven solely by pure guilt but by the possibility of being physically punished as well. The psychology of why Raskolnikov ever committed the murder in the first place relates to the concept of tablerosa. Although each and every human is born with a clean slate or tablerosa we have always had a tendency to commit to doing violent things. We find pleasure from killing, hurting and destroying things. Since the beginning of our time each and every human has fulfilled this desire of violence through war and fighting etc. Now even though we have evolved into more sophisticated human beings violence is still brought up through common sports such as football, soccer, and MMA etc. Don’t get me wrong war is still a common thing in our time but the reasons aren’t sufficient. Back then men went to war to save their home country from extermination not corrupt politicians. 

             Going back to nineteenth century Russia, Raskolnikov thought that he was wasting his time and thought that he needed to do something that benefitted everyone. He believed that he can make society a better place if he gets rid of the pawnbroker lady. The pawnbroker lady had been basically stealing poor peoples possession’s by offering an incredibly low price. A price that seemed incredibly unfair for the seller but suitable for her. She had no feelings of contempt for the lower classes coming to her door and selling their items. Raskolnikov was one of her victims and he felt cheated. Knowing that her death will create a positive atmosphere among his society he feels it is okay to kill her. Raskolnikov kills her but does so without a clear conscious. He doesn’t think about the possible consequences to his actions. The reason for this also lies behind the idea that I discussed earlier about the psychology of the human brain. Yes the pawnbroker lady was screwing him and everyone else over but the main concept here lies behind our natural behavior. He killed her because he had the desire to do so. If he didn’t have such a great desire to commit a violence act then he would have thought out the consequences to the crime he was about to commit. Raskolnikov didn’t do that and thus when he committed the murder realized the seriousness of his position. He didn’t know exactly what was going to happen to him following the crime and worse didn’t know what his friends and family were going to think of him. All he knew was that the outcome was not going to be good if he was found guilty of the murders. As a result this put him into a state of desperation. He kept thinking over the details of the crime hoping that there wasn’t any evidence to convict him. Unfortunately, Raskolnikov couldn’t take it and thus was left delirious while lying in bed for a good couple of days.

           

After Raskolnikov committed the murders his character completely changes as he thinks over the consequences to his actions. He recounts over the whole process from the beginning to the end of the murder and even obsesses over the incredibly small details. This is to make sure that he didn’t leave a trace of evidence that can directly be brought back to him. Still though even after making sure that everything was okay he enters a state of paranoia as he makes up wrong occurrences in his head that never even happened. This is when Raskolnikov really begins to fear for his freedom as an individual. He does not want to spend the rest of his life in a Siberian prison and thus becomes delirious, sick and mentally ill. This forces him to spend the next few days in bed. At the time when I was reading Crime and Punishment I was a little bit perplexed to find out how people were not realizing that Raskolnikov was the one responsible for committing the murders. I mean two people are killed and on the same day a well-known client of the victim becomes sick and lies on a bed incapable of functioning, it’s evident that there was something wrong here. People simply were just helping him and hoping that he would get better. I mean I understand the people’s point of view and how they must of thought that Raskolnikov would never do such a thing, but it’s obvious! Instead of realizing and putting Raskolnikov under bars they blamed the entirety of the crime on the painter. Porfiry on the other hand in my opinion was the only intelligent person here because he was the only one that became suspicious of Raskolnikov when he was in bed. While he was sleeping he searched his whole apartment for clues or anything that might lead to the crime. Unfortunately he found nothing, but the main point here is that out of everyone he was the only one that was able to determine who was the actual person responsible for the crime. 

            The internal remorse and fear of being punished is really taking a toll on Raskolnikov. His character, physical appearance, and state of mind have all degraded immensely. Every time he hears information about the murder his face turns pale and becomes extremely insecure. He also begins to act in a strange manner making it seem really obvious that he did something wrong. His mind and body cannot seem to rest until he truly believes that he is safe from prosecution.

           

            It isn’t out of the norm for a human being to act violently towards another in a natural environment, but in a modern society that behavior is quelled to an extent with laws and punishments. If a person adheres and acts in their natural behavior they will be severely punished if caught. Unfortunately for Raskolnikov these punishments have become a reality because he acted within his own natural behavior. He killed Lizaveta and the old pawnbroker lady and can now be possibly thrown into a Siberian prison for the rest of this life. The idea of being locked up separate from his family and friends is really causing Raskolnikov to live with fear. He is trying his best to conceal this fear but it hasn’t been going well for him. Every time he is with people he asks questions about the murder in a strange way almost making it seem that he was the one that committed them. I understand what Raskolnikov is trying to do here. He wants to let people know that he doesn’t know anything about the murder and instead wants to make it seem that he is eager to find out the details to the crime. But instead of accomplishing this, people are now somewhat contemplating the reasons behind his erratic behavior. This type of behavior is demonstrated when Raskolnikov goes and retrieves his personal items from Porfiry. It was suppose to be a quick and easy encounter with the chief of police, but instead turned into a bad scenario. Raskolnikov turned pale and made it apparent that he did something wrong. As a result Porfiry became suspicious and began to question him indirectly about the murder. The sole purpose of those questions were to see if he would react naturally to them but he unfortunately did not. In the end Porfiry justifications were solidified and Raskolnikov state of mind worsened. Raskolnikov now realized that he was in trouble because the person in charge of the crime now thinks that he is the culprit. I don’t know why Raskolnikov decided to visit Porfiry. Raskolnikov knew that his physical state was in bad condition but yet decides to visit the person that could land him in jail. Things could have gone much differently for Raskolnikov if he hadn’t done this or if he acted naturally. Porfiry could have ignored Raskolnikov or maybe could have wrongfully blamed someone else for the crime. Another thing that interested me in this section was Razumkhin. When Raskolnikov asked him if he would accompany him to Porfirys to retrieve his items he surprisingly accepted in a repeated strange fashion. I know Razumkhin and Raskolnikov are friends but it seemed as if he wanted his best friend to be caught.

