Forms of writing of Fyodor Dostoyevsky and major themes of his

novel Crime and Punishment: Critical study

ABSTRACT
Crime and Punishment is a story of salvation through suffering.
Suffering for Dostoyevsky was an article of faith. The ‘truth’ is the
realization of suffering. Dostoyevsky’s life in Siberia as a prisoner
threw open to him a world of suffering. When he suffered intensely,
the teachings of Christ that salvation was possible through suffering,
sustained him. His prison life provided him rich and ample material
for the study of lowly and the lost, the insulted and injured.
Dostoyevsky writes about intellectuals, merchants, and the social
outcasts of the urban areas. Dostoyevsky describes himself as, a
realist in the highest sense because he has depicted the depths of the
human soul. He is very much interested in abnormal and extreme
characters and sensational situations, project through a torrent of
impassioned dialogue. In this paper an attempt is made to understand
the form of writing of Fyodor Dostoyevsky and the theme of the
novel by focusing on the various techniques he used. Dostoyevsky’s
high emphasis on the use of psychological realism will be highlighted,
as the novel mainly focuses on the various psychological
observations. Also, how he tried to manipulate the three areas of
literature, Sociology and Psychology in order to become master in
literature, will also be discussed.
Keywords: Psychological, criminal, salvation, punishment, law, free
will.
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky was a Russian novelist, essayist,
short-story writer and a philosopher. During his 20s he started his
career in the field of writing. Poor Folk, his very first novel, were
published when he was just 25 years old, in the year 1846. His works
include, Crime and Punishment (1866), The Brothers Karamazov
(1880), Demons(1872), The Idiot (1869). Fairy tales, legends, and
multiple books by Russian authors, introduced Fyodor Dostoyevsky
to the world of literature. The title of one of his major novels is The
Insulted and Injured, the heroine of which is Natasha, who suffers and
makes her beloved suffer. Dostoyevsky’s novels center on the topic of
man as a subject of his atmosphere. His novels can be seen as “a
means of penetrating into the hidden depths of human psychology and
tearing of all the different kinds of veils and masks which conceal the
nature and content of man’s inner world” (Frank, 1976). The “plot is
exceedingly complex but this very complexity tends to emphasize a
similar quality in the nineteenth century Russian life” (Welleck,
1962).
Raskolnikov, the hero of Crime and Punishment is a
wonderful psychological study. It may even be described as a study in
abnormal psychology. Not an ordinary criminal, Raskolnikov was
essentially intellectual. Initially he was guided by intellect, but later
the subconscious moral sense proved stronger. It is paradoxical that
Dostoyevsky was a psychologist before the birth of psychology as an
accepted form of Science. In a sense Dostoyevsky is the fore-runner
of Sigmund Freud. Raskolnikov was schizophrenic, judged from the
psychological point of view.
Raskolnikov, a poor student, conceives of himself as an
extraordinary young man and formulates a theory whereby the
extraordinary young men of the world have a right to commit suicide.
To prove his theory he murders an old pawnbroker and her step-
sister. Immediately after committing the crime Raskolnikov falls ill
and lies in his room in semi-consciousness for several days. When he
recovers, he finds that a friend Razumihin, had looked for him, while
he is recovering, he receives a visit from Luzhin, who is engaged to
Raskolnikov’s sister Dounia. Raskolnikov insults Luzhin, and sends
him away because he resents Luzhin’s domineering attitude towards
Dounia. After his recovery, Raskolnikov goes out and reads about the
crime in all the newspapers of the last few days. This speech was
when Raskolnikov tried to make out why he committed the crime. He
mentioned his wish to become a Napoleon as follows:
“I was ambitious to become a Napoleon; that was why I

