Nihilism In Crime And Punishment, By Fyodor Dostoevsky
Fyodor Dostoevsky brings forth an interesting idea of exploring philosophy when he writes, “People with new ideas, people with the faintest capacity for saying something new, are extremely few, extraordinarily so, in fact.” In Dostoevsky’s novel, Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov, an impoverished university drop out, commits a murder to test his original theory that there are extraordinary men who can transgress the rules of society. Through his journey of avoiding punishment and transition into guilt, he struggles and explores aspects of several philosophies. Crime and Punishment best qualifies as a psychological study for the novel’s condemnation of nihilism, criticism of utilitarianism, and reproach of monomania. Throughout the novel, Dostoevsky uses Raskolnikov along with other characters to explore popular emerging psychology in Russia in the 19th century.
Russian culture in the 19th century teemed with anguish and poverty. As result of the abundant unhappiness and disagreement with the tsarist government at the time, Russians adopted a philosophy called nihilism. Simply, nihilism is the belief that all religious and moral values and life have no meaning. The aspects in philosophy of nihilism clearly impacted Dostoevsky and his writing. Throughout Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov, Luzhin, and Svidrigailov overtly display nihilistic thinking. When Raskolnikov murders the pawnbroker, he negates that his action stands immorally to justify his own wishes to live
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1237 Words | 5 PagesRaskolnikov is a man who believes that he is above morality, and that he can justify committing murder based on his own moral beliefs. He believes that the ends justify the means, and that the murder of the pawnbroker will ultimately lead to a greater good. However, as the novel progresses, Raskolnikov's guilt and conscience begin to catch up with him, leading him to become increasingly morally corrupt. He becomes paranoid and isolated, consumed by his own guilt and fear of being caught. The novel illustrates the destructive effects of moral corruption, as Raskolnikov's actions lead to his downfall.
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Motives For Raskolnikov's Crimes
1478 Words | 6 PagesFyodor Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment is a deep dive into the psyche of a young man named Raskolnikov, who is...well, who really is Raskolnikov? Through the method of unreliable narration Dostoyevsky employs, it is difficult to pinpoint just who Raskolnikov is, why he does what he does, and what the reader misses when he lapses into what is considered to be bits of fever and madness. In this paper I will attempt to unravel the ‘why’ of the murders Raskolnikov commits. I endeavour to prove that it is clear Raskolnikov kills Lizaveta and Alyona because of his need and desire for suffering in repentance for his perceived sins against his family and himself. This is not to say, however, that he may have thought of this as his motive;
Guilt In Dostoyevsky's Crime
1045 Words | 5 PagesI was in a hurry to overstep . . . I didn’t mean to kill a human being, but a principle! I killed the principle, but I didn’t overstep, I stopped on this side. ”(Dostoyevsky 217) Raskolnikov has to convince himself that he is one of the superhuman people that have the right to break social standards and laws.
Reform Ideas During The Late 18th And 19th Century Russia
363 Words | 2 PagesToday in class, I presented about reform ideas during the late 18th and 19th century in Russia, especially focusing on nihilism, socialism, and utilitarianism. The explanation of utilitarianism especially helped me to better understand the beliefs of several characters in Crime and Punishment. Utilitarianism is an ethical philosophy that focuses on promoting the happiness of the greatest number of people, even if it means harming a smaller group of people. Those who support utilitarianism believe that an action, such as murder or robber, is morally right if the outcome of the action brings happiness to a majority of the group. The principles of utilitarianism are especially seen in the actions and beliefs of Raskolnikov
Tolstoy Death Of Ivan Ilych Analysis
695 Words | 3 PagesSansom writes, “He faces his mortality and realizes the failure of constructing a life on preferences and abstract relationships” (421). Shallow relationships and a focus on outward appearance lead to a neglect of Ivan’s actual purpose. In this time of Ivan grappling with death, Tolstoy proposes the idea that before we die “the choice is not how to act in ways so that we can control our death and question the meaning of life, but whether there is a reality to which we can find real value as individuals that is not nullified by the existential syllogism” (Sansom 424). The control that he sought as a way to defend himself against chaos does not lead him to peace; instead, it disappoints him and helps move Ivan to a place of deeper understanding. At the very end during an interaction with his son, Ivan finally “empties himself of meaningless false images of human purpose, [and] he then sees how to respond honestly with integrity to his destiny” (Sansom 427).
