In Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, the main character is a man with two contradicting personalities a dark grim side and a warm loving side. The terms dark and grim used loosely to describe his intellectual side. It was this side of him that allowed him to commit a great sin, a murder of an old pawnbroker. Raskolnikov wants to use intellect to act and react with. With it he is able to demonstrate logic, reasoning, planning, abstracting, analyzing and theorizing. His emotional side is hidden for most of the story, but when it surfaces it is powerful.
A critical part in the novel happens when Raskolnikov expresses his emotional side when he defends a helpless girl against a strong, short-tempered man. Raskolnikov engages in a fist fight with the man out of the kindness of his heart. After helping her, he was "at that moment stung" and questioned his actions. "Why did I go meddling in all that! W
The clash between the two sides helps Raskolnikov commit the murders. His intellectual, emotionless side was able to murder without remorse. It should be noted that he had two victims, one was planned the other was not. The murder of Alyona, the cold detestable old pawnbroker, was planned. However, there was also an unexpected murder of her kind, gentle, sister-in-law, Lizaveta. It should be noted that the dual murders represent his dual personality. Raskolnikov was able to block his emtional side and used his intellect to commit the murder. This does not happen, for his emotional side takes part in the murder. Once again reinforcing the idea that these two cannot be separated.
The detective investigating the murders, Porify, also helps Raskolnikov. He sees Raskolnikov as an extremely intelligent man who is a little misguided. He believes in Raskolnikov and thinks he will become successful and beneficial to society. With
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