The character of Raskolnikov can be perceived by the audience as an interesting one in Crime and Punishment. By looking at how Raskolnikov’s psychosis and madness develops in Crime and Punishment, the reader can see that he begins to betray his own marxist ideas. This is important because it shows that Crime and Punishment is not just another crime novel; it can also be viewed as how the author of Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky, views marxism and how it creates a downward spiral for humanity.
Raskolnikov is established as a character with many mental flaws even before he commits the crime. The novel begins with vivid descriptions of how much Raskolnikov suffers “in isolation”, setting the stage for his character and actions and allows us to get inside his head immediately. The reader is assaulted with gross details about his surroundings and can infer that a disturbed individual like Raskolnikov is a product of his disturbed surroundings.
Dostoevsky goes on by describing St. Petersburg. He states, “The heat in the streets was terrible…the unbearable stench from the taverns…an expression of the deepest disgust gleamed…in the young man’s refined face” (Dostoevsky 6). Such a horrible place has caused Raskolnikov to come to hate life exponentially more. So was the mindset of the average Russian young adult at the time, swept away by the broad and poorly defined ideals of Karl Marx. It can be inferred by the reader that Raskolnikov is that young adult.
127 our experts are availableright now
Raskolnikov also endures a number of horrific nightmares, each one with an effect in his character development. However, none are as important as his first one, a mare beaten to death. Raskolnikov’s dream about the mare signifies the shift of Raskolnikov from a schizoid mess to a maniac with potentially homicidal intentions. The mare’s imaginative death is what sets the stage for the rest of the story, but the pawnbroker’s death is what finishes ends it, causing Raskolnikov’s fate to become increasingly deranged and lost. The first dream affects him in a way that parallels his future guilt of his future killing. This is also the first act of violence in the novel, one that only exists in Raskolnikov’s subconsciousness.
Raskolnikov states that his intentions are strictly marxist. Raskolnikov’s intent to murder is based on a warped sense of Marxism. He believes killing the pawnbroker is morally justified simply because he is the “Ubermensch” (Dostoevsky 40). He was furious at her social status and hated her by association, believing that her social status is killing all of his potentials. This is part of the idea of Marxism. Raskolnikov gives a few motives for his murder. The clearest and most powerful reason seems to be his desire to prove his superiority to the rest of humanity. However, he also claims that he committed the crime for utilitarian reasons. He believed that a death of such a despicable human would increase society’s overall happiness. The reader can also argue the fact that he was in desperate need of money so he committed the murder.
