Another book I read for AP Lit. One of our “Big Books.”
One of the things that amazes me most about this book is the fact that Raskolnikov proves himself right by failing. He presents a theory that only a great man can commit a crime without feeling guilt because he is worthy of it and it’s necessary. His success will mean more than the trespass committed. A lesser man would fall ill after committing a crime because it was not necessary, he was not worthy, and he feels guilty. In determining a great man, there is a thin line between someone who does things because he must and the sociopath. Raskolnikov thinks he is a great man, that he has something new to say, and he commits a crime because he believes he has to to survive. He is wrong. He falls ill almost immediately and runs around half-mad playing cat-and-mouse with detectives.
Raskolnikov also tries to detach and separate from his friends and family. He goes to Razumikhin’s for help, changes his mind, and gets upset when Razumikhin ends up taking care of him and getting a doctor for him. He is upset with his mother and sister as well, and hates his sister’s fiance and ends up causing the end of their engagement. All he really wants is to be left alone. He doesn’t want anyone to help him and he doesn’t want a doctor. He wants to suffer. He wants to be ill and to play his games with the detectives. He believes he is smarter than them, though is suspicious that they’re catching on. He does not think they will catch him, but he fears that. Subconsciously, he wants to be caught. He wants to be punished, because deep down he knows that he’s not a great man, and that more than anything else, he cannot bear. There is the guilt and illness caused by his crime to be considered in the equation, but there is first and foremost the shame he feels that he is unworthy, that he is a lesser being than what he aspires to be.
Proof that he did not need to commit this crime to survive is the fact that he never used the money and goods he stole. He never used it to buy food or pay rent or anything. And he was fine. Oh, he was ill and he was mentally unwell, but his family and friends took care of him, though it was difficult. Rather than calling on the compassion of them, because it was shameful, he resorted to violence and theft to continue his existence.
Despite his crime, Raskolnikov is not an insensitive man. He was driven by poverty and his utmost assurance in himself and his theory; he did not do this out of hatred or cruelty, though it is true he did not like the woman. He helps Marmeladov home, and leaves money for his family after he dies and checks up on them. He begins a sort of relationship with Sonia, and they do care for each other.
This novel delves into the psychology of a crime committed by a person who was not meant to be a criminal, but driven to it, by circumstance and his beliefs. It shows us what happens before and after the crime and the consequences, both self-induced and enforced by the law. It also examines the sociology of Russia, and connects people and stories to make one vast picture. Every character has a background and a connection to someone else in the story. They have a history and a purpose, and the lack of extraneous detail makes the novel that much more realistic.
