Crime and punishment

A detailed Summary of Crime and punishment

Fydor Doestevsky's Crime and Punishment is a psychological study of the main character Raskolnikov. Outwardly, other characters in the novel represent different facets of Raskolnikov's personality. Raskolnikov's personality is represented through the use of double characters. In the novel, Raskolnikov has two sides: a cold calculating side and a compassionate side.

There are several characters, who are used as Raskolnikov's doubles. These are Razumikin, Sonya and Svidrigliov. None of Raskolnikov's doubles are ghosts or could even be mistaken for one, although Svidrigliov sometimes is made out to look like one. All of the doubles in the novel are some of Raskolnikov's acquaintances. They are also people that in some odd way reflect the most disturbing elements in Raskolnikovs life. In the middle of the novel even the most important part of Raskolnikov's life, the murder is submerged in the background of the novel, it only seems to come up when it is brought to Raskolnikov's attention. Crime and punishment can be looked at as a "circle of doubles, knowers of the secret, surrounding a central Raskolnikov"( Cox 100).

Razumikin duplicates Raskolnikov on the surface, yet in an important way. He could be looked at as th

Svidrigliov on the other hand is Raskolnikov's double in many other ways. He is the exact opposite of Sonya's character. He seems to be morally if not legally responsible for the death of two people his wife Marfa Petrovna and a little girl whom he supposedly seduced. Raskolnikov and his double Svidrigliov seem to be linked spiritually some how in the novel. Before knowing for sure, Svidrigliov had hinted to Raskolnikov that they were very much alike. This idea repulsed Raskolnikov, but he too soon began to realize the truth in that dreary fact. Svidrigliov seems to represent the evil part of Raskolnikovs personality. He has the charachtersistics of being cold and calculating. It is said in the novel that he had killed a servant that was working under his supervision. It is easily inferred from the plot that Svidrigliov is very sensual he lives for himself and no one else. As long as he is satisfied sexually and physically, he does not care for any one. This aspect of him is confirmed from seeing how he does not care about Dunya's wishes or how she feels towards him, all he cares for is having her sexually. That is the point in which he understands that she will never love him emotionally and that all he is getting is just a passing moment, none of which will last. He finally realizes that the joy he gets from her

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Approximate Word count = 899
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History

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