Raskolnikov Foil

In his stirring psychological thriller novel, Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky subtly manifests how one cannot live without the compassion and concern of others. Dostoevsky’s use of Raskolnikov’s closest friend as a foil character balances Raskolnikov’s seemingly incorrigible ways with Razumikhin’s solicitous personality by the contrast shown in Dostoevky’s choice of words, which further validates how Raskolnikov needs a person who is compassionate so that he refrains from committing more heinous crimes. Of the numerous characters in the novel, Dostoevsky exemplified the most contrast between Raskolnikov and his only friend, Razumikhin. This serves as a way to define Raskolnikov’s blasphemous personality. It is reasonable that Dostoevsky established Razumikhin as the foil character because he spends the most time with Raskolnikov throughout the novel. Razumikhin is Raskolnikov’s only friend and is present whenever Raskolnikov needs help, including when Raskolnikov becomes ill and when Raskolnikov is interrogated. Dostoevsky’s choice in using Razumikhin as the foil character allows readers to see how truly heartless Raskolnikov is because of Razumikhin’s assiduous concern for his friend. If Razumikhin’s personality was not as contrasting with Raskolnikov’s personality, it may not have been as …show more content…
If Razumikhin had not been so kind towards Raskolnikov, then the cynical protagonist might not have survived. Numerous times throughout the novel, Raskolnikov questions why he has not taken his life. Razumikhin brought reasoning to Raskolnikov and was unfailingly present when Raskolnikov was sick or needed help. Without Razumikhin, Raskolnikov may have become more ill, in either the physical or mental sense. The malevolence in Raskolnikov needed the balance of Razumikhin’s benevolence to eschew Raskolnikov from becoming more