Crime and Punishment – Dostoevsky

Crime and Punishment was first published in 1866 by Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky. The plot follows the alienation of a student named Raskolnikov, who decides to commit the perfect crime in order to prove his philosophical superiority over others. As he comes to terms with the psychological ramifications of becoming a killer, the narrative follows the depths of his mental collapse.

Dostoevsky is a pillar of Russian literature and usually regarded as one of the world’s best psychological fiction writers. All of his works have been adapted for film, television, and theatre, including this much-lauded novel. Nicolas Pasternak Slater’s translation is used in this guide. 

Character analysis: 

The protagonist of Crime and Punishment is Raskolnikov. He is an alienated, brilliant young guy whose mentality alternates violently between two extremes. Raskolnikov can be kind, thoughtful, and profound at times. At other times, he becomes irritated, agitated, and unrecognisable from his previous self. Raskolnikov’s fears and deeds are fueled by the friction between these divided personas. Raskolnikov’s body and mind melt down as the two halves of his psyche clash.  

The cold, calculating Raskolnikov prepares an essay about his crime theory, saying that exceptional people should be permitted to break away from moral constraints. He murders two women, a pawnbroker and her sister, to establish himself as one of them—in his perspective, Napoleon is the exemplar of the great man whose ambition and urge to alter the world allows him to kill millions— Raskolnikov’s compassionate, warmer side, on the other hand, gives everything he has to a mourning family. Raskolnikov simply illustrates how isolated he has grown from society, his family, and human connection, rather than establishing his own exceptionality and worthiness. Raskolnikov’s alienation from society, his family, and human connection is the only proof. Raskolnikov only begins to atone when he openly confesses his transgressions, realises his love for Sonia, confesses his crimes, and accepts his own ordinariness.

Crime and Punishment Themes: 

Alienation and shame: 

Many characters in Crime and Punishment feel shut off from society, isolated from other people. Raskolnikov is the personification of estrangement. He isolates himself from others by locking himself in his room, refusing to interact with friends and family, and withdrawing into his own thoughts. Raskolnikov is enraged because he is trapped like way. To explain his disconnect, he concocts a complicated philosophy that divides people into the ordinary and remarkable, the latter of whom is allowed to do anything. He murders because he is desperate to believe he is extraordinary. However, this move isolates him even more.  

Other characters in Crime and Punishment endure estrangement as a result of their humiliation. Marmeladov’s drinking has turned him into a self-hating outcast, unable to face his wife. Sonia is dehumanised as an immoral fallen lady because of her profession’s disgrace. Raskolnikov witnesses a suicide attempt, and numerous young women are said to have committed suicide after being raped by Svidrigailov—the shame of premarital intercourse, even when coerced, is enough for them to consider their lives lost. 

Shame, on the other hand, works in both directions. The novel suggests that public humiliation is required to recapture people who have become alienated from society; after being humiliated in this way, the alienated can be returned through love and social relationships.

Types of punishment: 

Retribution: 

One of the first types of punishment was the concept of “an eye for an eye.” Those in favour of retribution feel that knowing a criminal received the appropriate level of punishment for the crime committed offers victims of crime, or society as a whole, a sense of pleasure. Lawmakers must choose the right levels of punishment, which can range from fine amounts for speeding tickets to obligatory sentences for serious offences. 

Deterrence:  

Deterrence focuses on targeted and general deterrence to prevent future crime. Specific deterrence is the process of making someone less likely to conduct another crime because they are afraid of receiving a comparable or worse punishment. The term “general deterrence” refers to the effect on members of the public who are less likely to commit a crime after knowing about another person’s punishment. 

Rehabilitation:  

Rehabilitation aims to change a criminal’s conduct in order to prevent future crime. While in jail, this usually entails providing a variety of services, such as educational and vocational programmes, treatment centre placement, and mental health therapy. This technique also often allows judges to incorporate rehabilitation programmes into a criminal’s sentence. The goal is to reduce recidivism, or the number of people who commit another crime after being released from jail. 

Incapacitation: 

Another ancient method that is still used today. Incapacitation simply refers to a person’s exclusion from society. This includes prison, house arrest, and, in the most serious cases, execution. Many people believe that this strategy is flawed because it ignores rehabilitation and recidivism, both of which are high in civilizations that use incapacitation.  

Restoration:

The perpetrator must make direct apologies to the victim of their crime as well as the community where the crime occurred under this innovative approach to criminal justice. This method is usually used by judges when dealing with juvenile criminals. The criminal and the victim meet in this technique so that the offender can hear what the victim has to say about the offence they have committed. The wrongdoer then seeks forgiveness and makes restitution. 

Conclusion:  

The conclusion of Crime and Punishment teases a new story. The novel’s epilogue describes how Raskolnikov is tried in court after confessing to the murders of the old pawnbroker and her sister. He is sentenced to eight years in Siberia for his numerous altruistic acts (such as rescuing orphans).