Modern Criticism, Study notes of Christianity

Download Modern Criticism and more Study notes Christianity in PDF only on Docsity! 1 Modern Criticism Professor Aubrey Rough Draft Redemption in Crime and Punishment One of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s greatest accomplishments is creating a book that masterfully intertwines sociological ideals and an in depth psychological analysis while still writing a truly great piece of literature. The novel being Crime and Punishment, which explicitly describes the protagonist Rodin Romanovich Raskolnikov’s fluctuating mental state as he commits a brutal crime, becomes tortured by guilt, and finally turns himself in. But what makes Crime and Punishment such an enticing novel? It is the psychological analysis and transformation of a criminal, the symbols used throughout the story, the sociological and philosophical voices and terms that underline the whole novel, and most importantly it is the idea of redemption. I will argue that Dostoevsky uses all these elements to create a captivating novel, one that follows the journey of the protagonist as he fights within himself throughout the book. Through the characters and themes in his Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky argues that a person can become redeemed by submitting to one’s suffering, especially on another’s behalf. Dostoevsky in this, offers a path to redemption for the audience. Crime and Punishment follows a poor impoverished student living in the poor town of St. Petersburg, who believes himself to be extraordinary and above the people he is subjugated to 2 surround himself with. He has a theory that extraordinary people have the right to commit crimes and even murder people that are below them. This theory carries on throughout most of the book. Due to this theory Raskolnikov plots to kill and rob the pawnbroker, Alyona Ivanovna. He succeeds in the murder of the old pawnbroker and her sister but after the murder grows ill from deliria and paranoia. Due to this paranoia he grapples with whether if he should confess to his crimes or not, this feeling of what to do carries on throughout the novel. Later, he witnesses the death of Marmeladov, he then gives Marmeladov’s widow almost all the money he has. Raskolnikov also meets Sonya, who is the daughter of Marmeladov, he feels for her, since she has been forced to prostitute herself for money by her step mother. Sonya becomes a symbol for redemption for Raskolnikov and he promises to tell her who murdered the pawnbroker. Once Raskolnikov finishes another interview with Porfiry, he is the officer who is investigating the murder case and also has suspicions that Raskolnikov is the murderer, he decides he will tell Sonya he is the one who murdered the two women. After he tells her of his crimes she hopes that he will confess to the murders and seek religious redemption, she even vows to go to Siberia with him, which is where he would spend his sentence. At first Raskolnikov does not want to confess but after much deliberation and guilt he goes to the police station and confesses to the crimes. Raskonikov then goes to Siberia to spend his prison sentence, Sonya follows him there. In the end of the book Raskolnkov realizes he is in love with Sonya and that once his sentence is over he will be a better man for her, and in such is reborn. Dostoyevskys masterful psychoanalysis of the main character Raskolnikov as well as several other characters is a key part of Crime and Punishment. The major focus of this novel is a deep exploration in the minds of a criminal and the ones closest to him. The inner world of 5 It is also important to note the underlying themes that run throughout this story. The ideas of nihilism, Christianity and existentialism are apparent and it is necessary to understand the importance of these philosophies and ideals. Firstly, it is clear from the start of the book, that the protagonists’ negative outlook on the world could mirror a nihilistic point of view, one that could also be compared to Nietches theory of the “superman”. What does this mean exactly? Nihilism rejected family and societal bonds as well as emotional and aesthetic concerns in favor of a strict materialism, to think in a purely rational manner is to think only with logic. Morals, emotions, and feelings do not coexist with the purely rational thought associated with nihilism. Most agree with this statement, one critic saying: Raskolnikov is carved in the image of the Nietzchean metaphysical rebel who has pushed things too far to a nihilistic end. To Nietzche, the superman commits crime or does anything for self-gratification, and not for humanity. Raskolnikov is confronted by a world without mercy, faith, hope, charity, justice, or purpose (Uwasomba, 145). It is clear that Raskolnikov a nihilist; unsentimental for most of the novel, he cares nothing about the emotions of others. However, at the end of the novel, as Raskolnikov discovers love he sheds his nihilistic view. Through this action, the novel condemns nihilism as empty and instead shows a different path for the protagonist, one that is not devoid of love and emotion. it can be shown that Dostoevsky attempts to stop nihilism from becoming a part of Russian culture by showing contradictory emotions and actions within such rational thinkers as Svidrigailov and Raskolnikov. In the end, Dostoevsky shows that human emotions cannot be ignored and irrationalism is necessary. After throwing away his nihilistic theories, Raskolnikov begins to turn to Christianity, Sonia is a big influence on his Christian redemption. A very important symbol that shows 6 Raskolnikovs transformation, is the cross that Sonya gives to him before he goes to the police station to confess. The cross symbolizes Jesus’ sacrifice for the sins of his people. It shows not that he has