Precision Exhibited in Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Abstract

This paper deals with Dostoevsky’s innovative style of presenting Crime and

Punishment with narrative realism and dramatic scenes. This acclaimed him the

title dramatic novelist. His compositional balance, narrative techniques, dialogic

style, plot type, use of symbols, and art of characterization makes his novel unique.

It also describes Dostoevsky’s compositional balance, literary technique, narrative

realism, dramatic scenes, psychological analysis, and stylistic texture. Dostoevsky

portrays the mood of suspense and anticipation as in any good crime fiction.

Keywords: Dostoevsky - Crime and Punishment- crime – punishment – dexterity –

crime fiction

– realism – compositional balance – symmetrical distribution – epilogue –

individualistic – horror – universal classic.

INTRODUCTION

Russians have a great tradition of producing first class literature and this

quality has been passed from generation to generation. By studying their literature,
we can get a lot of information about the religion, culture, and life of the Russian

people. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia slowly opened to the western

world and has now become one of the superpowers in politics, business and culture.

Dostoevsky lived the period of the Tsar dynasty and the horrors of the period

influenced the writings of this great master. Fyodor Dostoevsky lived in this corrupt

Russia and survived the horrors of the period. The 19 th century is considered as the

golden century of Russian literature because of great masters who lived in this

period. In addition to Dostoevsky, Alexander Pushkin and many other major poets

lived in this period. Leo Tolstoy also lived in the same period and conquered the

world with his novels like ‘War and Peace’.

Fyodor Dostoevsky used St. Petersburg city as a background for all his novels

because this city is the hallmark of Russian culture and lifestyle. In the novel The

Underground Man, Dostoevsky describes St. Petersburg as “the world’s most

artificial city”. In the novel Crime and Punishment, St. Petersburg is compared to the

mental dilemma of the protagonist Raskolnikov.

Individualization of his characters, even the minor ones is a characteristic

feature of Dostoevsky’s art. The depth that he creates them is one of his main

features. Any character for that matter has a notable function in the plot as well as

the proposal of ideological arguments. Any Dostoevskian character has a

personality and a story of himself or herself.

 Dostoevsky’s usage of names in different combinations of first, middle,

surname and diminutive forms often makes the reader confused. Sometimes the

readers have no idea as to who they are reading about. Dostoevsky goes overboard

in the use of minor characters. Some examples are, Razumikhin (intellectual),

Zamyotov (the one who notices), Marmeladov (meaning candy or marmalad), and

Luzhin (meaning puddle). Svidrigailov is the name of a wicked Prince of a Russian

fairy tale.

Dostoevsky’s frame of mind in Crime and Punishment is somber, brooding,

and profoundly contemplative. For most of the novel, the reader lives in the

consciousness of Raskolnikov who is introspective and gloomy. A mood of

suspense and anticipation is created as in any good crime fiction. The murder

scenes and the scenes where the characters die either by accident or commit suicide

or even prolonged illness are all presented in a brutal manner. After he commits the

crime, he is haunted by nightmares due to the fear he has in his mind.

Dostoevsky is recognized as a writer of superior ability and the German

philosopher Nietzsche described him as a man of great psychological ability. The

novels of Dostoevsky described the life of ordinary people who lived in Russia in

those times. He could easily stimulate the readers with his anecdotes, parodies and

rational thinking. Many of his characters underwent a psychological change during

their lifetime. This kind of novels come under the category ‘Psychological Realism’.

Dostoevsky is considered as one of the best writers who wrote in this style.

The Weltanschauungs of Fyodor Dostoevsky is influenced by the living

conditions of Russia of his times. The ruler of Russia was Peter the Great and he

was an admirer of the European way of life. He wanted to change Russia into a

modern country like England and France. But the old lifestyle of Russia had more

supporters among the ordinary people of Russia. There was great disparity in the

society of Dostoevsky’s Russia. The poor people lived the life of true slaves because

of the serfdom system. They worked all their life for their masters and were not even

fed and clothed properly. They were treated just like animals. Like many of his

contemporaries, Dostoevsky was also very sensitive to the lives the people who

surrounded. So, he became a socialist and acted against the government.

