How Does Raskolnikov's View On Life

A theme that is often explored in literature is a character’s perspective, and their outlook on life. It often provides much information in analysing a character’s behaviour and their decisions. Understanding a character’s outlook on life will generate better insight of the character’s personality, and how their perspective on life affects them. In the novel Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, uses his characters Raskolnikov, Svidrigailov, and Sonia -all of whom are different from each other- to illustrate how one’s perspective on life influences the decisions that they make.
Raskolnikov is an incredibly complex character, he is not simply good or bad, he possesses exceptional as well as deplorable qualities in equal measure. Raskolnikov spends the entirety of Crime and Punishment contemplating not only the …show more content…
Yet, he continues to support his theory by making allusions to Napoleon and other great men like him. The rationalization of the two murders is not enough to prevent Raskolnikov from descending into madness and depression. Raskolnikov experiences brief states of apathy in his sickened state, such as the incident in which Luzhin drops in for a visit unannounced. He does not wish to be around his friends or family, Raskolnikov does not wish to employ himself, the man completely loses his will to continue to live. Raskolnikov can no longer see the point in continuing to live when he suffers every minute of every day, he hopes to be caught by the police while attempting to conceal his evil deed. Raskolnikov believes that the great men who commit crime will not be punished for it, they will be praised instead. This belief is what hinders him from repenting for his crime, he cannot even comprehend why he is being punished because he does not understand that he has done something wrong. Raskolnikov’s theory of extraordinary men is so deeply imbedded in his outlook on life that even when