            After the encounter with Porfiry Raskolnikovs state of mind has worsened. His strange and unnatural behavior really made it clear to Porfiry that he is guilty and as a result becomes restless. Raskolnikov is now trying to find ways to escape persecution. He even considers moving to the United States to start a new life but the love he has for his family and friends are preventing him from doing so. So instead of leaving Raskolnikov has decided to stick around and continue on with his normal routine. I know this might seem good but in turn his presence has made it fairly easy for Porfiry to continue on studying him, specifically his behavior.

            After a series of days pass Raskonikov gets called into Porfirys office for questioning. What was supposed to be a quick and calm encounter between the two turned into a complete nightmare. This was due to Porfirys strategy when encountering Raskolnikov. Instead of going straight to the point with the murder he would just talk about things that did not pertain to the crime for a good couple of minutes. The reason Porfiry did this was because he wanted Raskolnikov to feel frustrated and anxious to such a degree so that he would confess to the murders. He didn’t confess but instead demonstrated his guilt profusely. Porfiry even tells Raskolnikov that “he couldn’t give himself away more then he already has” (Crime and Punishment 334). At this point in time Raskolnikov came to the conclusion that he was going to be thrown into prison. He had already basically given himself up and was ready to face the charges. But right when he was about to leave Porfirys office something strange happened. A man named Nikolai falsely confesses to the murders. Porfiry as a result felt so confused that he looked at both Raskolnikov and Nikolai in a strange manner. Raskolnikov on the other hand now believes that now he won’t get charged for the murders and thus he feels a sense of rejuvenation within himself. He now doesn’t have to worry about spending the rest of his life in a prison that is secluded from everyone he knows. This sense of relief however did not last as a few days later Porfiry comes and visits Raskolnikov and tells him that he is the one that committed the murders. Raskolnikov denies the claims but it serves no use, Porfiry already knows that he is the true killer.  Nikolai’s confession to the murders only gave Raskolnikov a few more days of freedom. At the end of their conversation Porfiry leaves Raskolnikov with two choices and that is to either confess to the murders and receive a lighter punishment or wait until Porfiry has enough evidence to convict Raskolnikov and have him serve the full and extensive penalty that he deserves. Porfiry thus leaves Raskolnikvs in a questionable state. Raskolnikov thinks he should confess to the murders in order to receive a lighter punishment, but at the same time he wants to remain a free man. The problem with keeping his freedom is that it will probably be only for a couple of days and his punishment will become worse. So with Sonya’s help he confesses to the murders. The only reason Raskolnikov confesses is because he would receive a lighter punishment then if he would wait. This shows how Raskolnikov never really cared for the people he killed. All he really cared about was himself and his fate. The aftermath of his crime would have gone much smoother if he knew that there wouldn’t be any sort of punishment afterwards.

Works Cited:

Dostoyevsky, F., & Garnett, C. (199). Crime and punishment. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Christian Classics Ethereal Library.

