Analysis Of Crime And Punishment By Fyodor Dostoevsky

In the novel Crime and Punishment, Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky explores complex ideas about the philosophies of man and the way we behave when faced with morally challenging situations. Raskolnikov, a troubled man in his early twenties, devises and executes a plan to commit a brutal murder. However, he justifies this action by describing how the victim, an old pawnbroker, is a plague to society. He theorizes that some special people are allowed to transgress society’s standards for a worthy cause. These ideas are further explored as Dostoevsky comments on Utilitarianism, suffering, morality, and human nature through each character in the novel; the characters each represent a different component. Although the story is full of suffering and hopelessness, there are characters who represent optimism and goodness in the midst of it all. …show more content…
The main example is Svidrigailov, another prime example of Utilitarian thought and aristocratic debauchery. He is hedonistic and immoral, especially towards women; at one point he openly describes how he is unfaithful and abusive to his wife, showing interest in extremely young or teenage girls. He is obsessed with Dunya, and the realization that she will never love him coupled with the memories of his bad deeds are what drives him to commit suicide. Here, Dostoevsky shows how Utilitarianism and selfishness can lead to overwhelming suffering - enough to completely give in. Alyona Ivanova, the pawnbroker, is also portrayed as a bad character. Part of what makes Raskolnikov worthy of sympathy is the fact that his victim was not considered a great person. As mentioned before, she was referred to as a louse, and many of the townspeople were shown to dislike her and the way she treated others. This element also strengthens the argument in favor of her death, which therefore makes the questions Dostoevsky poses about morality more