committed the murder. The fact is that one day I asked myself

the following question supposing Napoleon to have been in

my place. Supposing that to advance his career had neither

Toulon nor Egypt nor the crossing of Mont Blanc, but in lieu

of all he these brilliant exploits was on the point of

committing a murder with a view to secure his future would

he have recoiled at act of killing an old woman and robbing

her of three thousand Roubles? Would he have agreed that

such a deed was too much wanting in prestige and much too a

criminal one? I finally came to the conclusion that he not only

would have but that he would not have understood the

possibility of such a thing. Every other expedient being out of

his reach he would not have flinched, he would have done so

without the smallest scruple” (Crime and Punishment, 329 -

330).
 He meets an official from the police station and confesses his

crime. He does go far enough in his ravings that the official becomes

suspicious. Later he witnesses the death of Marmeladov, a minor

government official, who is struck by a carriage, as he staggers across

the street in a drunken stupor. Raskolnikov helps the man as he leaves

all money to his widow. On his return home he finds his mother and

sister who have just arrived to prepare for the wedding with Luzhin

and asks his sister not to marry with Luzhin. Just then Svidrigailov

had tried to seduce Dounia and when Raskolnikov hears about it, he

forms a violent dislike for the man. Raskolnikov hears that the police

inspector Porfiry is interviewing all those people who ever have some

business with the old pawn broker. Therefore he goes for an interview

and leaves the police thinking and he is suspected. Since he had met

Sonia, the daughter of the dead man that Raskolnikov had helped, he

goes to her and asks her to read the Bible to him. He feels sympathy

with Sonia who was forced into prostitution in order to support her,

while her father drank. He promises her to tell who murdered the old

pawnbroker.
 After his second interview with the police inspector Porfiry,

Raskolnikov confesses to Sonia. He returns to her and during the

confession, Svidrigailov is listening through the door. He uses this

information to try to force Dounia to sleep with him. She refuses and

he kills himself in the night.

Crime and Punishment, first published in The Russian

Messenger, a literary journal in the year 1866. In Crime and

Punishment Raskolnikov, a rationalistic nihilist, once proud and

haughtly, learnt humility and compassion through suffering and the

love of Sonia. Never proud and haughtly like Raskolnikov, Sonia

belonged to the ‘meek type’ of character, and was the symbol of

crushed and suffering humanity.

Raskolnikov imagined himself to be an extraordinary man, not

to be governed by conventional rules of society and morality.

According to Dostoyevsky, “there is no reason, but only reasoners;

behind every rational formula there is a formulator; behind every

generalization there is generalizer” (Dostoyevsky, quoted in The

Encyclopedia Philosophy, 1972).

 He was a Nietzsachin Superman, beyond good and evil. That

very man who had no regard for emotion or remorse, the man who

murdered two women to prove his theory, felt infinite pity for

Marmeladov, a helpless and hopeless drunkard. He watched with

grave concern an elderly lecherous man following a fifteen year old

girl to satisfy his carnal appetite. He encountered the man and saved

the girl. Not in Raskolnikov alone, in quite a few other characters of

Dostoyevsky as well do we come across schizophrenic behaviour. In

his Doubles we meet a heroof the split-personality type. This

ambivalence is noticeable in Opiskin of The Village of

Stepanchikova. Dostoyevsky was feeling increasingly drawn to the

criminal characters. He peered into their souls to discover what they

thought, why he committed the crimes, and how they reacted to their

punishment. His Notes From the Underground may be described as

prologue to the subsequent five great novels, which aptly and amply

illustrated his concentrated powers of psychological analysis. No

novelist of the nineteenth century was as profound an analyst of the

feelings of the characters as Dostoyevsky. He sincerely believed that

everyone experienced a fundamental opposition of will and reason.

Dostoyevsky was interested in the psychology of crime. Quite a few

of his characters are studies in abnormal psychology. He, therefore,

analysed the psychological disorders of Raskolnikov and Svidrigailov

with supremely artistic skill. Rahv provides us with details of how

Dostoyevsky came about his style and technique:

“One cannot ignore Dostoyevsky’s literary association

with the traditions and influences of the European novel. He was

influenced by Balzac, Dickens, Hugo and E. T. A. Hoffman. Nor can

his ideology be detached from the western tradition of Christian and

nationalist thought. There appear in Dostoyevsky, versions of

romantic historicism and folk worship that came to Russia with the

great vogue of Shelling and Hegel in the question immediately

preceding Dostoyevsky’s. Even Dostoyevsky’s Psychological depth

with its interest in the life of dreams and the splitting of personality is

heavily indebted to the theories of romantic writers and doctors such

as Reil and Carus” (Rahv, 1978).

Raskolnikov suffered from ambivalence and confusion of

thought. An inspection of Raskolnikov’s role models will expose that

his course is a result of several influences: “…further on my article, I

remember insisting on the idea that all legislators and rulers of men

commencing with the earliest, down to Lycurgus, Solon, Napoleon,

etc. have one and all been criminals for whilst giving laws, they have

naturally broken through older ones which had been faithfully

observed by society and transmitted by its progenitors. These men

most certainly never hesitated to shed blood as soon as they saw the

advantages of doing so” (Crime and Punishment, 193 - 194).”