Final Blog

Sofia Waterhouse 

      AP English Literature

Term Paper: Crime and Punishment

          Raskolnikov has always been a prideful man, prideful enough to reject God. After the murder Raskolnikov is overcome by his guilt knowing that he has committed one of the greatest sins. He chooses to ignore God and live in sin until Sonya reassures his faith in God and helps Raskolnikov confess his faults. Before Raskolnikov perpetrated the murder, he had never alluded to believing or following any sort of religion. The thought of eternal punishment or a "God-like" figure never came across his mind as he thought of his hatred towards the old pawn broker, Alyona Ivanovna. Raskolnikov was enraged by the thought that this women had so much money which could ultimately benefit so many of the unprivileged members of society. Captivated by his anger towards her lack of selfness, Raskolnikov convinces himself that he is doing his city a favor by murdering "the old louse". Raskolnikov then assumes all powers of God himself as he takes matters into his own hands and decides when one deserves to live or die. Needless to say, the guilt eventually begins to plagues Raskolnikov as the news of the murder circulates the town. Raskolnikov is now petrified that people will suspect him of the murder. He abandons the idea of taking the money for those who need it and leaves all of the expensive items behind; defeating the whole purpose of the murder in the first place. His mental instability worsens causing Raskolnikov to become physically ill due to his inability to cope with his spontaneous maneuver to get rid of the old pawn broker. At this point, Raskolnikov has lost all connection with not only himself, but God as well. When others inquired about his religious standpoint Raskolnikov always claimed to be a strong believer of God, but never acted upon this claim. He enables himself to isolation from most of his friends and family as he battles with his own conscious. Eventually, Raskolnikov knows that he can not continue to live in this manner. He is now desperate for salvation and longing to clear his conscious. Raskolnikov finds himself caught between Svidrigailov and Sonya. The two have complete contrasting intentions for Raskolnikov but he is determined to end this situation the righteous way. Together with the help of Sonya, Raskolnikov is able to confess his sins and restore his neglected relationship with God after having cleansed his conscious once and for all.    
             Raskolnikov's judgement is clouded by fury and determination as he storms off to the pawnbrokers home. He carelessly enters the home and kills the old lady along with Lizaveta without a second thought. It was not until the apartment floor was covered with blood that Raskolnikov realized the severity of his actions. Before leaving, Raskolnikov takes off his cross and throws it onto the dead corpse, making it clear that he is willing to live a life separated from God. At this moment Raskolnikov was overcome by panic and rushed out of the apparment hiding the minimal evidence that remained on his body. Raskolnikov's first concern was that others would soon figure out about his monstrous actions and rumors along with judgement would spread quickly. Although Raskolnikov did an outstanding job at keeping his murder a secret, it seemed as if he was trying to reveal his secret to anyone around him. He constantly contradicted himself; while spending so much time hiding all evidence and avoiding being anywhere related to the crime, Raskolnikov also tried to expose the truth about the crime. The guilt kept increasing and eventually became too much to bear. Raskolnikov self-consciously tried to expose himself by writing articles related to the crime and openly admitting his hate and desire to murder the pawnbroker to others around him in order to relieve himself from his own guilt. Raskolnikov wanted others to know what he was capable of, but most importantly, Raskolnikov was desperate for help. He was too prideful to admit his sins in the first place,  so turing back to God at this moment would be too shameful. This increasing guilt caused Raskolnikov's metal insanity. His "sickness" drew attention to himself and friends and family became concerned. Not knowing where to turn, Raskolnikov pushed all of them away knowing that they would be in disbelief if they ever discovered that he was a murderer. As Raskolnikov lost touch with everyone who ever cared about him, including God, he decided to run away. He believed that running away from his problems would ultimately make the pain and guilt go away as well. Raskolnikov went out to seek the only person who remained in his life at the moment, Sonya. He confessed to the crime and later begged her to run away with him. When he realized that she was hesitant to leave, he picked up a Bible and asked her to read the Biblical passage of Lazarus to him. Shocked by his demands, Sonya picked up the book and read the passage to Raskolnikov. After she finishes the reading Raskolnikov left immediately. Although he never mentions anything about the passage it is implied that Raskolnikov clearly sees a connection between himself and Lazarus. In this passage, Lazarus is a dead man who is miraculously raised from the dead by Jesus himself. Raskolnikov relates this passage to his relationship with Sonya. Sonya acts like a Christ figure towards Raskolnikov. She begins to fill his life with love and humility once again and prays for Raskolnikov's resurrection from a life full of sin.
          A while after Raskolnikov commits the murder of the old pawnbroker, a strange man named Svidrigailov appears in Raskolnikov's apartment as Raskolnikov wakes up from a nap. The man is very vague throughout the first conversation they have but Raskolnikov is immediately aware that Svidrigailov somehow knows something about his secret. As the two continue to get to know each other Raskolnikov learns about Svidrigailov's true personality. Svidrigailov tries to tell Raskolnikov that they both have something in common; they both have an impure and immoral past behind them. Svidrigailov even states, "Wasn't it true when I said we were both apples from the same tree?" (Dostoevsky 290). Regardless of the sinful past they both share in common, there is a crucial difference between the two men. All of the sinful acts that Svidrigailov has carried out were for his own selfish pleasure and entertainment, while Raskolnikov's main motive to kill the pawnbroker was to take a stand for the poor people in the community who were not being helped. Yet, as Raskolnikov continues to spend time with Svidrigailov he brings out Svidrigailov's evil and darkness onto his own self. This continues to push Raskolnikov further away from God as well as eternal salvation. Eventually Raskolnikov realizes the negative impact Svidrigailov has on him and turns to Sonya once again for advice. Sonya depicts the complete opposite of Svidrigailov and gives off a contrasting impact towards Raskolnikov's life. At first Raskolnikov decides to turn to Sonya because she is a sinner as well. Raskolnikov accuses Sonya of being a sinner because she is a prostitute. Although her actions are considered a sin in the eyes of society, Sonya results to giving up her body in order to keep her family alive. She carries out these actions in the most selfless way possible and maintains a strong belief in her faith throughout her entire life. When Raskolnikov turns to her for help she encourages him to do the same thing in order to finally reach salvation. Sonya is able to bring back humility into Raskolnikov's life. With her help Raskolnikov has turned to a life of love and hope, leaving behind his prideful attitude. He accepts his actions as sinful and is prepared to accept all consequences fully aware that afterwards he will finally be forgiven by God and relieved of all guilt. Unlike Raskolnikov, Svidrigailov did not intend to seek salvation. After a series of nightmares reliving his past and a forceful rejection from Dunya, Svidrigailov finally realized the ruthless criminal he really is. While Raskolnikov sought to obtain forgiveness and rebuild his relationship with God, Svidrigailov resulted to committing suicide. Because of Sonya, Raskolnikov was able to avoid this path. Regarding the cowardly actions Svidrigailov committed in order to escape his inner guilt and pain and Raskolnikov's brave confession in order to finally obtain salvation depict the two different extremes of living with a guilty conscious and a life full of sin.
          Raskolnikov makes his way down to the police station on his own. The biggest concern he has is what the public will think of him when they discover what he has done. He fears the judgement he will be forced to face, knowing how God's judgement had effected him. Regardless, Raskolnikov keeps on walking to the police station taking notice of the city around him aware that he will no longer be a free man. He finally arrives to the police station and meets Petrovich. Ironically, Petrovich apologizes for blaming Raskolnikov as the murderer, causing Raskolnikov to storm out of the station. When he first steps outside the first thing in his sight is Sonya watching him. Although he is now certain that he can get away with his murderous act, Sonya serves as a reminder that this is his final chance to be a good person again and reconnect with God. Raskolnikov realizes that he also must confess in order for his own well-being so he can finally be relieved of all guilt and remorse. Petrovich is surprised to see Raskolnikov walk back into the station and even more surprised when Raskolnikov confesses to the murder of Alyonna Ivannova. The novel ends shortly after Raskolnikov openly confesses. Dostoevsky never reveals the law enforced punishment that Raskolnikov must face. Regardless, the whole novel consists of the psychological torment Raskolnikov endures due to his sinful acts once he choses to turn away from God. Luckily, with the help of Sonya Raskolnikov is able to resurrect from his madness and find a way to make things right. "This is the beginning of a new story, though; the story of a man's gradual renewal and rebirth, of his gradual transition from one world to another, of his acquaintance with a new reality of which he had previously been completely ignorant." (Dostoevsky 566). Raskolnikov has had a complete change in character throughout the course of the book. The prideful young man we were first introduced to has now humbled down and accepted his faults. Despite his physical and mental state Raskolnikov was able to overcome the temptation of running away from his problems and decided to face them regardless of what society would believe. His reassured faith in God the help and love he has received from Sonya have transformed him into a completely different man for the better. Raskolnikov ultimately releases all the suffering and torment he has endured and is prepared for a new way of life.

