Essay On Crime And Punishment By Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Humans are intrinsically social creatures. Being surrounded by loved ones for a while is enough to bring almost anyone out of a negative mood. People rely on each other for comfort and nourishment. Because of this, it’s hard to spend a day without interacting with someone. If someone does let a day go by without talking to another human being, it usually means that the person in question is dealing with a serious problem. In many cases, people in emotional distress will avoid being social because they do not want attention or believe no one can help them. In Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment, the main character, Raskolnikov, alienates himself after murdering a pawnbroker and her sister. He doesn’t want anyone to find out what he did,
In fact, he is already paranoid before the murder takes place. He fears that everyone is obsessing over him, whether they are a stranger or someone he knows. Raskolnikov’s planning for the murder revolves around keeping his intentions secret. Other important matters, like cleaning up and escaping, don’t enter his mind until just before the special event takes place. To Raskolnikov, one important part of hiding his intent to commit a murder was keeping his clothing looking like that of an average person. He even scrutinized his accessories: “‘Why, a stupid thing like this, the most trivial detail might spoil the whole plan. It looks absurd and that makes it noticeable...’” (Dostoyevsky 3) Even though a comment from a passerby was what caused him to say this, he is still shown to be very paranoid here. Raskolnikov’s hometown of St. Petersburg is very busy, with lots of people rushing from one place to another. These people probably didn’t have time to gawk at a stranger’s hat. But due to his paranoia, Raskolnikov believes that everyone is worried about him. This incident took place at the beginning of Raskolnikov’s isolation. His paranoia only grows more, especially after the murder. Raskolnikov runs home after killing two women and goes to sleep. When he wakes up, he goes into hysterics because he notices that his socks are soaked with blood, mumbling
Although it’s hard to know what he was like before the novel started, it can be inferred that he wasn’t always insane. Poverty and anger drove a man who used to be a hardworking university student to commit a murder and lose his sanity. From the opening of the book, his paranoia is evident. Raskolnikov seemed to have no other objective besides worrying about the thoughts of others. This paranoia is part of what makes him so impulsive. In many parts of the book, he allows his insanity to think for him. Raskolnikov’s dreams and hallucinations come after the paranoia and impulsiveness. They truly show how alone he is. The real-life connection between sanity and interaction with people is evident in Crime and Punishment. As Raskolnikov begins to talk to people again, his mental state gets better. His mind is at its worst when he is alone. If Raskolnikov had friends to rely on from the beginning, Crime and Punishment might have been a very different