Crime And Punishment Raskolnikov Character Analysis

In Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment the protagonist is a murderer. There is no other way to put it. Raskolnikov, the protagonist, still manages to come across as likeable. Dostoyevsky is able to manipulate the reader to root for Raskolnikov throughout the book. The very first description of Raskolnikov depicts him as depressed and poverty stricken. “For some time though, he had been tense and irritable, in a state resembling depression” (13). One of the first lines of description gives readers the sense that Raskolnikov is down on his luck. Dostoyevsky immediately manipulates the reader into feeling sympathy for the protagonist before he is formally introduced. There are several examples of Raskolnikov being described as a poor, lost soul. A mental dialogue of Raskolnikov being indecisive and unsure is followed by a description of his outward appearance. He is described as a “remarkably good-looking young man.” However, “he was badly dressed; so badly, it would have embarrassed a tramp to go out in such rags in the daytime” (14). The readers would then be compelled to feel sorry for such a nice young man that is just going through a rough patch in his life. The reader may then be trapped in a feeling of wishing things were better for Raskolnikov without knowing much of him. It is likely that even with this limited knowledge the reader has already been been pushed to root for Raskolnikov. Aside from his physical condition the reader may also be compelled to like …show more content…
This likeable character is a product of Dostoyevsky manipulating the reader via how he portrays Raskolnikov. He shows Raskolnikov to be a fine young man that unfortunately has a slew of problems he must deal with. These problems cause conflict that often drives Raskolnikov to make poor decisions. Despite his troubles Raskolnikov still manages to come across as a likeable protagonist that is just doing his