Dostoyevsky, Fyodor. Crime and Punishment. . Reprint. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Christian Classics Ethereal Library, 1999. Print.

Final

     Raskolnikov’s Coping of The Murders

A character from The Sense of An Ending stated, “Mental states may often be inferred from actions” (Barnes, 10). While this quote is said in one book, it is very applicable to the infamous Raskolnikov from the classic, Crime and Punishment. This novel focuses on a series of events that occur due to the main character committing two murders early on in the story. Raskolnikov’s, psychological state can be defined by examining his character before, during, and after the murders he commits. Through analyzing certain events in the story and psychoanalyzing Raskolnikov’s mental state, it can be inferred through his actions that the murders initiated a cycle of guilt, forcing him to process his emotions in phases.

        Crime is defined as “a violation of a law in which there is injury to the public or a member of the public and a term in jail or prison, and/or a fine as possible penalties” (Legal Dictionary, 2005). What constitutes a criminal act depends on the country, the current laws in place, and the time period. However, the one crime that transcends throughout all periods of time and across the globe is murder, “intentionally causing the death of another person without extreme provocation or legal justification” or “the causing of the death of another while committing or attempting to commit another crime ” (Cornell Law). Raskolnikov believes that there are exceptions to whether someone has committed a crime or not which is completely different than how the legal system views crime. At one point in the novel, the detective Porfiry, was questioning suspects regarding the murders of Alyona and Lizaveta and began questioning Raskolnikov about his article “On Crime”. In his moment of rage, Raskolnikov argued that murder or any crime should not be punishable if the murderer or criminal is from the upper or “extraordinary” class since this category commits murders to benefit society, like Napoleon. Raskolnikov believes society can be split into two categories: the “ordinary” and the “extra-ordinary” (Dostoevsky, 310).

In order to fully comprehend Raskolnikov’s criminal acts and how they impacted his mental state, it is crucial to observe who he was before taking the life of two women. Mentally, the twenty-three year old college dropout believes he is superior and belongs to the extraordinary class. Raskolnikov has elevated himself to this upper class because he views himself as educated, intelligent, and analytical, while in reality, he shows an antisocial demeanor that “ceases to be aware of his surroundings” (5). He views himself as walking with dignity down the street, however, all passersby see a disheveled man rambling to himself erratically. Driven by “a morbid sense of fear”, Raskolnikov retreated from society, isolating himself from everyone else, and increasing his state of paranoia (5). It is difficult for him to meet new people due to his lack of social skills and because he had a mental disregard to everyone in the ordinary class. Due to his poverty level, he lives amongst the “ordinary” who he would refer to as lice. He convinced himself that he did not identify with this group of individuals because in his mind, he was superior. He needed to have a clear distinction between himself and “them”.

 In analyzing Raskolnikov it is not only vital to understand his beliefs and actions, but to understand the meaning behind his name. This dark, twisted man “for sometime now, he had been in a tense, irritable state of mind” (5). The Russian root, “raskol” means “split” which is clearly alluded at in the beginning of the novel due to the multiple contradictions seen: educated yet college dropout and logical and detailed thoughts yet erratic and paranoid (Shmoop, 2014).

Criminal psychology has discovered that murders are committed due to emotional, social, religious, economic, or political motivations (Sohal). The detail oriented, mechanical, and educated Raskolnikov ensured “a rehearsal of his undertaking” was outlined step by step on how to rid society of a “louse” (Dostoevsky, 8). When speaking to an officer on the street, Raskolnikov described the pawnbroker as a “horrible, stupid, consumptive old woman” whose life is worth “thousands of lives rescued from corruption and decay” (80). Angered by the pawnbroker, Alyona, Raskolnikov assumed she was taking advantage of others and of him thus benefiting from other’s precious items when she could easily live off her late husband’s pension. Viewing her as a waste in society, Raskolnikov took the law into his own hands. When he decided that the night had come to make his “rehearsal” into a reality, his erratic personality took control, when things did not go according to plan. Losing his head and almost making “a fatal blunder”, Raskolnikov was surprised when his nerves started to get the better of him (93). Even though he was strongly motivated, his mental state began to impact his physical strength in the moment, but he still managed to undo his coat, release the axe from the loop, “swung it up… barely conscious of what he was doing”, and with a strike to the back of her head, a life was ended and a murderer was born (94). Motivated out of personal revenge, he committed a murder out of emotional needs but convinced himself through his napoleon complex, that he was committing a brave act that would better society. He was doing it for the people, not for him.

