Anna and Raskolnikov are not the only ones who try to help out their siblings. Both Stiva and Dunya go out of their way multiple times to try to help their siblings through difficult situations. When Anna has an affair, just like her brother did, Stiva decides to come to her rescue and try to facilitate a reconciliation between her and her husband, just as Anna did for him. For example, one day, Stiva tries to invite Karenin to dinner, and Karenin tells him, “I cannot come to your house because the familial relations that existed between us must come to an end” (Tolstoy 347). Shocked, Stiva begs him to reconsider while dining at the Oblonsky home, “This is awful! I would do one thing, Alexei Alexandrovich. I beg you, do this! The proceedings
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At first, she tries to comfort her brother telling him that, “if by any chance, you should need me for anything or you should need…my entire life, or anything…just call for me and I’ll come. Goodbye” (Dostoevsky 399). However, when Raskolnikov does not turn to her for help, Dunya decides to take matters into her own hands. She agrees to meet with Svidrigailov alone, because he says he can provide help and security to her brother. However, this is a trap, and he tries to take advantage of her in exchange for her brother’s safety and protection. After that traumatic experience, and learning the truth about what her brother has done, she joins forces with Sonya to try to help Raskolnikov. Eventually, she confronts him alone in his room and tries to convince him that confession and repentance are the answers to all of his problems (Dostoevsky 486). However, this event does not directly lead him to confession and though Raskolnikov eventually confesses and is sent to Siberia to serve his punishment, it probably was not because of Dunya’s interference, or at least, not her interference alone. Unquestionably, his love, Sonya, was the largest motivation behind his moving confessional, as is clear in one of the closing scenes, where he finally confesses after seeing her outside the police station. It was Sonya who ultimately saved Raskolnikov. Therefore, it is somewhat safe to argue that Dunya didn’t genuinely succeed in helping her brother deal with the crime he had
At first, she tries to comfort her brother telling him that, “if by any chance, you should need me for anything or you should need…my entire life, or anything…just call for me and I’ll come. Goodbye” (Dostoevsky 399). However, when Raskolnikov does not turn to her for help, Dunya decides to take matters into her own hands. She agrees to meet with Svidrigailov alone, because he says he can provide help and security to her brother. However, this is a trap, and he tries to take advantage of her in exchange for her brother’s safety and protection. After that traumatic experience, and learning the truth about what her brother has done, she joins forces with Sonya to try to help Raskolnikov. Eventually, she confronts him alone in his room and tries to convince him that confession and repentance are the answers to all of his problems (Dostoevsky 486). However, this event does not directly lead him to confession and though Raskolnikov eventually confesses and is sent to Siberia to serve his punishment, it probably was not because of Dunya’s interference, or at least, not her interference alone. Unquestionably, his love, Sonya, was the largest motivation behind his moving confessional, as is clear in one of the closing scenes, where he finally confesses after seeing her outside the police station. It was Sonya who ultimately saved Raskolnikov. Therefore, it is somewhat safe to argue that Dunya didn’t genuinely succeed in helping her brother deal with the crime he had