Crime and Punishment Essay

Crime and Punishment Essay Rewrite

In the novel Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, the character named Raskolnikov commits a murder of pawnbroker and the story centers on the suffering and internal conflicts that he experiences afterwards. Throughout the plot, Raskolnikov is trapped between two conflicting forces before he confesses to the police at the police station: desire to prove himself that he is morally superior to others and his own compulsive thoughts to confess due to other’s emphasis on repentance, religion, and redemption.

One of the forces that pull Raskolnikov to commit a crime is the theory that he conceives about the nature of man’s ability, which is that there are only few that are “extraordinary” while others do not possess such powers. Raskolnikov’s intellectual aspect thus drives him to plan and execute a murder because he firmly believes that he has the ability to do so. In addition, it can be seen throughout the novel that Raskolnikov believes in nihilistic and utilitarian ideas. Even after he kills Alyona and Lizaveta, he later explains to Sonya that he has simply killed a “louse” from the society and asserts that through murder he has made a benefit to the whole of humanity. This is an example of utilitarian idea because utilitarians follow the rules that contribute to the happiness of the whole. Moreover, throughout the plot, he abandons his bond with family and society and believes that there is no mind or soul in the world. His nihilistic view is the reason why he has no emotions toward others and while murdering the pawnbroker. Overall, these evidences point to the fact that Raskolnikov resembles young Russian intellects during the 1850s who also believed in nihilistic and utilitarian ideas and abandoned Russian orthodox during the time.

The other force that controls Raskolnikov, however, and eventually lead him to confess in front of the police station is compulsive need to confess, aroused by those around him and...