Dostoevsky is the first to create his novel Crime and Punishment , if only his ideological novels are taken into account. In the center of the image is the main character Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, to whom all the threads of the narrative are reduced. The theory of Raskolnikov in the novel Crime and Punishment becomes a connecting and symbolic element, thanks to which the work acquires integrity and completeness.
Summary
A young man living in a battered removable closet walks through the streets of St. Petersburg and is plotting some business. We do not yet know what Raskolnikov is thinking about, but from his painful state it is clear that this is a crime. He decides to kill the old woman percent-raiser. However, one murder entails another. In order to eliminate the witness, he has to kill the younger sister of Alena Ivanovna - Lizaveta Ivanovna. After the crime, the hero’s life becomes unbearable: as if in a hell of his own thoughts and passions, he is afraid that they will reveal him. As a result, Raskolnikov himself makes a confession, and he is sent to hard labor.
Genre originality of the novel
A brief retelling suggests that this novel can be considered detective. However, this is too narrow a framework for the profound work of Dostoevsky. Indeed, in addition to a thorough depiction of the crime picture, the author also resorts to precise psychological sketches. Some researchers unequivocally attribute the work to the genre of an ideological novel, because Raskolnikov's theory is brought to the forefront . In the novel Crime and Punishment, it is not immediately known about her, only after the murder. However, from the very first chapters it is clear that the hero is not just a maniac, his action is supported by some rational reasons.
What is pushing Raskolnikov to kill?
Firstly, terrible living conditions. A former student who was forced to drop out of school due to a lack of money, Raskolnikov lives in a cramped closet with ragged wallpapers. His clothes look so different that he would be advised to wear one. The day before he receives a letter from his mother, in which she informs that his sister Dunya is getting married to a wealthy man who is older than her. Of course, her need pushes her. The old woman loaner is rich, but she is very mean and angry. Raskolnikov thinks that her money could help many, not just his family. The theory of Raskolnikov in the novel "Crime and Punishment" is supported by one secondary character - the student, whom the hero sees in the drinking room. This student is talking to an officer. In his opinion, the old woman is a vile creature, she is not worth living, but her money could be divided between the poor and the sick. All this strengthens Raskolnikov’s thought that it is necessary to kill.
Theory of Raskolnikov in the novel Crime and Punishment
In which chapter do we learn that the hero had his own theory? Porfiry Petrovich in the fifth chapter of the third part talks about the article by Raskolnikov, which he wrote when he was still studying. He cites this article as a charge. Indeed, in it Rodion divided people into two categories: the right of those who have and the creatures of trembling. The former - the powerful of this world - can make their fate, influence the course of history. The second are the material. Committing the murder of an old woman, Raskolnikov wants to prove to himself that he belongs to the first category. However, the torment that the murder delivers to him suggests otherwise. In the end, it is clear to us readers that the theory of Raskolnikov in the novel Crime and Punishment is doomed to failure from the very beginning: it is inhuman.
The idea of duality in the novel
A huge role in revealing the theory and character of Raskolnikov is played by the so-called twin heroes. There are many of them in the novel, but the most striking ones are Luzhin and Svidrigailov. Thanks to these characters, Raskolnikov’s theory is refuted in the novel Crime and Punishment. The table shows the similarities and differences between the three characters.
| Criterion | Luzhin | Svidrigailov | Raskolnikov |
| Theory | You need to live for yourself, "love yourself alone" | Everything is allowed to man | A strong personality can do as it sees fit. Weak (trembling creatures) - only building material |
| Deeds | Wants to marry Dong in order to have power | Harassed Duni, leads the servant to suicide, molested the girl, overheard Raskolnikov’s confession | Kills the old percent-woman and her sister |
Falsely Charges Sonya | He gave money to the orphans Marmeladov | Helps Marmeladov rescue children from fire |
Committed suicide | Confessed to a crime |
The table shows that the most sinful of all three is Luzhin, because he never acknowledged his sins, did not commit a single good deed. Svidrigailov, before his death, managed to redeem everything with one good deed.
Raskolnikov hates and despises both of them, because he sees his resemblance to them. All three are obsessed with inhuman theories, all three sin. The most elaborate one is Raskolnikov’s theory in the novel Crime and Punishment (the hero’s quotes confirm this). He cynically calls the old woman a “louse,” saying that he wanted to become Napoleon.
Everything that happens in the novel refutes this idea. Even the behavior of the protagonist. A special role in the novel is also played by Raskolnikov’s dreams, in particular the last dream about a pestilence, thanks to which it becomes clear how destructive Raskolnikov’s theory is in the novel Crime and Punishment. An essay on a similar topic cannot do without deciphering this dream. If everyone thought like Raskolnikov, then the world would have collapsed long ago.
conclusions
So, the inhuman theory of Raskolnikvoa in the novel Crime and Punishment is refuted by the author, who urges people to live according to the laws of God. No rational reason can justify killing a person, no matter what.