CRIME AND
PUNISHMENT
An introduction to Dostoevsky’s epic novel
FEODOR DOSTOEVSKY
Born in Moscow, 1821
Father was a military doctor
• Unlike other writers from that time, Dostoevsky was a member of the
middle class, not aristocracy
Trained as an engineer at father’s insistence
While in engineering school in 1839, father is murdered by two
peasants
• Father’s death aggravated his epilepsy, condition he struggled with all his
life
D O S T O E V S K Y: T H E AU T H O R
After finishing engineering school, begins writing
First work, Poor Folk (1844) was well received by critics
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Novel addresses poverty, an idea revisited in later works
Novel makes clear poverty is a material condition – when see people without material things,
see a person’s soul
Also introduces the “infernal woman” – woman with incredible inner strength
For Dostoevsky, salvation lies in a woman
Belinsky, major literary critic of the time, read the manuscript and burst into
Dostoevsky’s apartment at 4 a.m. and hailed him as a genius
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Dostoevsky later wrote, “That was one of the rare moments in my life when I was truly
happy.”
Praise went to Dostoevsky’s head – began to be disliked for his arrogance
D O S T O E V S K Y: T H E P R I S O N E R
April, 1849 – arrested by the tsar’s police
• Had been moving in circles of moderate liberals
December 1849, sentenced to death by firing squad
At last minute, as being led out to execution, pardoned by tsar and sent to live
for four years in a Siberian prison camp and then another four years in the military
Returns after 10 years of exile, married to Maria Dmitrievna who had a son
from her previous marriage, very changed man
Very tempestuous marriage and Maria dies in 1864, just as Dostoevsky is
finishing one of his masterpieces: Notes from the Underground
BUILDING TO C&P
Notes from the Underground
The Underground Man, narrator of the novel, gloats at his unattractiveness and
challenges the 19th century notions of progress, human improvement, and the
possibility of a decent human society
• Underground Man acts against his own self-interests, isolates himself from
others to show his independence
End of novel, tries to make contact with a prostitute – he pours his heart out to
her but then gives her money, insulting her
Cannot experience the freedom without feeling love – two are mutually exclusive
to Dostoevsky; hell is a place where a person is unable to love
THE LOVE OF A WOMAN
1860s, Dostoevsky is in bad financial state
Makes a deal with a publisher to produce a work in two years to pay
off all debts
To make it to the deadline, had the help of stenographer Anna
Grigor’evna Snitkina, 20 years his junior, who he later married
Anna took care of Dostoevsky for 15 years until his death in 1881
Many critics believe she made it possible for him to work
He dedicated his last great novel, The Brothers Karamazov, to her
CRIME AND PUNIS HMENT
Began the novel in 1865 as a work on the idea of alcoholism and was originally
titled The Dear Little Drunkards
Raskolnikov , in Russian meaning “from among the schismatics” as in a schism
in faith
In working on novel, Dostoevsky wrestled with main motivation: Why does
Raskolnikov commit murder?
Moves from just to make poor people happy to murdering out of love (both
humanist concepts) to the Napoleonic Idea
• The good heart who had lost its way
NAPOLEONIC IDEA
Society is divided up into unequal parts: the majority and the minority
The majority will be controlled by the minority who stand outside the
law and have the right to break the divine order of the world
In novel, Dostoevsky pits the love of people against contempt for
them in the character of Raskolnikov
Battle between conscience and reason
Dostoevsky: “There is only one law, moral law.”
EXISTENTIALISM:
See the world as a difficult, uncaring place and the individual must
find own path
Each person is responsible for making own purpose and meaning
Way to manage the crisis of human existence
Humanism, nihilism, etc. are all existentialist theories
NIETZSCHE
Nihilism – philosophical belief that all values are baseless and
nothing can be known or communicated, opposite of humanism
Nietzsche saw this as a natural progression of European society as
people were frustrated with trying to find meaning
Overman or superman theory – no universal understanding of this
theory; goal humanity would set for itself and dictate fate the next
generation; can be linked to Napoleonic Idea
BOOK ONE
Raskolnikov in state of conflict
• Unable to say “murder” – refers to it by other names
Story of the Marmeladovs, reminder of the endlessness of human
suffering and the failure of sacrifice
• Sacrifice of Sonya, prepared sacrifice of his sister Dunya
• Sister sacrificing herself for him
• “…should one renounce life completely and docilely accept one’s fate as it
is , once and for all, and stifle everything in oneself, after having
renounced any right way to act, to live, and to love?” (38)
• Christian morality teaches humility, sacrifice but Raskolnikov is a man
without faith
THINGS TO WATCH FOR:
Suffering – Who? Where? Cause?
Water
Vegetation – trees, flowers, gardens, bushes
Sunshine, darkness
Lack of air – literal and metaphorical
Christian imagery
Colours red and yellow
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