Crime And Punishment
In book four of Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, the audience is led through a series of events which portray the scrambled life of Rodion Raskolnikov. Just mere seconds before he confesses the murder of Alyona Ivanovna, another suspect bursts into the magistrate's office and pleads guilty. The protagonist completely change his standards of living, but this breakthrough is not fully derived from the office incident. Raskolnikov finds himself in Sonia's room for a quick visit, she is both amused and frightened by his presence. They discuss Sonia's mother, Katerina Ivanovna, and the children, who are constantly struggling. Raskolnikov then brings up the topic of faith, and ultimately, God. Sonia clings to the belief that the Lord will always provide for the family and support all of them. The protagonist taunts her and forces her to read the story of Lazarus from the Bible, which has many connections to her personal life. Earlier in the story, Porfiry questioned Raskolnikov about the raising of Lazarus from the dead, now the protagonist is questioning Sonia. The two
…show more content…
major redemptive figures are connected through the same biblical story. This biblical passage also reveals a deeper meaning about Sonia's prostitution job. Lazarus was rewarded with new life, not because he was poor, but for his virtuous acceptance of poverty. Likewise, Sonia will also be rewarded. Her job is not merely a choice but rather, it is suffering for the sake of others. She sacrifices her purity for the redemption of her family. The story of Lazarus is also significant for Raskolnikov as it is read from the Bible that belonged to Lizaveta, whom he unintentionally murdered.
In theory, if Sonya can restore Raskolnikov to life, his suffering will come to an end, just like Lazarus' did when Jesus performed the miracle. Rodion died a figurative death as a result of the crime. Lazarus was raised from the dead through Jesus, and likewise, through Sonya, Raskolnikov hopes to rise into sanity again. Both the protagonist and Sonia are separated from the living and through some miracle, their lives will be restored. Although it was not evident in the text, the biblical story of Lazarus played a huge role in Crime and Punishment. It revealed many of Sonia's feelings and also foreshadowed the redemption of Raskolnikov. The reading of this Bible story will prove to be a critical moment in the protagonist's life as it
progresses
major redemptive figures are connected through the same biblical story. This biblical passage also reveals a deeper meaning about Sonia's prostitution job. Lazarus was rewarded with new life, not because he was poor, but for his virtuous acceptance of poverty. Likewise, Sonia will also be rewarded. Her job is not merely a choice but rather, it is suffering for the sake of others. She sacrifices her purity for the redemption of her family. The story of Lazarus is also significant for Raskolnikov as it is read from the Bible that belonged to Lizaveta, whom he unintentionally murdered.
In theory, if Sonya can restore Raskolnikov to life, his suffering will come to an end, just like Lazarus' did when Jesus performed the miracle. Rodion died a figurative death as a result of the crime. Lazarus was raised from the dead through Jesus, and likewise, through Sonya, Raskolnikov hopes to rise into sanity again. Both the protagonist and Sonia are separated from the living and through some miracle, their lives will be restored. Although it was not evident in the text, the biblical story of Lazarus played a huge role in Crime and Punishment. It revealed many of Sonia's feelings and also foreshadowed the redemption of Raskolnikov. The reading of this Bible story will prove to be a critical moment in the protagonist's life as it
progresses