Highbrow literature often contains repeating symbols and characters meant to represent something deeper than what seems on the surface. These symbols provide connections for the reader which demonstrate profound themes. In his novel Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky elaborates on the myth of the “hero”. Traditionally, the literary hero will face an obstacle, reject societal expectations, and find success in his dismissal of these norms. Based on this literary tradition, Dostoevsky created his own version of this symbol, “The Extraordinary Man” theory. His “hero”, however, is quite different from others. Contrasting more traditional literary heros, Raskolnikov finds himself defeated and the end of his story. Dostoevsky satirizes
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His life savings was spent in pursuit of publication of his work. Soon this became an obsession, in which he believed the theory was applicable to his own life. Raskolnikov saw himself as an Extraordinary Man and was convinced that killing the pawnbroker was his evidence. Unfortunately, his theory is disproved because nearly as soon as he commits the murders, his life begins to unravel. Unlike both the Hero and the Extraordinary Man, Raskolnikov falls apart under pressure. The hero feels no guilt or remorse for slaying the beast. Raskolnikov, on the other hand, spirals out of control and dives deep into madness. If Raskolnikov truly was an Extraordinary Man, his rejection of social expectations would have resulted in triumph. Instead, the guilt of the murder drives him mad, disproving his own theory. Crime and Punishment presents an intriguing twist on the classical hero through the Extraordinary Man Theory and the misfortune it causes Raskolnikov. Raskolnikov views himself as untouchable by the moral codes of society. Though Raskolnikov is faced with the same challenges as the hero he is unsuccessful. This leads him down a dark path in which he loses everything. Through his failure, Dostoevsky is successfully able to defeat the symbol of the hero and disprove its
His life savings was spent in pursuit of publication of his work. Soon this became an obsession, in which he believed the theory was applicable to his own life. Raskolnikov saw himself as an Extraordinary Man and was convinced that killing the pawnbroker was his evidence. Unfortunately, his theory is disproved because nearly as soon as he commits the murders, his life begins to unravel. Unlike both the Hero and the Extraordinary Man, Raskolnikov falls apart under pressure. The hero feels no guilt or remorse for slaying the beast. Raskolnikov, on the other hand, spirals out of control and dives deep into madness. If Raskolnikov truly was an Extraordinary Man, his rejection of social expectations would have resulted in triumph. Instead, the guilt of the murder drives him mad, disproving his own theory. Crime and Punishment presents an intriguing twist on the classical hero through the Extraordinary Man Theory and the misfortune it causes Raskolnikov. Raskolnikov views himself as untouchable by the moral codes of society. Though Raskolnikov is faced with the same challenges as the hero he is unsuccessful. This leads him down a dark path in which he loses everything. Through his failure, Dostoevsky is successfully able to defeat the symbol of the hero and disprove its