In this blog post, we’ll take a close look at how Raskolnikov’s ideology and sense of guilt clash, exploring Dostoevsky’s life and the plot and characters of ‘Crime and Punishment’.
About the Author
Fyodor Dostoevsky was born in Moscow in 1821 as the second son among seven siblings of a doctor at the Moscow Mariinsky Charitable Hospital. Although his father’s family was of noble descent, doctors in Russia at that time belonged to the middle class and were not particularly well-off financially. His father was patriarchal, extremely strict, and had a harsh temperament, making him a figure of fear to his children.
At the age of thirteen, Dostoevsky enrolled with his older brother Mikhail at the Chermak Boarding School in Moscow, where he studied for three years. In 1837, the family was devastated when his mother—who, with her gentle and loving nature, had been an angelic presence to her children—died of tuberculosis.
In 1838, Dostoevsky enrolled in the Engineering School to receive military training. For the timid, sensitive, and frail young Dostoevsky, military training was not suited to his temperament.
In 1839, his father was murdered by serfs on his estate. His father had moved to the estate after his wife’s death and had treated the serfs harshly, which led to his death. His brothers in St. Petersburg were deeply shaken, and according to his biographer, it was during this period that Dostoevsky first experienced the epileptic seizures that would plague him for the rest of his life.
Dostoevsky joined the Petrashevsky Circle, which studied socialist ideas; he was arrested and sentenced to death, but his life was spared by a special imperial pardon, and he was exiled to Siberia. After returning from exile, he devoted himself to literature. In 1846, he made a spectacular debut in the literary world with his first novella, ‘The Poor Folk’, earning high praise from critics who hailed him as “the second Gogol.” His major works include ‘Crime and Punishment’ and ‘The Brothers Karamazov’.
Overview of the Work
Introduction to the Work
‘Crime and Punishment’ is Dostoevsky’s most famous full-length novel, published in 1866. The story is set in the back alleys of St. Petersburg, against the backdrop of a city teeming with loan sharks and the poor. The work is widely regarded as a masterpiece not only of Russian literature but of world literature as well.
Plot
Raskolnikov, a poor student, arrives at the theory—after pathological contemplation—that “a superior person has the right to transcend societal morality for the sake of humanity.” Seeking to put this theory into practice, he murders an elderly pawnbroker. However, after the murder, he is unexpectedly overcome by guilt and realizes that he is a miserable being cut off from humanity.
Tormented by guilt, Raskolnikov eventually confesses his crime to Sonya, who lives a life of self-sacrifice. Meanwhile, through the enigmatic life and death of Svidrigailov—who absolutizes lust—Raskolnikov comes face-to-face with the ugliness of his own theory. Finally, Raskolnikov turns himself in and begins his imprisonment in Siberia.
Character Introduction
Raskolnikov — A poor college student who believes that murdering an old pawnbroker, a moneylender, is in the best interest of society. After killing the old pawnbroker and her sister, he is tormented by unexpected guilt; he then meets Sonia, a girl with a pure soul, and turns himself in at her urging. Although he did not truly repent at first, he comes to realize his wrongdoing through Sonia’s love while in Siberia and begins to dream of a new life.
Sonya — The daughter of Marmeladov, a low-ranking civil servant whom Raskolnikov met in a tavern, she is a young woman who sells her body to support her impoverished family. Innocent, deeply religious, and possessing a pure soul, she falls in love with Raskolnikov and persuades him to turn himself in.
Dunya — Raskolnikov’s younger sister, who is kind and exceptionally beautiful. She is courted by men such as Luzhin, Svidrigailov, and Razumikhin. She was prepared to marry Luzhin—whom she did not love—for her brother’s sake, but after realizing his hypocrisy, she called off the engagement and married Razumikhin instead.
Razumikhin — Raskolnikov’s close friend, who actively helps Raskolnikov and his family when they find themselves in difficult circumstances. He falls in love with Dunya and eventually marries her.
Svidrigailov — A man who traveled all the way to St. Petersburg to marry the beautiful Dunya as soon as his wife died. When he accidentally learns the secret that Raskolnikov has killed a man, he attempts to blackmail Dunya and Raskolnikov. However, when Dunya rejects his advances, he commits suicide with a pistol.
Ruzhin — He appears to be a wealthy and capable lawyer, but he is a hypocritical and unscrupulous man. He seeks to marry Dunya, the daughter of a poor family, in order to gain a cultured and beautiful wife.
Work Commentary
Introduction
A comfortable and carefree life can sometimes be a curse rather than a blessing. A look at the history of world literature reveals many writers who created masterpieces amid suffering and despair. Among them, Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821–1881) stands out as a particularly notable example. He wrote ‘Crime and Punishment’ while enduring extreme financial hardship.
At the time he was writing the novel, Dostoevsky had lost his wife and brother in quick succession the previous year, and the magazine he had run with his brother had failed, leaving him burdened with debt. Unable to repay his debts, he was even threatened with imprisonment by his creditors. Dostoevsky himself later reflected that “mental security” was necessary for creative work.
Background and Content
‘Crime and Punishment’ is Dostoevsky’s first full-length novel, written when he was forty-five years old. Although he had previously written a novella titled ‘The Poor Folk’, this was his first full-length novel. He began writing it in 1865, and it was serialized in a magazine from January to December of the following year.