Dostoevsky's Narrative Analysis
1966 Words | 8 PagesHis internal monologue takes the reader through a day in the life of a socially outcast, isolated Russian in the 1860s. The Narrator narrates his daily experiences in his office, his home, the streets, and other various places. All of which reflect Dostoevsky’s experiences with isolationism, as well as existentialism and how it was handled and perceived by the Russian public. Russia was undergoing change and adopting new ways of thinking. “Between 1850 and 1900, Russia 's population doubled, but it remained chiefly rural well into the twentieth century…
Crime And Punishment In Pride And Prejudice Analysis
1405 Words | 6 PagesAll I managed to do was kill (III. IV).” Raskolnikov cannot suppress the force of guilt weighing upon his conscience, and ultimately confesses his complicity in the crime to the police. Seeking to operate outside the confines of his conscience and societal law, Raskolnikov is driven to madness by the impossibility of his quest—cruelty simply cannot be countenanced so long as it remains in opposition to social
Violence In Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime
931 Words | 4 PagesRaskolnikov 's act of violence is what causes him to go insane, impacts the lives of the people around him, and finally violence is Raskolnikov’s way of proving himself as an above-average individual. Dostoyevsky used violence to change the course of not only Raskolnikov’s life but also the lives of the people around him. The story shows how one man 's image of himself as a higher being can cause him to commit violent acts, which impact everyone around
Andy Dufresne Sociology
1438 Words | 6 PagesIn modern society, capital punishment is the understood punishment for those that commit violent crimes. In the confined walls of prison, the inmates have to adapt to the institution and except the differing norms of the surrounding they may call home for many years. This adaptation is seen as wealthy banker, Andy Dufresne, was found guilty for the murder of his wife and her lover. The film follows Andy through his journey as he runs into unique characters like Brooks, Red, and the warden. Although, Andy was falsely convicted, he was able to experience prison and all of the negative stigmas that prison entails.
Crime And Punishment Wealth Quotes
1093 Words | 5 PagesPope Francis once said, “The worship of the golden calf of old has found a new and heartless image in the cult of money and the dictatorship of an economy which is faceless and lacking any truly human goal”. This quote explicates many of the ideals shown throughout Crime and Punishment by demonstrating that people worship money as a god. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky takes place in 19th century Russia. During this time, there are the rich and there are poor, with very few members of the middle class. Raskolnikov, the main character, is a peasant who is enraged with the treatment he receives from the world.
Rodion Romanovick Raskolnikov
1875 Words | 8 PagesFyodor Dostoyevsky’s nineteenth-century Russian novel Crime and Punishment uses suffering as a major theme that affects Rodion Romanovick Raskolnikov and Sonya
Marxism In Crime And Punishment Essay
1902 Words | 8 PagesCrime and Punishment used great use of the Marxist Theory. While the bourgeois earned value through overpowering the lower class. This novel best embodies the Marxist Theory because it is a proclamation of a proletariat, being Raskolnikov is not is the right place in society, struggling from deep poverty and craves the fighting against the common good in society. Johnson 2 As Alyona in Crime and Punishment
Crime And Punishment Quotes With Page Numbers
1588 Words | 7 PagesHe strikingly uncovers his convictions about governmental issues through the primary character's activities. The message of the story spins around the wide thought of Utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is an idea in light of helping out more joy as opposed to individual or restricted bliss. Raskolnikov carrying out his killings mirrors this view by him trusting that his wrongdoing would be better for the world, “A hundred thousand good deeds could be done and helped, on that old women’s money…Kill her, take her money and with the help of it devote oneself to the service of humanity and the good
St. Petersburg In Crime And Punishment
1052 Words | 5 PagesSaint Petersburg, the setting of Crime and Punishment, plays a major role in the formation in Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s acclaimed novel. Dostoyevsky’s novels focus on the theme of man as a subject of his environment. Dostoyevsky paints 1860s St. Petersburg as an overcrowded, filthy, and chaotic city. It is because of Saint Petersburg that Raskolnikov is able to foster in his immoral thoughts and satisfy his evil inclinations. It is only when Raskolnikov is removed from the disorderly city and taken to the remoteness of Siberia that he can once again be at peace.
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