When Raskolnikov had “no doubt that she was dead” there was a faint sound of footsteps entering the apartment (Dostoevsky 95). Taken off guard when Alyona’s sister, Lizaveta, stood in the middle of room “unable to utter a sound”, Raskolnikov “rushed at her with the axe” without thinking (97). The “blow landed right on her skull, blade-first” (98). In a matter of seconds, Raskolnikov’s actions changed dramatically; from mechanical to impulsive, calculated to rash, and premeditated to unrehearsed. From these behavioral changes, it is evident that Raskolnikov’s mental state is unraveling. In this moment, Raskolnikov is no longer benefiting mankind and committing a murder through his Napoleon complex, but has now taken the life of an innocent person. Therefore, he has now transformed into a criminal who has committed first-degree murder, punishable even by his own standards.

Mirroring Raskolnikov’s psyche shift, Alyona and Lizaveta’s apartment metamorphosed. No longer was the atmosphere peaceful, the walls clean, and the floorboards polished. Blood stained floorboards lied beneath his feet. Decapitated corpses occupied the space. Walls painted with blood. Taking his time to wash off the stolen axe and his hands, Raskolnikov started to “forget himself” and focused on things that did not matter (98). No longer in touch with reality, he does not act as if he is in a crime scene and begins to obsess over little details such as the blood stains on his socks because the “simple feeling of horror and revulsion at what he had done” sent him into a dream-like state (98). The longer he waited to flee the apartment the more absentminded Raskolnikov became. In analyzing this scene further, there is no sign of forced entry, showing that the victim knew the murderer and willingly allowed them into their home. Research has shown that when a murderer uses a “weapon of opportunity” from the crime scene it signifies that a positive relationship has turned sour in the heat of the moment (Kauflin, 2011). In this instance, however, the murder weapon, the axe, was brought to the crime scene and the murder was not act of rage in the spur of the moment but was premeditated. Even though the crime scene does not suggest revenge since nothing seemed to be stolen, it truly was revenge because Raskolnikov was “pushed to the brink by the victim”, Alyona to murder Lizaveta (Kauflin).  Raskolnikov felt threatened that his crime would not be seen as an extraordinary act if Lizaveta went to the police. He could not allow his un-punishable act to be classified as a crime due to a possible witness. His act of murdering one forced Raskolnikov to murder another in order to protect his identity. Based on the crime scene, an investigator would never come to the conclusion that the murder was out of an Napoleon mind set, since nothing was left at the scene of the crime by Raskolnikov to give a message. The crime scene had no meaning that matched Raskolnikov’s “logical” mindset.

Even though the crime Raskolnikov commits does not last long, the memory of that night stays with him forever. No matter what time period it is or where in the world it happens, if a murder is committed, then word will spread.  Raskolnikov, trapped in his Napoleonic mind set, spends most of his day and mental energy focusing on and rationalizing Alyona’s murder in order to give it meaning, thus making it an act benefiting mankind. Out of fear and anxiety, his mind obsessed over details relating to the murder which occupied a significant amount of his mental energy and waking hours. He cleaned his clothes over and over again. Ironically at this point in the novel while he might be showing high levels of anxiety and is seeking out the details, he is also withdrawing himself and showing depression like symptoms. His behavior of sleeping day on end and locking himself up in his apartment, symbolize his darkening mind. After all of the rehearsals, Raskolnikov realized that his plan had fallen to pieces and through his behaviors, it is evident that he himself is falling into pieces. His contradictory and manic-depressive like behaviors show how fragile his mental state is. He is barely able to hold onto the memory of his reasoning behind the murder symbolizing his loose grip on his own mind and life.  

Raskolnikov is haunted by the murder of Alyona but there were two murders that were committed that night. His mind completely dismissed the death of Lizaveta and there no time allotted to reflect on her death. This signifies his split outlook on that night. Behaviorally, he treats the two deaths differently: during the actual murder and how he copes with what he has done.  This discrepancy of actions eludes to his split personality “as if there are really two opposite characters in him, changing places with each other”(Dostoevsky 215). Raskolnikov goes from having a superiority complex when speaking to Porifry, the detective, about the investigation and defending his article. Yet in the midst of the conversation, Raskolnikov will suddenly have an insecure thought, thinking that Porifry suspects him only when moments earlier he had an arrogant assumption that he would never be caught and was proud of what he had done. Even though he is violent only one time over these two months, he views himself as kind, but in reality, he would rather harm than “speak his heart out in words” (215). This recurring number two, the two murders and the two months, emphasizes Raskolnikov’s split personality.

That night, he did not just take the life of two innocent women, but he also destroyed a part of his sanity. In the wake of this criminal behavior, Raskolnikov is forced to go through psychological steps in order to cope with who he had become and processes his emotional loss. Psychologists have noted that when trying to cope with a loss, one goes through the stages of guilt: denial, anger, helplessness, depression, and acceptance. “Paralysed by his recent loss of consciousness”, Raskolnikov no longer interacts with the outside world and has isolated himself in his apartment for unknown lengths of time. He further isolates himself consciously by sleeping and never having the idea of getting up, therefore, he is not only isolating himself from the outside world but isolating himself from his sanity and his nature to reflect on the details of the murder, thus sinking into a state of denial. He did not deny that he had killed Alyona but he mentally blocked out the memories of Lizaveta’s murder. To Raskolnikov, Lizaveta’s death was cruel and deserved punishment while Alyona’s murder was for the greater good. Raskolnikov’s behaviors coincide with the five stages of guilt, showing that Raskolnikov is suffering from guilt after the murders.

