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This article is about the novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky; for the television show, see Crime & Punishment , for the Commodore 64 computer game, see Crime And Punishment (computer Game) ''Crime and Punishment'' ( written by Russian Author Fyodor Dostoevsky . First published in a journal named ''The Russian Messenger'', it appeared in twelve monthly installments in 1866, University of Minnesota - Study notes for Crime and Punishment - (retrieved on Unlimited Books] - List of Top 100 books ever written (retrieved on 1 May 2006 ) ''Crime and Punishment'' focuses on Raskolnikov, an impoverished student who formulates a plan to kill a hated money-lender, thereby ridding the world of her evil. Exhibiting some symptoms of Megalomania , Raskolnikov thinks himself to be a gifted man, similar to Napoleon . Being an extrodinary man, he feels justified in his decision to murder, as he exists outside the moral constraints that affect "regular" people. Feeling slighted that he is forced to pawn a watch at a much lower price than its value, Raskolnikov formulate a plan to kill the money-lender. However, immediately after the crime, Raskolnikov becomes ill, and is troubled by the memory of his actions. ''Crime and Punishment'' portrays Raskolnikov's gradual realisation of his crimes, his latent desire to confess, and how his actions lead him to an Irrational state of mind. Moreover, Raskolnikov's desire to protect his sister Dunya from unappealing suitors, and also his unexpected love for a destitute Prostitute are told, as Raskolnikov tries to receive redemption for his actions. STRUCTURE ''Crime and Punishment'' is divided into six parts, with an Epilogue . The notion of Duality in ''Crime and Punishment'' has been commented upon, with the suggestion that there is a degree of Symmetry to the book. The novel has 6 chapters, and "certain key episodes" are distributed in one half of the novel, and then again in the other half. Edward Wasiolek has likened the structure of ''Crime & Punishment'' to a "flattened X", saying: Perspective ''Crime and Punishment'' is written from a 2006 ). It is told primarily from the point of view of Raskolnikov, however it does switch to the perspective of Svidrigailov, Razumikhin, and Dunya throughout the novel. Names and their meanings In the original Russian text, the names of the major characters in ''Crime and Punishment'' have something of a Double Meaning . However, these are not seen when translated to different languages. PLOT The novel portrays the haphazardly planned murder of a miserly, aged Pawnbroker and her younger sister by a destitute Saint Petersburg student named Raskolnikov , and the emotional, mental, and physical effects that follow. After falling ill with fever and lying bedridden for days, Raskolnikov is overcome with Paranoia and begins to imagine that everyone he meets suspects him of the murder; the knowledge of his crime eventually drives him mad. Along the way, however, he meets the prostitute Sofya Semyonovna, with whom he falls in love. Dostoevsky uses this relationship as an allegory of God's love for fallen humanity—and the redemptive power of that love—but only after Raskolnikov has confessed to the murder and been sent to imprisonment in Siberia . Apart from Raskolnikov's fate, the novel, with its long and diverse list of characters, deals with themes including Charity , Family Life , Atheism , Alcoholism , and Revolution ary activity, with Dostoevsky highly critical of contemporary Russian society. Although Dostoevsky rejected Socialism , the novel also appears to be critical of the Capitalism that was making its way into Russian society at that time. Raskolnikov believed that he was a "super-human," that he could justifiably perform a despicable act—the killing of the pawn broker—if it led to him being able to do more good through the act. Throughout the book there are examples: he mentions Napoleon many times, thinking that for all the blood he spilled, he did good. Raskolnikov believed that he could transcend this moral boundary by killing the money lender, gaining her money, and using it to do good. He argued that had Isaac Newton or Johannes Kepler had to kill one or even a hundred men in order to enlighten humanity with their laws and ideas, it would be worth it. Raskolnikov's real punishment is not the labour camp he is condemned to, but the torment he endures throughout the novel. This torment manifests itself in the aforementioned paranoia, as well as his progressive realisation that he is not a "super-human", as he could not cope with what he had done. CHARACTERS Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov , variously called Rodya and Rodka, is the Protagonist from whose perspective the story is primarily told. The reader is told that he was a student, now fallen out, who is living in abject poverty in a top-floor flat in the slums of Saint Petersburg. Despite the name of the novel it does not deal with his crime and its formal punishment but with Raskolnikov's internal struggle and failing justification of his actions. The murder is committed in the belief that he is strong enough to deal with a murder on his paper/thesis, "On Crime" , that he is a Napoleon , but his paranoia and guilt soon engulf him. It is only in the epilogue that his formal punishment is realised, having decided to confess and end his alienation. His name derives from the Russian word ''raskolnik'', meaning “schismatic” or “divided,” an allusion to Raskolnikov's self-imposed schism from Russian society, as well as his own split personality and constantly changing emotional state. Sofya Semyonovna Marmeladova Sofya Semyonovna Marmeladova, variously called Sonya and Sonechka, is the daughter of a drunk, Semyon Zakharovich, Raskolnikov meets in a tavern at the beginning of the novel. It is not until Semyon's death, and Sonya's thanks for Raskolnikov's generosity, that the two characters meet. She has been driven into prostitution by the habits of her father, but she is still strongly religious. Rodion finds himself drawn to her to such an extent she is the first person to whom he confesses his crime. She supports him even though she is friends with one of the victims (Lizaveta). She encourages him to take up faith and confess. He does, and after his confession she follows him to Siberia where she lives in the same town as the prison; it is here that Raskolnikov begins his spiritual rebirth. Other characters