After the unintentional murder of Lizaveta, an innocent

woman, he felt as if he had become mad. He even thought that he

should not have committed the crime. He felt that he was fast losing

his memory and even common sense. He was on the border of

insanity. He decided to confess to the police, for the burden of

conscience appeared unbearable. But a series of coincidences

prevented him from confession at an early stage. He can be said to be

suffering from a character disorder. This can be experienced from the

explanation he is given in the story: “He wondered at himself.

Razoumikhin was one of his most intimate friends at the University,

although, it must be observed, Raskolnikov had very few. He shunned

everybody, went about with no one, and studiously kept aloof from
all, and soon he became equally avoided” (Crime and Punishment,

41).

Raskolnikov represents the conflict between two-truths

that of the Man-God and that of the Godman, the conflict between the

pride of the intellect and humility of the heart. His humility came at

last, when he could kiss the earth and bow down to everybody. He did

not confess to the police first, but to Sonia, and that is also a

psychological study. Psychoanalysis is “A form of literary criticism,

which uses some of the techniques of psychoanalysis in its

interpretation of literature. Psychoanalysis itself is a form of therapy,

which aims to cure mental disorder by investigating the interactions

between the conscious and unconscious elements in the mind” (Barry,

1995).

The characters in the novels, atleast most of them, are the

symbols of Raskolnikov himself, Alyona, Svidoigaylov and Luzhin,

for example, are aggressive and extraordinary. There is another set of

characters, Marmaladov, Elizaveta, Sonia and Dunya, who are tame,

submissives soft and docile, born to suffer. And we know that

Raskolnikov has, in him, that trait as well. Alyona has been murdered.
And Raskolnikov says, he has murdered himself. He has murdered his

aggressive, the brutal self, which is a part of his personality. When he

kills Liza, he kills his submissive and humble self. Hence Liza is the

symbol of oneself of Raskolnikov, as Alyona symbolizes the

aggressive half. The justification of the murder of Alyona is a

justification of his long-cherished theory of superman and free will.

Dostoyevsky has posed a problem; Is man’s destiny

predetermined? Can he exercise Free Will? Or, are there laws of

nature, which determine life? One has to choose one way or the other.

The doctrine of necessity or fate and the doctrine of Free Will have

been conflicting forces ever since the dawn of civilization. The

Underground Man, exactly like Raskolnikov, cannot pin his faith in

‘the laws of nature’. He has full faith in free will, his indomitable will,

and there is none to dispute it. He is guided not by head but by heart,

not by reason but by impulse and feeling. He defies man’s knowledge

of science and philosophy, of history and economics, and accepts no

man’s authority. He considers himself to be an undisputed monarch.

His will is of paramount importance, and God and all ethical codes

have no place there. Yet the Underground Man cannot always exercise
his free will. The force of reason often makes him acutely conscious

of his limitations. It is then that he becomes angry with the whole

universe, the human society, his fellow-men. He wants to be free, and

to breathe under the free sky. But the laws of nature, of reason, of

science make him all the more spiteful, revengeful and aggressive. He

is a sadist and a masochist all atonce. He is a tyrant, and wants to be

tyrannized. He is bully and welcomes to be bullied. He chooses to

walk along the dark alleys of life.

Free will is the major theme of Notes From the

Underground. It is also the major theme of all other novels of

Dostoyevsky. This theme is further emphasized and elaborated in

Crime and Punishment. The seed of the earlier novel fully germinates

in the later. The idea of crime is closely associated with the idea of

free will. A man who asserts his free will defies the laws of nature and

the light of reasons, whether he likes it or not, becomes a criminal. A

good citizen is one, who abides by the rules of the society. If on the

other hand, a man defies the laws of nature and rules of the society, he

becomes a denizer of the dark pit of the underworld. There is an

invisible wall between the permitted and the unpermitted. At times the
existing rules and codes appear arbitrary, for they are prejudicial to

our interests, but we cannot have the guts to defy them, for we know,

as peace-loving citizens, that we will be, the dubbed as anti-social

elements, or, at the worst, even criminals. Hence the conclusion is

irresistible that all of us have criminal propensity, but social rigour,

public opinion, tradition and convention stand in the way. A criminal,

therefore, is not an object to be pitted or condemned. He deserves

extravagant praise for he is a man of contradictions and seeks to tear

off all bondage.

