Journal
Text: Crime and Punishment, Part I
Author: Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Date: Week 1 (Dec 23 - Jan 4)
1. Engagement with the Reading
In Part I of Crime and Punishment, Dostoyevsky introduces Raskolnikov as a character already
mentally divided before he commits any crime. What stood out to me most is how crime begins
internally, long before the physical act takes place. Raskolnikov’s extreme poverty, isolation, and
pride all contribute to his state of mind, but Dostoyevsky shows that the real source of the crime
is psychological rather than purely social.
Raskolnikov alternates between arrogance and self-loathing. He thinks he is intellectually
superior to others, but he feels weak and trapped. This conflict is evident when he advances the
idea that "extraordinary men" have the authority to break moral standards if it benefits humanity.
His opinions on the pawnbroker demonstrate how he justifies murder as a moral act rather than
a crime. This is especially distressing because the crime seems logical to him even before it is
committed.
One detail that deeply affected me was how Raskolnikov's thoughts made him physically sick,
like with fever, feeling dizzy, and just being all mixed up. Dostoyevsky shows how your mind and
body are linked, proving that Raskolnikov is already being punished by his own guilt and inner
struggle, way before the law even gets involved. It makes you realize that punishment isn't just
something from the outside, like jail or prison, but something that comes from within, and you
can't escape.
2. Self-Awareness of the Reading Process
While reading Part I, I realized that I needed to slow down and reread several portions to
completely grasp Raskolnikov's thoughts. At first, his thoughts appeared confused and unclear,
but I realized that this confusion reflected his mental state. Understanding this made me realize
that Dostoyevsky is purposely writing in this manner to immerse the reader in the criminal's
mentality.
Reading this, I realized I first wanted to label Raskolnikov as bad or dangerous. But as I kept
going, I started feeling for his struggles, even though I really didn't agree with his thinking. This
change made me see that Dostoyevsky is pushing us to look at criminals differently and not as
monsters, but as people dealing with guilt, ego, and hopelessness.
3. How I Retain and Understand What I Learned
I retain what I learned from this reading by connecting Raskolnikov’s inner conflict to the larger
theme of crime and punishment. Instead of thinking of crime as only a legal issue, I now think of
it as a moral and psychological process. Writing this journal helps me remember that
punishment begins internally, through guilt, fear, and mental suffering.
Text: The Wretched of the Earth, Chapter 1 (“Concerning Violence”)
Author: Frantz Fanon
Date: Week 1 (Dec 23 - Jan 4)
1. Engagement with the Reading
In the first half of Chapter 1 of The Wretched of the Earth, Fanon describes colonialism as a
system based largely on violence. What struck me most was Fanon's clear argument that
colonial control is not accidental or temporary, but rather intentional and violent from the start.
According to Fanon, the colonial world is divided into two opposed zones: colonizers and
colonized. These zones are not only socially different; they are also morally and physically
divided by force.
Fanon argues that the colonized subject is continuously treated as less than human. The
colonizer relies not on discourse or shared values, but on weapons, police, and fear. Violence is
used not simply to retain power, but also to define reality itself. The colonized person learns
quickly that submission is enforced by punishment, surveillance, and physical dominance.
Fanon's big point in this part is that colonialism basically sets up a never ending conflict. He
says that people who are colonized are always being held down, and this builds up a lot of
psychological pressure and anger inside them. Fanon believes that this repression doesn't
actually stop violence; instead, it just makes people take it out on themselves or each other.
Things like crime, aggression, and feeling hopeless are all signs of how this system messes
people up by taking away their self-respect and control.
2. Self-Awareness of the Reading Process
Reading this chapter really made me see how much more confrontational Fanon's approach is
compared to other writers we've looked at. Honestly, his words felt pretty intense at first. I found
myself resisting what he was saying, especially when he talked about violence being a
necessary reaction to colonial rule. That reaction actually made me realize just how much I've
been taught to see violence as always wrong, without really thinking about what makes it
happen in the first place.
As I continued reading, I understood Fanon was not praising violence, but rather attempting to
understand why it happens. By taking my time and reading back over some parts, I could see
that his thesis was based on real life experiences and how people think, rather than theories.
Becoming aware of my initial discomfort allowed me to engage more honestly with his ideas
rather than dismiss them too quickly.
3. How I Retain and Understand What I Learned
What I took away from Fanon is how his ideas tie into what we've talked about regarding
punishment and repression. Colonialism, as Fanon presents it, functions like a constant
punishment imposed on an entire population. It's like the colonized are considered guilty just for
being alive, and violence is how they keep things in line.
Writing this journal helps me remember Fanon’s argument because it forces me to translate his
intense language into my own understanding. I also retain the material by comparing Fanon’s
ideas to other readings like Fyodor Dostoyevsky Crime and Punishment, especially those that
discuss how power operates through control of bodies and behavior. By making these
connections, Fanon’s analysis becomes easier to recall and apply to broader discussions of
crime, punishment, and justice.