Dostoevsky had been conceiving this work since his exile in Siberia and experimented with various narrative forms before completing it. After considering options such as a first-person confession, a courtroom testimony format, and a narrative in which the protagonist recalls events eight years after his murder upon his release from prison, he ultimately decided to unfold the plot using third-person narration. This work is considered Dostoevsky’s masterpiece and established him as a world-renowned novelist.
Historical and Geographical Setting
The historical setting of ‘Crime and Punishment’ is the mid-19th century, which closely coincides with the time of the work’s publication. The geographical setting is the back alleys of St. Petersburg, filled with people who, as the low-ranking official Marmeladov put it, “have nowhere to go.” Around this time in Russia, the emancipation of serfs caused a massive influx of people into the cities, and the living conditions of those who had transitioned from serfdom to the emerging proletariat were extremely dire. In short, both the temporal and spatial settings provide the ideal conditions for exploring the work’s central theme: “Crime and Punishment.”
Plot Summary and the Protagonist’s Ideology
Raskolnikov, a law student, resolves to murder an elderly usurer who lives next door. Underlying this decision is his unique philosophy, which divides humanity into ordinary and extraordinary people. While ordinary people have a duty to obey existing morals and laws, he believed that a select few extraordinary individuals have the right to disregard the law.
Furthermore, Raskolnikov goes so far as to believe that exceptional individuals may destroy the old order in the name of creation. His logic is that while people may call such exceptional individuals criminals, no new morality can be established without them. Based on this theory, he considers himself an “exceptional person” and rationalizes his actions by claiming that he is serving the common good of society as a whole by murdering the pawnbroker—an old woman who is no different from a human parasite preying on the poor. He attempts to justify his actions by citing the example of Napoleon, who, despite killing countless people, is remembered as a hero by future generations.
However, from the moment he murders the old pawnbroker, Raskolnikov begins to feel pangs of conscience. His conscience—representing goodness and justice—clashes with his will, sparking an internal struggle; he is tormented by an unbearable sense of isolation and guilt, and spends his days in a nightmare of anxiety and fear. He also becomes estranged from his loved ones, including his mother and sister.
While wandering, he meets Sonya, who has become a prostitute to support her family. Sonya is a character who lives a life of suffering and self-sacrifice, embodying Christian love. Under her influence, Raskolnikov realizes that he is not an extraordinary person, and that even if he were, he has no right to kill an ordinary person at will.
He prostrates himself before Sonya, kisses her feet, and confesses, “I am not prostrating myself before you, but before the suffering of all humanity.” Listening to a passage from the Gospel read by Sonya by the light of a dying candle, he confesses his sins and ultimately turns himself in to the police, resulting in his exile to Siberia. Sonya voluntarily follows him, sharing the burden of his suffering.
Characteristics of the Work
Since Dostoevsky wrote ‘Crime and Punishment’ while living in extreme poverty, money serves as a central motif throughout the work. No matter how logically Raskolnikov tries to justify his murder of the old woman, it is ultimately linked to money. At the time of the murder, he was in such dire straits that he could barely afford three meals a day, let alone tuition.
The dichotomous logic distinguishing “ordinary” from “extraordinary” people ultimately stems from a social structure that fails to distribute wealth equitably. Although Raskolnikov was unable to secure valuables from the pawnshop, he believes that by killing the old woman and seizing her property, he is personally enacting the redistribution of wealth that society has failed to achieve.
Central Themes and Ideological Criticism
The central theme of this novel is the conflict and tension arising between abstract ideas and concrete human behavior. During Dostoevsky’s time, all manner of “-isms”—such as rationalism and nihilism—were in vogue in Russia, and these ideas did not arise organically but were primarily imported from Europe. In that sense, he sought to criticize these foreign ideas just as one might criticize fashions popular in Paris.
His critique of abstract theories is clearly evident in Raskolnikov’s self-deprecating soliloquy: “I did not kill a man. I killed an ‘-ism’!” Through the lens of a murder case, Dostoevsky meticulously dissects the psychology of a young intellectual while sharply criticizing the rationalism, utilitarianism, and nihilism prevalent in his time.
Progressive young people of the time perceived Dostoevsky’s work as a criticism directed at them. They felt the author was mocking the radical reform movement and the youthful passion of the era. However, since Raskolnikov himself was steeped in Western ideas and, upon meeting Sonya, came to realize the fallacy of the Western rationalism he had embraced, the novel contains reflections not only on the young intellectuals of his time but also on Dostoevsky himself.
While Dostoevsky criticizes Western socialism, utilitarianism, and nihilism, he emphasizes Christian humanism grounded in the doctrines of the Russian Orthodox Church, narrowly, and Christian doctrine more broadly. However, he does not blindly defend religious doctrine; rather, he criticizes the violence perpetrated by the Church in the name of God and calls on the Church to return to the teachings of Christ.
Dostoevsky was a writer who spoke for the petty bourgeoisie groaning under the pressure of emerging capitalism, as well as a fervent Slavophile seeking to preserve Russian traditions. His works had a profound impact beyond literature, influencing philosophy, religion, and social issues, and he sharply analyzed the political, social, and intellectual landscape of contemporary Russia through his exceptional insight into human psychology. For this reason, some scholars view him as a pioneer of existentialism. For example, Walter Kaufmann once described Dostoevsky’s ‘Notes from the Underground’ as “the finest overture to existentialism.”