It would be the height of foolishness to call Dostoyevsky an

advocate of crimes and criminals. But there is no denying the fact that

he is a warm supporter of free will. He has felt asphyxiated because of

deadening influence of laws and ethical conduct. Dostoyevsky is a

Protestant in a wide sense of the term. The heroes of the novels of

Dostoyevsky have supported free will. They have acted upon their

ideals. And for that they have suffered intensely. It is the punishment

for convictions, for the assertion of the freedom of will, for breathing

freely under the free sky.

 Svidrigailov and Raskolnikov had many things in common. It

has been suggested that Raskolnikov had not come in contact with

Sonia, God’s good angel, and learnt the lessons of humility and

compassion and purification through suffering, he would have

certainly put an end to himself like Svidrigailov. In a sense, therefore,

Svidrigailov was a foil to Raskolnikov. Sutherland says, “Criminal

behaviour is learned and it is learned in inter-action with others who

have already incorporated criminal values and illegitimate

opportunities including conditions favorable to the learning of such a

role” (Sutherland, 1937). Both Raskolnikov and Svidrigailov were

poisoned by the charisma of life. Svidrigailov was first introduced in

the novel as a lecherous person, who had attempted to seduce Dounia.

When the innocent girl was being denounced by Marfa, the wife of

Svidrigailov. Svidrigailov had at least the decency to speak the truth.

Svidrigailov wasn’t altogether devoid of the spark of

goodness, although he had not the Christian ideal of salvation. He told

Raskolnikov that he was at times haunted by the ghosts of his wife

and his maid servant. That is a clear indication of his spiritual despair

with nothing to look forward. He was too sensual to have a spiritual

insight. And that sensual nature was also the inevitable outcome of his

boredom and ennui, life’s sad satiety. He had turned his back upon

life. So did Raskolnikov’s change. Dounia was there to exert any

moral influence upon Svidrigailov. Both Raskolnikov and

Svidrigailov were equally cynical, and yet both, in their own way,

conformed to the Romantic tradition of Schiller. Like Raskolnikov,

Svidrigailov had a conviction that he too was an extraordinary man,

beyond good and evil. Allowing for the exaggerated tales of his

misdeeds, the fact remains that he had committed lots of abominable

crimes, but had no remorse, and no look-back.

Dounia’s rejection came as a rude shock. He felt that he

was alone in this wide world, lost beyond recovery. Like a mad man,

Svidrigailov wandered about from place to place. At last he went to

Sonia and informed her that he had substantially provided for her step

brothers and sisters. He also gave her several thousand roubles

without any strings attached to the gift. He was benefactor but without

any showing off. He advised her to proceed to Siberia along with

Raskolnikov. He knew that Raskolnikov had a new base of life, of

which he was himself deprived. The tragedy of Svidrigailov is the

tragedy of loneliness. He woke up from his dream and left his

lodgings. He met an utter stranger and told him that he was leaving

for America. Svidrigailov was stylish, and his final exit from the

world showed his fondness for style. He put the revolver to his right

temple and pulled the trigger.

MAJOR THEMES IN THE NOVEL

Morality: One of the most prominent themes in the novel is the idea

of morality and the nature of good and evil. Raskolnikov's theory that

some people are "extraordinary" and therefore above the law is an

example of a moral theory that is ultimately flawed and dangerous.

Throughout the novel, Dostoevsky shows how Raskolnikov's actions

lead to a moral and psychological breakdown, and how he ultimately

comes to realize the importance of accepting responsibility for his

actions and facing the consequences of his crime. This theme is

reinforced through the c haracter of Sonia, a young prostitute who

becomes Raskolnikov's confidant and spiritual guide. Through her

influence, Raskolnikov learns that true morality is not based on

individual theories or beliefs, but on a fundamental recognition of the

inherent worth of all human beings.

Redemption: Redemption is another central theme in Crime and

Punishment, with Raskolnikov’s journey towards redemption forming
a significant part of the novel’s narrative. Through his gradual
realization that he must atone for his sins in order to achieve inner
peace, the novel suggests that redemption is possible but requires a
willingness to confront one’s past actions and accept the
consequences.

The theme of redemption is developed through Raskolnikov’s

character development, as he begins to realize the gravity of his
actions and the impact they have had on others. This is evident in his
interactions with Sonia, a prostitute with whom he forms a close
bond, and who becomes a symbol of hope and redemption for him.
Despite his crime, Raskolnikov is not portrayed as irredeemable.
Throughout the novel, he undergoes a gradual transformation, as he
comes to accept responsibility for his actions and seeks to make
amends. This process is facilitated by the influence of Sonia and other
characters, who offer Raskolnikov support and guidance as he
struggles to come to terms with his guilt. The novel ultimately
suggests that redemption is possible for even the most flawed and
damaged individuals, as long as they are willing to confront their own
shortcomings and make a genuine effort to change . Raskolnikov’s
eventual confession and acceptance of his punishment can be seen as
the ultimate expression of his redemption.

