Lit. Analysis #2 Response: Crime and Punishment

1. In the novel Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Rodia Raskolnikov is a poor Russian ex-student. He is extremely intelligent, which leads him to feel he deserves more than a shack and torn-up clothes. He murders and robs a wealthy pawnbroker. Throughout the novel, he is slowly driven to the brink of insanity while trying to hide his guilt from his loved ones and the main detective, Porfiry, who suspects him of the murders. Later, Raskolnikov turns himself in and spends eight years in a Siberian prison. When he is released he confesses his love for Sonya, which helps him reach inner peace and accept his place in society.

2. The main theme of the novel is desperation. Raskolnikov's problems are all caused by his desperation for money and a better, more luxurious lifestyle. The author wrote about this because desperation is a big reason people make big life decisions, and these decisions definitely show a person's character.

3. The protagonist, Raskolnikov, is both a dynamic and a round character. He is dynamic because he started off in the novel as a person who thought he was better than everyone else because of his his high intelligence level. At the end of the book he realizes that he is not very different from other people after all. He is round because there were times he showed compassion and rage simultaneously, especially during the murder. An important character was Sonya Marmeldov because his feelings for her were what helped him keep from giving into his animalistic side.

4. A big motif in the story was poverty since it affected most characters in the novel. It forced some into prostitution, like Sonya. It caused some to work hard to make ends meet, like Razumikhin. However, it also showed the cruelty and selfishness in some people, mainly Raskolnikov. This motif helped reveal the characters' true personalities.

5. I chose this book because criminal psychology fascinates me. I love trying to understand the minds and thought processes of others. I really enjoyed how the story didn't end in a fairytale-like way. It wasn't a sad ending, but it definitely wasn't unrealistic.

6. Raskolnikov and Razumikhin are like my sister and myself. Those two characters are definitely foils: Razumikhin is patient, reasonable, and kind; Raskolnikov is rash, anti-social, and conceited. I feel like I relate to Raskolnikov more because of his rash decision-making.

7. One idea I expect to remember for a long time is when Raskolnikov finally admits he loves Sonya. This part is memorable because it shows the end of Raskolnikov's guilt and the repentence of his sins. He cries at her feet, begging for her forgiveness. When she does, it signifies his acceptance of his place in society. "But all at once something seeme to seize him and fling him at her feet. He wept and threw his arms round her knees. At first she was terribly frightened...But at the same moment she understood... and for her there was no longer any doubt that he loved her infinitely, and that at last the moment had come..." (Dostoevsky 520).