Intro

      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.