Guilt: Guilt is a prominent theme throughout Crime and Punishment,

with the protagonist, Raskolnikov, struggling with the guilt of his
actions throughout the novel. After committing a murder,
Raskolnikov is consumed by feelings of guilt and attempts to justify
his actions as necessary for the greater good. However, he is unable to
escape the feeling of being a criminal, and his guilt drives much of the
novel’s narrative.
The theme of guilt is developed through Raskolnikov’s inner turmoil
and his attempts to come to terms with the consequences of his
actions. This is evident in the novel’s opening chapters, where
Raskolnikov is depicted as a deeply troubled individual who is
wrestling with his conscience. As the novel progresses, his guilt
becomes increasingly palpable, leading to his eventual confession and
acceptance of his punishment.

. Through his guilt, the novel suggests that morality and conscience
are innate qualities of human beings that cannot be ignored without
severe consequences.

Societal Norms: Raskolnikov’s struggle to reconcile his actions with

the societal norms of his time is a central part of the novel, with the
novel suggesting that societal norms can be oppressive and can lead
individuals to act against their own moral compass.

The theme of societal norms is developed through Raskolnikov’s

character development, as he begins to question the rigid social
hierarchies of 19th century Russia and the ways in which they stifle
individuality and creativity. The novel critiques the individualistic
nature of society and the idea that one can act without considering the
impact on others.

Dostoevsky also explores the theme of societal norms and their

impact on individuals. Raskolnikov’s struggle to reconcile his actions
with the societal norms of his time is a central part of the novel. The
novel suggests that societal norms can be oppressive and can lead
individuals to act against their own moral compass. Through
Raskolnikov’s character, the novel critiques the rigid social
hierarchies of 19th century Russia and the ways in which they stifle
individuality and creativity.
Consequence of one’s actions:

The consequences of one’s actions is another recurring theme in

Crime and Punishment, with the novel suggesting that every action
has consequences that extend beyond the individual. Raskolnikov’s
murder of the pawnbroker and her sister not only affects him but also
the people around him, including his family and friends.

The theme of consequences is developed through Raskolnikov’s

interactions with the people in his life, as well as through his own
inner turmoil. The novel suggests that one’s actions can have a
profound impact on others and that individuals must consider the
consequences of their actions before acting. The novel suggests that
every action has consequences that extend beyond the individual, and
that one’s actions can have a profound impact on others. Through this
theme, the novel critiques the individualistic nature of society and the
idea that one can act without considering the impact on others.

Justice and morality:

Finally, the novel explores the idea of justice and its relationship to

morality. Throughout the novel, Dostoevsky shows how the justice

system can be flawed and corrupt, and how justice is ultimately a

subjective and ambiguous concept. Raskolnikov's trial and sentencing

are depicted as an imperfect and unsatisfying form of justice, as they

fail to address the underlying moral questions that underpin his crime.

In contrast, the novel suggests that true justice can only be achieved
through a genuine moral reckoning, in which individuals confront

their own moral failings and strive to make amends for their actions.

Conclusion

To conclude we can say that, there is a hint in the story of the idea that

the punishment the law prescribes for a crime holds for fewer terrors

for the criminal than the law-givers suppose, partly because his own

moral sense demands it. It is abundantly clear that Dostoyevsky was

intent on laying bare the soul of a peculiar type of criminal, who

imagined himself to be a descendent of Napoleon. It is wrong to

suppose that Raskolnikov, the hero of Crime and Punishment is a

superman, capable of acting solely according to the dictates of his

reason and paramount will. But in reality he has a dualistic nature, a

theme Dostoyevsky was never tired of reiterating. Crime and

Punishment represents the test of a civilization. It is a criticism of the

unkindness of man to man innate in the then Russian civilization and

mirrors the populace who have been disadvantaged of any and all

prospects of an enhanced upcoming in life. Crime and Punishment is

a combination of the philosophical novel, the novel of finding , the

novel of temperament, the psychological novel, etc. The novelist

appears to be saying that the the human race is worthless and futile as

it is full of prejudice, intolerance misuse, and other forms of

inequities.

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