been redeemed but that he has begun to recognize his sins. Many other critics agree with the importance of traditional symbolism in Crime and Punishment. In a passage by George Gibian, he states the importance of the symbolism and compares many different elements such as saying “water is to Dostoevsky a symbol of rebirth and regeneration”. In this passage it shows Gibians ideas on the apparemce of traditional symbolism: Traditional symbolism, that is, symbolism which draws on images established by the Christian tradition and on those common in Russian non-Christian, possibly pre-Christian and pagan, folk thought and expression, is an important element in the structure of Crime and Punishment. The outstanding strands of symbolic imagery in the novel are those of water, vegetation, sun and air, the resurrection of Lazarus and Christ, and the earth (Gibian, 982). Furthermore, Sonya being the one who gives him the cross has significance “take it ... it's mine! I tell you it's mine!" she reassured him. "We will suffer together. Together we will bear the cross!" (Dostoyevsky, 402). When she says this she gives of herself to bring him back to humanity, and her love and concern for him will ultimately save and renew him. An article by John Bartlette confirms this argument when he says “In Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky uses the character of Sonia Marmalade, whose first name means wisdom, not solely to illustrate God's mercy toward a fallen woman but to have her redeem both herself and Raskolnikov through God's mercy” (Barthelette). After understanding the philosophy and Psychology behind Crime and Punishment we can now discuss the meaning and purpose behind the novel. While Crime and Punishment can be 7 interpreted in many different ways, I will argue that the main purpose is to show that through ones suffering one can be redeemed, and that Raskolnikov himself ultimately does redeem himself with the help from Sonia specifically, as shown in previous paragraphs. I believe that Raskolnikovs own personal mental torture is his punishment throughout the book, it shows he is not past redemption and still does have a conscience, it is his schizophrenic nature that makes him suffer from paranoia and delusion, making it hard for him to choose the right or wrong path, but it does not make him irredeemable and in the end he fails in his previous theory of the “superman”, one article agrees with this by saying: the man who, obsessed with his own deification, engaged in a daring experiment which he deemed emblematic of "freedom and power, but above all power finds himself unable to make good his claim and pass his test. Trapped in what he calls his cowardice, unnerved by the humiliating realization of the failure of his project, his pride disintegrating, Prisonlike submits to Sonia's Christly mediation and gives himself up to the police (Rudicina, 3). In this passage the critic is reinforcing my statement by saying that Raskolnikov fails in his previous thesis of being able to kill without remorse or consequence and instead after much paranoia and deliria he submits to Sonias idea of restitution and confesses to his sins. There are, of course, many other ideas on the meaning behind Crime and Punishment and it is important to hear other writers’ theories regarding the book. In A socio- psychological exploration of Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s crime and punishment the critic, Chijioke Uwasomba, states that in Crime and Punishment “The writer appears to be saying that the world is meaningless as it is full of injustice, exploitation and other forms of inequities” (Uwamsoba, 147). While I do agree with this statement I believe that the critic is missing a vital part of the 10 and concepts while not being too convoluted and keeping a strong story line. But it is not just a story of a murder and the punishment that ensues, it is the inner working of the mind of a confused man and the philosophies that run throughout the book being that of Freudian, Marxian, Christian, and existentialist voice. By using all of these elements Dostoyevsky creates a compelling and enticing novel that shows a clear path to redemption through the life of Raskolnikov and the other main characters. 11 Bibliography Beebe, Maurice. “The Three Motives of Raskolnikov: A Reinterpretation of Crime and Punishment.” College English, vol. 17, no. 3, 1955, pp. 151–158., www.jstor.org/stable/495737. Bloom, Harold, ed. Crime and Punishment: Christianity and Existentialism New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1988. Print. Barthelette , John. "The Redeemed Prostitute In Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment And Other Works." N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2017. Dostoevsky, Fyodor. Crime and Punishment. N.p.: n.p., 1866. Print. "Dostoevsky in Crime and Punishment, " in the Norton Critical Edition of Crime and Punishment, ed. George Gibian (New York: Norton, 1975), pp. 244-258. Gibian, George. “Traditional Symbolism in Crime and Punishment.” PMLA, vol. 70, no. 5, 1955, pp. 979–996., www.jstor.org/stable/459881. Mochulsky, Dostoevsky: His Life and Works, trans. Michael Minihan (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1967), p. 312. Rudicina, Alexandra F. "Crime and Myth: The Archetypal Pattern of Rebirth in Three Novels of Dostoevsky." PMLA: Publications of the Modern Language Association of America, vol. 87, no. 5, 1972, pp. 1065-74. MLA International Bibliography, Squires, Paul C. "Dostoevsky's Doctrine of Criminal Responsibility." Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology 5th ser. 27.6 (1937): 820-23. Web. Uwasomba, Chijioke. "A socio-psychological exploration of Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s crime and punishment ." Educational Research and Review 4 (2009): 1-7. Web. 12