Text: Crime and Punishment, Part II
Author: Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Date: Week 1 (Jan 1 - Jan 4)
1. Engagement with the Reading
In Part II of Crime and Punishment, the focus shifts from the act of crime to its immediate
psychological consequences. What becomes clear in this section is that punishment begins
internally, almost instantly, after Raskolnikov commits the murder. Even though he has not yet
been arrested or formally accused, his mind and body start to betray him.
Raskolnikov's guilt manifests as severe fear, paranoia, and illness, making ordinary interactions
feel threatening and transforming his life into psychological torture.
Raskolnikov's visit to the police station reveals his internal conflict, as he overhears a discussion
about the murder, leading a near confession and a fainting episode. This scene shows his loss
of control as guilt consumes him, with punishment manifested through anxiety and rather than
formal sentencing.
2. Self-Awareness of the Learning Process
While reading Part II, my focus shifted from the plot to Raskolnikov’s internal reactions,
revealing Dostoyevsky's intention for the reader to share the character's unease. Although the
reading felt slow and repetitive at times, I understood that this reflects Raskolnikov’s obsessive
thoughts.
My understanding of punishment evolved from seeing punishment as something imposed by the
state, I began to see it as a concept to a psychological and unavoidable experience. This shift
helped me understand Dostoyevsky’s deeper message that legal punishment is secondary to
moral and mental suffering.
3. How I Retain and Understand What I Learned
I retain what I learned from Part II by connecting Raskolnikov’s suffering to the idea that crime
cannot be separated from conscience. Even though Raskolnikov tries to justify the murder
intellectually, his body and emotions reject his theory. This contrast makes the lesson
memorable.
Writing this journal helps my memory by organizing Raskolnikov's experiences into clear ideas.
Comparing his internal punishment to real life situations where guilt and fear cause stress even
without external consequences. This also helps me retain material, making Dostoyevsky's
Crime and Punishment concepts easier to recall and discuss.
Text: Crime and Punishment, Part III
Author: Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Date: Week 2 (Jan 4 - Jan 11)
1. Engagement with the Reading
In Part III of Crime and Punishment, Dostoyevsky expands on Raskolnikov's psychological
punishment through his interactions with others, particularly Porfiry Petrovich. This section shifts
focus from Raskolnikov’s internal suffering to a more social and intellectual form of punishment,
compelling him to defend against not just his conscience but also external suspicion and
discourse.
Porfiry's method relies on psychological pressure, not physical proof or evidence. Through
casual talk, he subtly implicates Raskolnikov, pushing him to confess. The discussion about
Raskolnikov’s article on “extraordinary men” reveals how dangerous his theory truly is. What
once seemed abstract and intellectual is now shown to have real consequences.
Raskolnikov’s encounters with others like Razumikhin, his mother, and Dunya, also increase his
inner torment. He becomes irritable, defensive, and emotionally unstable. His inability to
maintain normal relationships shows that crime isolates the criminal. Even love and concern feel
like threats. Dostoyevsky suggests that the criminal mind cannot exist peacefully within society.
because guilt disrupts every human connection.
2. Self-Awareness of the Learning Process
While reading Part III, I noticed that I became more attentive to dialogue than action. I realized
that Dostoyevsky uses conversation as a form of punishment. The tension in Porfiry’s
questioning made me feel anxious as a reader, even though nothing violent was happening.
This helped me understand how psychological pressure can be more powerful than physical
force.
My view of Raskolnikov evolved throughout my reading. Initially, I saw him as a suffering
individual, but Part III revealed the harm his ideas caused others. This shift clarified that
Dostoyevsky explores crime's complexity and danger, not excuses it.
3. How I Retain and Understand What I Learned
I connect Porfiry’s investigative style from Part III to the theme of internal punishment,
emphasizing Dostoyevsky’s idea that conversation, logic, and self-doubt can lead to a person's
confessions, illustrating that punishment can manifest through awareness and anticipation
rather than physical punishment.
Writing this journal helps me remember the reading by breaking down long dialogues into key
ideas about guilt, power, and control. I also retain the material by comparing Raskolnikov’s
experience to situations where people feel exposed or judged even without direct accusation.
These parallels help fix Dostoyevsky’s ideas in my memory.
Text: The Wretched of the Earth, Chapter 1 (“Concerning Violence”)
Author: Frantz Fanon
Date: Week 2 (Jan 4 - Jan 11)
1. Engagement with the Reading
In the second half of Chapter 1, Fanon shifts to discussing how colonization's violence affects
the psychological and political lives of those it oppresses, moving beyond merely viewing it as a
system. He emphasizes that this violence doesn't just oppress externally, it actually changes
how they think, behave, and interact. Fanon's point is that this constant mistreatment builds up a
lot of anger that can't just vanish.
Fanon explains that when the colonized are unable to confront the colonizer directly, violence
frequently turns inward or sideways. This leads to internal conflict, crime in colonized
populations, and self-destructive behavior. Fanon's analysis reframes crime not as a moral
failure, but as a misguided reaction to systematic humiliation and marginalization. Violence, in
this context, becomes both a symptom of oppression and a mistaken attempt to reclaim agency.
