Crime and Punishment's Schism

A detailed Summary of Crime and Punishment's Schism

In Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, the main character, Raskolnikov, goes through troubling times after making a cruel act of injustice. He suffers mental anxiety for what he has done, that leads to physical problems, all the while being torn by thoughts of who he really is. His name, raskol, in Russian means "split." It is easy to see how he is split into two mindsets - one of a cruel, heartless being, and one of a caring, humane gentleman. He cannot keep control of what he needs to be doing and how he should act. Raskolnikov's conscience is sent into a whirlwind of ideas and emotions that he just cannot handle. A large scene in the novel is when Dostoevsky talks about Raskolnikov's dream. This dream can help summarize how he has been torn in two by his acts.

To begin, Raskolnikov's dream was a vivid description of a drunken man beating his horse. Whether this dream is a result of his mental sickness or he simply has weird dreams, Dostoevsky uses this as a metaphor for Raskolnikov's mental state. The scene can be taken in a variety of ways, depending on how the reader interprets what Dostoevsky was trying to say. It can be broken down to main parts. Take for instance, Mikolka, the drunk man who committed the vicious

In the novel, it can be seen that Raskolnikov's actions were not very clear at times. His lost control over mind and body make him commit terrible acts that may not have been done with clearer thinking. The dream Dostoevsky tells about can help parallel Raskolnikov's thoughts and actions. The cruel side of him can be seen with a schism to his gentler side. His character has two sides, both of which force him to take actions that might not have occurred if his self-control was strong enough to abide by what should be done.

There is, though, a kinder side to Raskolnikov. His kindness can relate back to the child watching the act of Mikolka's. The child realizes the absurdity of it all and goes to stop him. Raskolnikov had an act of kindness, too, though not quite clear at the time. His thoughts of leaving Aliona and Lizaveta alone seemed to confuse him even more. His humane, "child," side wants to just let them be and go on with his life. He obviously does not do that, but it is the thought that counts. Another act of kindness was when he thought of what he did wrong. He realized what he did; it finally made sense to him. Though it took awhile, his mind became clear. He thought about confessing showed his caring side. When being brought down to the police station, his thought of t

Some common words found in the essay are:
Mikolka Raskolnikov, Crime Punishment, Aliona Lizaveta, raskolnikov's dream, vicious act, act kindness, killing landlady, raskolnikov's actions, beating horse,

Approximate Word count = 869
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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Crime and Punishment's Schism

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