| Description |
Dostoevsky depicts, in Crime and Punishment, the character of a man given to an idea. In this character, Dostoevsky carries the idea to its logical extreme, thus, revealing it for what it is. Raskolnikov murders for an idea. He, then, in the context of his idea tries to justify his crime in various ways. This ultimately brings him to the realization of what his true motives were in committing the crime and, correspondingly, what his idea really amounts to. We will begin by examining Dostoevsky's philosophy of man. Then with this background we will examine Raskolnikov's various justifications or motives in order to understand what Raskolnikov's idea really amounts to. The scope of this paper will be limited to this rational side of Raskolnikov. Unfortunately, we will be unable to do justice to Raskolnikov's other side, his irrational, or instinctive side and will touch on it only where it applies to our present discussion. |