Raskolnikov’s isolation does not last too long due to the fact that he becomes increasingly bored with himself and his apartment. The more Raskolnikov sleeps, the more his dreams of the murder repeat but with different outcomes. To Raskolnikov, if he rejoins humanity and tries to act like a normal person then he will no longer be taunted by his mind. As he enters the outside world after weeks of isolation, Raskolnikov once again falls into a state of delirium and begins to hallucinate. The artisan, who Raskolnikov describes as the “man who’s come up from under the ground”, is a figment of his imagination that causes Raskolnikov to recheck his steps and rethink his “principle” for murdering Alyona (325). Even though Raskolnikov avoided being alone with himself, he never truly escaped the taunting of his mind.

The guilt Raskolnikov tries to suppress always returns and then when the murder is mentioned or when Raskolnikov learns that Sonya and Lizaveta were friends. Raskolnikov often justified Alyona’s murder with logical statements of riding society of a “louse” but could never justify Lizaveta’s murder because she was innocent. Raskolnikov’s guilt is not an addition to a physical punishment of his crime but is the only form of punishment Raskolnikov receives. The guilt causes him to isolate himself and eventually seek redemption through Sonya, the one person in Raskolnikov’s life who has not judged him and who has suffered the most. Raskolnikov’s mind constantly plays tricks on him to increase his guilt. No matter the time of day, Raskolnikov always feel as if his “dream did not yet appear to be over” (330).

Thoughout the novel, Raskolnikov has sudden thoughts of confessing to various people. The day after the murder, when Raskolnikov is summoned to the police, he imagines himself confessing but never follows through on the thought. Whenever Raskolnikov is left alone with Porfiry, he always has the intention of confessing but can never bring himself to confess. After seeing that someone else is taking the fault for his actions, Raskolnikov acknowledges the fact that he in fact murdered Alyona and Lizaveta. During his confession to Sonya, Raskolnikov he describes himself as a villain and having “a spiteful heart” (494). He accepts the fact that he had “no right to do it” and that he was “a louse like everyone else” and agrees with Sonya’s plan to pray and confess in public (502).  

Due to guilt, stemming from the act of two murders, Raskolnikov undergoes a series of psychological processes evident through his behavior from before the murder to after the murder. The behaviors he demonstrated can be classified into one of the five phases of dealing with loss according to psychology.  Through analyzing this process, it is proven that he is guilty for committing the murders and his grieving the loss of his uncriminal self. The murders forced Raskolnikov to go through a psychological change eventually leading to him burying a piece of himself and accepting who he truly is.

Works Cited

"Criminal law." LII / Legal Information Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 May 2014. <http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/criminal_law>.

Dostoyevsky, Fyodor, and David McDuff. Crime and punishment. [Rev. ed. London: Penguin, 2003. Print.

Schurman-Kauflin, Ph.D, Deborah. "Profiling a Murderer." Psychology Today: Health, Help, Happiness + Find a Therapist. N.p., 13 Oct. 2011. Web. 12 Apr. 2014. <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/disturbed/201110/profiling-murderer>.

Shmoop Editorial Team. "Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 20 Apr. 2014. <http://www.shmoop.com/crime-and-punishment/rodion-romanovitch-raskolnikov.html>.

Sohail, Dr. K. "SEVEN REASONS TO KILL." - Dr Sohail. N.p., 19 Feb. 2014. Web. 12 Apr. 2014. <http://www.drsohail.com/essays.aspx/essays/seven_reasons_to_kill>.

done.

Davis Knaub

Monday, May 5, 2014

Mr. Shapiro

“Crime and Punishment” Term Paper

It is without a question that the most powerful forces in our society are the forces that lie within our very own minds. These forces, much like a parasite on a self-inflicting victim, grow exponentially until they entirely consume their hosts’ lives. It is a demonstration of guilt in the classic “Crime and Punishment” that illustrates this idea to the fine point as the novel documents one seemingly ordinary man’s descent into madness after inflicting himself with a guilty conscience. From various states of delusion to ultimate confession, Raskolnikov from Doystoyevsky's "Crime and Punishment" is driven to various mental states throughout the novel illustrating the raw power of guilt as it consumes a person's mind. 

From the beginning of the novel, readers are made aware of the power of guilt both within the novel as a theme as well as in the mind of Raskonikov, a representation of a guilty conscience. What is odd, however, is that the act that causes the guilt is not only premeditated, but intricately planned and discussed within Raskolnikov’s mind. This not only demonstrates the main character’s obvious mental instability, but it raises doubt about the guilt in question. Having thought through the murder of the old pawn lady in such a detailed manner, the question of why Raskolnikov feels guilty cannot help but come into mind. After all, he visited the scene of the crime several times before the actual murder, decided how actually it would happen, and eventually stated he would “‘Kill her and take her money, so that afterwards with its help you can devote yourself to the service of all mankind and the common cause (Dostoyevsky 66).” The full magnitude of what he has actually just done, meaning the murder, has clearly not been solidified in Raskolnikov’s mind just quite yet, not nearly as much as it will in later portions of the book. At the beginning of the novel, the deranged Raskolnikov is still trying to tell himself that what he did was the right thing to do. Whether readers agree that the old pawn lady is an innocent bystander of a lunatic’s rathe or a greedy individual who had it coming from someone else if not Raskolnikov, surely it can be agreed upon that murder may not be the best of methods to deal with the problem. Raskolnikov, however, still tries to convince himsel of thise, assumably to offset the guilt that would soon destroy his life saying “Of course, she doesn’t deserve to be alive(Dostoyevsky 66).” By making this statement, Raskolnikov demonstrates to readers that he still has a relatively strong grasp on what he is actually doing, meaning that had he been in a murder trial at this instant in the book, he most likely would have been found guilty for the murder as it was premeditated by a well-spoken, clearly intelligent Raskolnikov whose mental state has yet to fall into a state of delusion. Later points in the story, however, would surely result in a different verdict. Undoubtedly the trial would still find Raskolnikov guilty of the murder, but the jurors would plainly see a deranged lunatic who killed for no reason as they would be incapable to tell that it was truly the guilt that made Raskolnikov into this entirely different person, much different than the country student trying to make it in St. Petersburg that he presented himself at the commencement of the novel. 

