Raskolnikov Monologue Analysis

Dostoevsky uses Raskolnikov Romanovitch to claim that people must accept and overcome their suffering in order to feel remorse and establish a new life. Raskolnikov lives “crushed by poverty,” “hopelessly in debt to his landlady”, and feels guilty about the murder of Alyona and Lizaveta Ivanovna (1). His physical and mental state reflect his suffering; not only is he delirious most of the time, but is also sick and blames “the weakness of fever” for what he is feeling (77). He constantly lives in a state of denial, though small steps lead to the acceptance of the crime, first seen when he desires to confess to Nikolay at the police station. After he confesses to Sonia, she aids him by offering her sympathy, love, companion and offers him

His burden seemed to overcome him, and he "softened on the instant and the tears gushed out. He fell to the ground where he stood...He knelt in the middle of the square, bowed to the ground, and kissed its filth with pleasure and joy.” Dostoevsky describes that he did this with “pleasure and joy,” meaning that Raskolnikov found satisfaction in relieving some of his burden and guilt rather than feeling disgust, showing that he is on the verge of accepting his crime. Raskolnikov finally confesses to Ilya Petrovitch “it was [him] who killed the old pawnbroker woman and her sister Lizaveta with an axe and robbed them” after seeing Sonia outside the police station (433). The complete acceptance of his crime is evident in the trial, where he “adhered exactly, firmly, and clearly to his statement” and “scarcely attempted to defend himself” (438). Though he has accepted his crime, he has not yet repented and continues to be in a state of denial. He questions “why he had not killed himself,” but did not understand “that consciousness might be the promise of a future crisis, of a new view of life and of his future resurrection” (444). The moment of repentance comes unexpectedly when Sonia pays him a visits and “ wept and threw his arms round her