Raskolnikov's Change In Crime And Punishment

In Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Raskolnikov commits two cruel murders, and the deaths lead him to a mental illness and a death of his soul. Raskolnikov meets a poor girl named Sonya in the beginning of the novel and she leads him through his spiritual awakening throughout the novel. Sonya is the one who facilitates a major change in Rasklnikov’s life and is able to facialte this change throguh her faith in God, her willingness to help Raskolnikov and her power to rebuild Raskolnikov’s trust in his family .
When Raskolnikov meets Sonya, he is attracted to her from the start and this attraction leads Raskolnikov to his spiritual awakening. Sonya is introduced to readers as a poor girl who provides for her family “with a yellow
Sonya is first Raskolnikov’s punching bag: “Sonya spoke at first with despair, worrying and suffering…” (317). Raskolnikov decides to angrily confront Sonya after stressing about the crime and Sonya is able to help Raskolnikov with her calm, soothing demenor. She never gives up on Raskolnikov when he uses her as an object and not a human. Raskolnikov realizes his own situation by looking at the situation that Sonya is in. Raskolnikov “fully understood the monstrous pain she suffered and had long been suffering… of her dishonorable and shameful position” (323). Raskolnikov decides to act his situation after seeing someone that he cares about suffer. Raskolnikov now understands that the anger he was expressing toward Sonya is really about himself: “Because you destroyed yourself and betrayed yourself in vain” (322). Sonya sins by being a prostitute and Raskolnikov sins by murder; these two people are brought together to help one another. Raskolnikov sees that he is being pulled in a direction he doesn’t want: “‘Can it be that this being, who has still kept her purity in spirit, in the end will be consciously pulled into this vile, sinking hole?’” (323). Raskolnikov is able to see how he can help himself after Sonya becomes Raskolnikov’s role model for how he should live his life. Raskolnikov realizes that he is being pulled under by looking at
Even when he confesses to her, she may be afraid, but she continues to be the support Raskolnikov needs in his life. She wants to suffer with Raskolnikov and lead him through his recovery. Dunya believes “He [Raskolnikov] had sought out a human being when he needed a human being and she would go with him wherever fate sent him” (521). Sonya is willing to sacrifice herself to make Raskolnikov a better person. She was willing to even be sent to Siberia with Raskolnikov because she knew that he needed her to continue his long recovery. She is motivated to help Raskolnikov anyway that she can and does not give up hope when he loses interest in her visits. Raskolnikov was “not interested in her visits, but was even almost vexed with her, spoke reluctantly and was even rude to her” (542). He is rude to her when he is sent to Siberia and “he was indeed ashamed” (542). Raskolnikov knows that he needs Sonya as his leader and is ashamed of his attitude toward her. Sonya is unable to give up on Raskolnikox even when he shows unintresest in her continuned visits and affection toward