  A surprising fact about this book is the fact that the “crime” occurs so early in the novel. The rest of the book, Raskolnikov suffering from what he has done, is the “punishment”. The type of punishment that Raskolnikov occurs seems to surprise many as well. More than likely, most authors would have had the character commit the crime, and then the rest of the novel be a depiction of him or her evading the authorities or perhaps their time incarcerated. All of these choices Fyodor Dostoevsky made essentially boil down the same concept that runs the majority of the novel, guilt. After all, almost the entire novel is focused on the effects that guilt has on the character solidifying the idea that Dostoyevsky thought it was a relevant topic. Readers slowly start to see the guilt sink in at first, and then realize a few pages later how far Raskolnikov has truly come. Initially, it is easy to think that he is just losing his mind or even mentally ill, but the idea how or why all of this is happening to him eventually comes across a reader’s mind. The most obvious answer is guilt. All of the scenarios that Raskolnikov initially showed his progression into delusion are related with this guilt. Whenever anybody mentions anything about the crime, he is virtually incapable of remaining calm like one would think he should do. He instantaneously becomes fidgety, uncomfortable, and begins speaking of nonsense. At several points in the story, in fact, Raskolnikov even loses consciousness and falls to the ground. This evokes feelings of pity towards Raskolnikov as it shows that he, under it all, is truthfully just a scared kid plagued with a few very serious mental disorders. Having that image of a scared kid is important in being able to compare Raskolnikov from his life a year earlier. He was described as a young, intelligent man trying to support himself in the big city, but hopelessly in debt to his land lady despite tutoring children to bring in extra income aside from his studies. Seeing that a person, and this person, a relatively successful and level-headed young many, can fall this far from reality partially from the role that guilt played in his mind is astonishing. It helps to convey the raw power of the mind and what it can do to harm its host. Despite from being delirious and passing out in several instances, Raskolnikov is notably a much meaner character than he was before the crime. The letter that Raskolnikov receives from his family about his sister’s engagement sets him into pure fury as he berates them out loud. There is no way that news of this kind could provoke this type of reaction from a mentally stable individual, an individual trying to cope with some serious problem in their life; guilt. 

Soon after Raskolnikov comes to the realization that the guilt is taking over his life in a way that he can no longer function properly, he tries to rid himself of the guilt in several ways. The first of these manners in which Raskolnikov tries to make himself feel less culpable of a clearly cold-blooded murder, is justification of this act. Still not able to admit to anybody else what he has done, a clear indicator that he knows what he has done is not culturally nor morally acceptable, Raskolnikov begins to explain why he committed the crime in the first place. He almost tries to portray himself as a Robin Hood-like character riding the world of one less greedy individual. This brings up a question that readers begin to contemplate throughout the rest of the book, was what Raskolnikov did so wrong? He claims that the old woman was greedy and the money that she made could have fed at least “one hundred hungry families (Dostoyevsky 217).” On one hand, Raskolnikov is right that that the woman was a greedy individual, but was it his choice to decide how she spent or didn’t spend her money? And if he did not like how she chose to live her life, dis she deserve to die? He clearly knows that what he did was wrong, despite the fact that he tries again and again to justify it. If he didn’t think that there was anything wrong with what he had done, he wouldn’t run from the police, he would be proud of leaving the world with one less curmudgeon, and he without question would not be in the mental state of delusion that he is in for nearly the entire novel. Raskolnikov tries time and time again to prove to himself that what he did was justifiable, but any attempts at convincing himself of this belief appear to be ineffective as he continues throughout the book with delusions of which are seemingly brought on by the heavy burden that guilt brings when it sets itself within a person’s mind. As he begins to come to the realization that what he did was actually wrong, he stops fighting his delusional state. Instead, he almost seems to embrace the fact that he has become psychotic. From what readers can gather when Raskolnikov talks to himself, out loud and in his mind, he seems to be getting worse and worse in terms of mental status. Comparing him with Razumikhin, nearly the exact opposite of Raskolnikov, allows readers to show ow fully this guilt has taken hold of Raskolnikov’s mind. It seems that Razumihkin is a representation of what Raskolnikov once was, and one bad decision has driven him to a point where it is imaginable to think he could have ever been different. 

The pinnacle of the novel appears to occur towards the very end of the plot. After all that readers have witnessed, Raskolnikov fighting furiously to overcome his own guilty conscience, it ends in a way that was truly surprising. As previously mentioned, the entire concept of the title “Crime and Punishment” indicates that there, at some point, will be some punishment for Raskolnikov. Readers are left in the dark in this aspect as this novel ends with what appears to be the end of Raskolnikov’s punishment as well. A literary epiphany of sorts occurs during the latter portion of this novel. After his episodes of coming in and out of consciousness intensify into long periods of black-outs where he cannot remember anything, Raskolnikov finally comes to the realization that he can no longer continue living his life the way he has been living it the past several months, run by the power of guilt. Making his way to the police station, Raskolnikov finally admits the crime to Sonya, who urges him to do something peculiar. She tells Raskolnikov that in order to find salvation for his sins, he is going to need to admit his crimes with a public declaration at a historic crossing of roads in town. This brings up the idea on how one can get rid of guilt. Readers can see from this novel that guilt is an incredibly powerful force that cannot be ridded with ease. Raskolnikov forgiving himself silently is not a powerful enough act to overcome the hold of guilt, instead he must publicly declare his guilt, an act that emasculates him, in order to gain control over his life once again. 