2. Self-Awareness of the Learning Process
While reading the second half of this chapter, I noticed that Fanon’s argument felt even more
uncomfortable than in the first half. I found myself questioning whether violence could truly be
transformative rather than destructive. This resistance made me aware of my own assumptions
about justice, morality, and order.
When I went back over the important parts and thought about where Fanon was coming from
historically, it clicked that he wasn't saying violence was okay, but rather explaining why it
emerges and why people who are colonized feel like they have to use it. Realizing I felt uneasy
about it actually made me think harder about what Fanon was saying instead of just dismissing
it. This whole thing gave me a better grasp of how power, oppression, and consequences work,
even beyond the legal systems.
3. How I Retain and Understand What I Learned
Fanon's ideas about crime and punishment make a lot more sense when you think of
colonialism as a never ending way of punishing people, basically treating entire groups as guilty
and keeping them in line with force. In this view, crime is seen as a response to repression
rather than a moral choice. Writing this journal really helps me understand Fanon's complicated
writing by putting it into simpler terms and connecting it to other things I've read about how
punishment shapes people's actions and identities. Doing this makes it easier for me to
remember and discuss Fanon’s ideas regarding justice, violence, and power.
Text: Crime and Punishment, Part III
Author: Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Date: Week 3 (Jan 11 - Jan 18)
1. Engagement with the Reading
In Part IV of Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky transitions from a police investigation to an
internal moral struggle, arguing that genuine punishment originates not from legal authority but
from conscience, suffering, and human connection. The relationship between Raskolnikov and
Sonia is central to her humility, compassion, and quiet endurance, which directly oppose his
intellectual arrogance and belief in superiority.
Part IV contrasts Sonia's and Raskolnikov's responses to guilt. While Sonia openly bears her
suffering without excuses, Raskolnikov avoids responsibility by hiding behind intellectual
theories. Their interactions show that true punishment is an internal matter of how one confronts
suffering, not just an external legal consequence. Sonia's reading of the Lazarus story
underscores that redemption comes through humble confession.
At the same time, Raskolnikov’s internal conflict intensifies. He feels drawn to Sonia yet resists
her moral clarity. His refusal to confess, even as his psychological torment worsens, shows that
punishment becomes heavier when responsibility is denied. Dostoyevsky presents punishment
here as a slow, inward breakdown caused by resistance to truth rather than by external force.
2. Self-Awareness of the Learning Process
While reading Part IV, I noticed that my attention shifted from suspense to moral meaning.
Instead of asking whether Raskolnikov would be caught, I became more interested in whether
he would accept responsibility. This shift helped me realize that Dostoyevsky is less concerned
with crime as a legal problem and more focused on crime as a moral and spiritual crisis.
I also became aware that Sonia’s character challenged my assumptions about guilt and
innocence. Although she is socially condemned, she appears morally stronger than
Raskolnikov. Recognizing this contrast helped me understand that Dostoyevsky separates
moral judgment from social status. Becoming aware of this distinction deepened my
engagement with the text and clarified its central message about punishment.
3. How I Retain and Understand What I Learned
Writing this journal helps me remember the reading by organizing complex emotional moments
into main ideas like guilt, responsibility, and redemption. I also recall the reading by seeing how
Sonia deals with hardship compared to real life, where being honest and owning up to things
makes you feel better, but running away just makes you feel worse inside. Seeing these
connections really helps me memorize Dostoyevsky's thoughts in my head.
Text: Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison, Part I (pp. 31–69)
Author: Michel Foucault
Date: Week 3 (Jan 11 - Jan 18)
1. Engagement with the Reading
Foucault's book, Discipline and Punish, makes the point that when societies changed from
punishing people publicly and brutally, like with executions, to using prisons, it wasn't just about
being nicer. Instead, it was really about finding better ways to manage people and keep them in
line. Public torture was a show of power that could backfire and make people feel sorry for the
condemned. Modern punishments, however, happen behind closed doors and aim to fix
people's minds and manage their actions through constant, unseen rules in places like prisons,
schools, and workplaces. The ultimate example of this is the Panopticon idea, where being
watched makes people police themselves, turning punishment into something that affects their
minds and lasts forever.
2. Self-Awareness of the Learning Process
Reading Foucault really made me rethink my first idea that moving from public torture to prisons
was just a step towards being more moral. Instead, it helped me see his point that how we
punish people today is actually a more clever and effective way to keep them in line. I also
noticed that Foucault's writing is pretty dense and analytical, so you have to read it slowly and
go over it a few times to really get how power works through daily habits and watching people.
In the end, I figured out that the text being hard to read is kind of like the complicated and not so
obvious way modern control systems operate.
3. How I Retain and Understand What I Learned
Basically, I understand Foucault by connecting his theories, especially how punishment went
from being a big public show to being more about self-control, to how we change our behavior in
daily life when we feel like we're being watched. To help me remember it all, I break it down step
by step, like spectacle, then discipline, then surveillance. I also actively compare what Foucault
says with other materials we've read about how we control ourselves internally. These strategies
of connection, structuring, and comparison help make his critique of modern power memorable
and applicable.