In the book, Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, there is a repetitive theme of religion and repentance. The main character, Raskolnikov, is constantly at battle with himself, after committing a horrible crime, of repentance. Through his process, Raskolnikov wants to have that desire to repent and be renewed of his sins, but deep down, he can not take those steps to redemption. He is not sincerely repentant for his crimes, and relies only on those around him as he tries to bear the burden of such crimes. Raskolnikov’s mental state before he has even carried out the crime provides evidence that he will not fully commit to the process of repentance and redemption. While he is planning his murder, he is constantly going back and forth
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He thinks of his crime as an “error”, not as a sin. He comes to the conclusion that, “...those men succeeded and so they were right, and I didn’t, and so I had no right to have taken that step. It was only in that that he recognised his criminality, only in the fact that he had been unsuccessful and had confessed it.” (Epilogue, Ch. II, pg. 425) Raskolnikov still does not see his crime as an actual crime. In his mind, it is only considered a crime because he was unsuccessful in benefitting from it. But this all changes when he finally realizes that he truly loves Sonya. Because of his love for her, he wants to become a better person. After their experience by the river bank, he realizes the effect his actions have had on the people he holds most dear. He wants to replace all of that suffering that he caused Sonya with infinite love. His desire to provide a new beginning for him and Sonya as soon as his sentence was done, shows his first step that he will take in seeking redemption. “He did not know that the new life would not be given him for nothing, that he would have to pay dearly for it, that it would cost him great striving, great suffering. But that is the beginning of a new story--the story of the gradual renewal of a man, the story of his gradual regeneration, of his passing from one world into another, of his initiation into a new unknown life.” (Epilogue, Ch. II, pg. 430) This new perspective that Raskolnikov has developed is the first inclination of his desire to truly repent. This shows that while he confessed and finally made himself responsible for his actions, he still has a long path to take on the road to
He thinks of his crime as an “error”, not as a sin. He comes to the conclusion that, “...those men succeeded and so they were right, and I didn’t, and so I had no right to have taken that step. It was only in that that he recognised his criminality, only in the fact that he had been unsuccessful and had confessed it.” (Epilogue, Ch. II, pg. 425) Raskolnikov still does not see his crime as an actual crime. In his mind, it is only considered a crime because he was unsuccessful in benefitting from it. But this all changes when he finally realizes that he truly loves Sonya. Because of his love for her, he wants to become a better person. After their experience by the river bank, he realizes the effect his actions have had on the people he holds most dear. He wants to replace all of that suffering that he caused Sonya with infinite love. His desire to provide a new beginning for him and Sonya as soon as his sentence was done, shows his first step that he will take in seeking redemption. “He did not know that the new life would not be given him for nothing, that he would have to pay dearly for it, that it would cost him great striving, great suffering. But that is the beginning of a new story--the story of the gradual renewal of a man, the story of his gradual regeneration, of his passing from one world into another, of his initiation into a new unknown life.” (Epilogue, Ch. II, pg. 430) This new perspective that Raskolnikov has developed is the first inclination of his desire to truly repent. This shows that while he confessed and finally made himself responsible for his actions, he still has a long path to take on the road to