Lizaveta In Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime

The Spilt Sense In Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment,
This insight will focus more on the death of Lizaveta as it more notable to how the killer is affected by it. Thus, the killing of Lizaveta with an axe and the subsequent inner struggle of the protagonist reflects his dual personality dilemma more than the killing of Alyona Ivanova. First, Raskolnikov's name means schism which refers to a divided sense that occurs between two entities based on opinions or beliefs. The fact that Raskolnikov is named as such is meant to reflect his split between his emotions and his actions and the way he thinks. Therefore, although both, Alyona Ivanova and Lizaveta, are killed with an axe, the way it is done is distinctive for each victim. Raskolnikov had initially intended to kill …show more content…
On the other hand, upon the sudden and unexpected arrival of Lizaveta at the scene of the crime, Raskolnikov inevitably moves towards her with the axe and "the axe fell with the sharp edge just on the skull and split at one blow all the top of her head. She fell heavily at once" (Dostoevsky 71). The "split" in the head of his victim then refers to the schism and the split within Raskolnikov that characterises him throughout the novel. In other words, Dostoevsky uses the name of the protagonist to indicate his nature and how his dual personality plays a pivotal role in the representation of the murder of Lizaveta. And that it was her death (due to a split in her head) that Raskolnikov also becomes split from his family: Raskolnikov avoids his mother and sister as much as possible and his friend, Razumihin, whose kindness he rejects. He wishes to remain separate from his friend and family and only finds some kind of solace from Sonia, whom he sees as being similar to him. Then again, Sonia is the one inspires him to return to his old-self by confessing to the police his crime. The moment when