ANALYSIS The behavior of Raskolnikov throughout the book can also be found in other works of Dostoevsky , such as '' Notes From Underground '' and '' The Brothers Karamazov '', (his behavior is most similar to Ivan Karamazov from ''The Brothers Karamazov''). He creates suffering for himself by killing the pawnbroker and living so destitutely despite his ability to get a good job. Razumikhin was in the same situation as Raskolnikov and lived to a large degree better, and when Razumikhin offered to get him a job, Raskolnikov refused; he led on the police that he was the murderer, even though they had no evidence of it. He constantly tries to reach and defy the boundaries of what he can or cannot do (throughout the book he is always measuring his own fear, and mentally trying to talk himself out of it), and his depravity (referring to his irrationality and Paranoia ) is commonly interpreted as an affirmation of himself as a Transcendent Conscience and a rejection of rationality and Reason . This is a theme common in existentialism; interestingly enough Friedrich Nietzsche , in ''Twilight of the Idols'' praised Dostoevsky's writings despite the Theism present in it, "Dostoevsky, the only psychologist, by the way, from whom I had anything to learn; he is one of the happiest accidents of my life, even more so than my discovery of Stendhal." Walter Kaufmann considered Dostoevsky's works to be the inspiration for Franz Kafka 's Metamorphosis . Raskolnikov believes that only after defying Morality and the law through killing some one can he be one of the greats, like Napoleon (he left most of the money in the pawnbroker's house). Dostoevsky also uses Sofya to show how only belief in God can cure man's depravity, which is where Dostoevsky differs from many other Existentialist s. Though this particular Philosophy is unique to Dostoevsky , because of its emphasis of Christianity and Existentialism (whether or not Dostoevsky was a true existentialist is debated), similar themes can be seen in writings by Jean Paul Sartre , Albert Camus , Herman Hesse and Franz Kafka. The novel's epilogue contains several references to stories from the New Testament , including the story of Lazarus , whose death and rebirth parallel Raskolnikov's spiritual death and rebirth; and the Book Of Revelation , mirrored in a dream Raskolnikov has of an nihilstic plague turning into a world-wide epidemic. THEMES Salvation through suffering ''Crime and Punishment'' illustrates the theme of attaining salvation through suffering, a common feature in Dostoevsky's work. This is the (mainly Christian) notion that the act of suffering has a purifying effect on the human spirit allowing for salvation in God. A character who embodies this theme is Sofya, who maintains enough faith to guide and support Raskolnikov despite her own immense suffering. While it may seem grim, it is a relatively optimistic notion in the realm of Christian morality. For example, even the originally malevolent Svidrigailov is able to perform extreme acts of charity following the suffering induced by Dunya's complete rejection. Dostoevsky holds to the idea that salvation is a possible option for all people, even those who have sinned grievously. It is the realization of this fact that leads to Raskolnikov's confession. Although Dunya could never love Svidrigailov, Sonya loves Raskolnikov and exemplifies the trait of ideal Christian forgiveness, allowing Raskolnikov to confront his crime and accept his punishment. Christian existentialism A central idea in Christian Existentialism is defining the moral boundaries of human action within a God ruled world. Raskolnikov examines the set boundaries and decides that an ostensibly immoral act is justifiable under the condition that it leads to something incredibly great. However, Dostoevsky rules against such ambitious thinking by having Raskolnikov crumble and fail in the aftermath of his crime. SYMBOLS The Dreams Rodya's dreams always have a symbolic meaning, which suggests a psychological view. In the dream about the horse, the mare has to sacrifice itself for the men who are too much in a rush to wait. This could be symbolic of women sacrificing themselves for men, just like Rodya's belief that Dunya is sacrificing herself for Rodya by marrying Luzhin. It is also mentioned when Rodya talks to Mermeladov. He states that his daughter, Sonya, has to sell her body to earn a living for their family. The dream is also a blatant warning for the impending murder. The Cross Sonya gives Rodya a cross when he goes to turn himself in. This cross is suffering. He takes his pain upon him by carrying the cross through town, like Jesus. Sonya carried the cross up until then, which indicates that, as literally mentioned in the book, she suffers for him, in a semi-Christ-like manner. Also, Rodya sees that the cross is made of cypress, which is a cross that symbolizes the ordinary and plain population, and by taking that particular cross he then admits that he's a plain human being, not a Nietzschean Ubermensch . Finally, the name Rodya itself resembles the English word "rood," still used for "cross" at the time the novel was written. St. Petersburg This could be a symbol for Rodya's mind or his mental state. It's very confusing, dirty and disgusting. Even Rodya gets disgusted by the sight of it. ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS There have been several translations of Crime in Punishment into English.
MOVIE VERSIONS There have been dozens of film adaptions of the novel. Some of the best-known are:
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