This novel undoubtadly teachers a powerful lesson. The power that guilt has on a person is something that can truly not be matched by any outside force. Once it creeps itself into the self-inflicting victim’s mind, it is there to stay until it conquers its host entirely. Much like a parasite, guilt grows and grows until it entirely disables the body it is living in. Raskolnikov, like any guilty person, cannot get rid of this guilt until he is finally able to make one powerful observation; the guilt is much stronger than he will ever be. It is only after this point that a person, like Raskolnikov, can begin to repair their tainted lives and the damage that the guilt and the cause of the guilt have caused. 

Dostoyevsky, Fyodor. Crime and Punishment. . Reprint. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Christian Classics Ethereal Library, 1999. Print.

Body Paragraph : Superiority

If one had to choose between a single person being killed or a thousand people getting killed, usually one would feel morally obligated to choose the single person. However, things get more complicated if that single person was someone like Albert Einstein or George Washington. It proves that humans are valued differently based on their “productivity” or conceived importance even though in the end all people die. Raskolnikov was dealing with a great internal conflict if he was important enough to be able to live even though others had to die. He continuously compared himself to Napoleon, because he viewed Napoleon as one of the people who’s single life was worth more than other’s lives. In one of Raskolnikov contemplations he said, “I didn't kill a human being, but a principle!” (page 261), which shows that when he killed Alyona Ivanova, he wasn't completely doing it for money or because he was mentally ill. He did it to prove something to himself that there is superiority when it comes to human lives, and he is more superior than other people. However, like the narrator from Notes From the Underground, Raskolnikov is conflicted as to if he really is superior or not. On page 261 he says, “is it that I am perhaps viler and more loathsome than that the louse I killed” because he is no longer sure that he can justify his murder, even though he tried to “pick out the most useless one”, referring to Alyona Ivanova. There is a concept of “bloodshed in the name of consciousness” that Porfiry brought up from one of Raskolnikov’s controversial articles that Raskolnikov was previously sticking to and giving his life up for. Like the narrator from NFTU Raskolnikov sees himself as both inferior and superior, or how Raskolnikov put it “ordinary and extraordinary” (page 247). By being extraordinary, one has rights that the ordinary men do not have simply because of their titile. The extraordinary people “have a right to commit any crime and transgress the law in any way” (page 247). This is how Raskolnikov justifies his right to kill Alyona Ivanova because he is simply “extraordinary” and she is “ordinary”. There are many times when people hear of celebrities or extremely wealthy people have less severe  punishments than regular everyday people. Whether one thinks that it is due to those people being able to get better lawyers or really the legal system is less harsh on more “important” people, its not a phenomenon that is far from reality. Raskolnikov thought it was okay to kill Alyona Ivanova to create that separation that he is an extraordinary person and that she was ordinary, and that should make the murder valid and not worthy of a punishment. 

comment on Jessica's

Overall I really liked Jessica's post. The amount of detail and quotes she inputed into her paper really supported her argument. I really like when you describe the scenario of when Raskolnikov committed the crime. I also like how you describe why he killed Lizaveta. She was a witness and could have ran to the police and told them that he killed the pawn broker lady.

term paper 3

Wendell Pfeffer

English

            It isn’t out of the norm for a human being to act violently towards another in a natural environment, but in a modern society that behavior is quelled to an extent with laws and punishments. If a person adheres and acts in their natural behavior they will be severely punished if caught. Unfortunately for Raskolnikov these punishments have become a reality because he acted within his own natural behavior. He killed Lizaveta and the old pawnbroker lady and can now be possibly thrown into a Siberian prison for the rest of this life. The idea of being locked up separate from his family and friends is really causing Raskolnikov to live with fear. He is trying his best to conceal this fear but it hasn’t been going well for him. Every time he is with people he asks questions about the murder in a strange way almost making it seem that he was the one that committed them. I understand what Raskolnikov is trying to do here. He wants to let people know that he doesn’t know anything about the murder and instead wants to make it seem that he is eager to find out the details to the crime. But instead of accomplishing this, people are now somewhat contemplating the reasons behind his erratic behavior. This type of behavior is demonstrated when Raskolnikov goes and retrieves his personal items from Porfiry. It was suppose to be a quick and easy encounter with the chief of police, but instead turned into a bad scenario. Raskolnikov turned pale and made it apparent that he did something wrong. As a result Porfiry became suspicious and began to question him indirectly about the murder. The sole purpose of those questions were to see if he would react naturally to them but he unfortunately did not. In the end Porfiry justifications were solidified and Raskolnikov state of mind worsened. Raskolnikov now realized that he was in trouble because the person in charge of the crime now thinks that he is the culprit. I don’t know why Raskolnikov decided to visit Porfiry. Raskolnikov knew that his physical state was in bad condition but yet decides to visit the person that could land him in jail. Things could have gone much differently for Raskolnikov if he hadn’t done this or if he acted naturally. Porfiry could have ignored Raskolnikov or maybe could have wrongfully blamed someone else for  the crime.