The Underground Man is one of the best discussed novels of Dostoevsky. This

novel discusses the hopeless life of the unemployed youth of Russian cities. They

had no money, no apartment and no prospect of getting a girlfriend. In this novel,

the personal experiences of the novelist are reflected in the protagonist’s sufferings.

This novel transforms Dostoevsky from a psychological observer to a social

reformer.
 Some novels of Dostoevsky introduce complex characters like Raskolnikov in

Crime and Punishment. Raskolnikov had a divided personality with evil and

goodness fighting inside his mind for gaining supremacy. He justifies a murder

committed by him on the ground the woman he murdered was so bad that she had no

right to live. Raskolnikov feels that, by killing the pawnbroker, he had removed a

harmful ‘insect’ from society.

Another example is the character of Sonya. In spite of being a prostitute, she

displays many human traits and raises to the level of a heroine because of her attitude

and willingness to help others. She even becomes the main personality behind the

redemption of Raskolnikov. This is the reason why Dostoevsky never refers to her as

a ‘prostitute’ but uses more euphemistic language to describe her.

In order to spread political, social and moral theories, fiction was used as the

most effective channel. The genre that was budding during this era was crime

fiction. Through several men of genius, Russian literature won a place of honor in

the history of universal literature.

Dostoevsky is a master of montage. He skillfully covers the seams that join

the several distinct themes, genres, and styles of the novel. The action develops on

three levels: physical action, working of the character’s mind, and philosophical

argument. Dostoevsky could make Crime and Punishment a unique novel because
of the strong arguments in it and the clear and graceful plot structure.

Dostoevsky’s literary technique mixes narrative realism, dramatic scenes, and

psychological analysis. Dostoevsky is a careless stylist and sloppy technician. His

style turns out to be one of the richest aspects of his work.

The structure of the novel has a very clear beginning, middle and end. The

novel is divided into six parts and an epilogue and the parts have logical content.

The parts of the novel are further divvied into chapters. The ration and proud

nature of Raskolnikov is studied in detail in the third part. He becomes quite

irrational in the fourth, fifth and sixth parts. This compositional balance is achieved

using the symmetrical distribution of certain key episodes throughout the novel in

six parts. Each part is further broken into several chapters. Many chapters end with

the sudden, unexpected arrival of a new character. By introducing such

developments at the end of the chapters, Dostoevsky maintains a high level of

suspense.

The title of the novel “Crime and Punishment” is very effective because of

its direct connection with the themes involved in the novel. The title summarizes

the arguments and narratives brought in the novel. The title focuses on two crucial

ideas being explored on every page. It is so small and self-explanatory. This title is

translated from the Russian language Prestuplenie Nakazani. Concepts of ‘crime’

and ‘punishment’ are death in great detail in the novel and the traditional

approaches to these notions are questioned by Dostoevsky. Crime comes before

punishment and the same thing happens in the novel. More than the physical

punishment, the mental torment which the protagonist undergoes matters.

Dostoevsky’s use of this title is apt and suggestive.

A close examination of the epilogue and the rest of the novel reveals that the

connections between the two are numerous both in a psychological and in an

aesthetic sense. The use of epilogue in, Crime and Punishment is a much-criticized

and misunderstood aspect of Dostoevsky’s novel. The epilogue is much important

to understand the story and the central themes. The character of Rashkolnikov

moves from his traditional Russian roles and he also admits his crime. The

wondaful relationship between him and Sonya makes the star appeal of the novel.

It is the focal point and without this, the story would not be successful. Without the

epilogue, the story would be open-ended and unfinished.

Crime and Punishment are written from a third-person omniscient

viewpoint. It is narrated primarily from the point of view of Raskolnikov. The

narrator also speaks from the view of Luzhin, Lebezyatnikov, Razumikhin, and

Katerina. He too has his thoughts and opinions. The narrative of Dostoevsky

includes a lot of details and it can be often confusing to the reader. There are lots
of internal monologues. It is sometimes difficult to tell whether Raskolnikov is

talking out loud or just thinking. Despite all the chaos, this narrative technique is

exciting to read. Dostoevsky has succeeded in creating anxiety in the mind of the

readers by cleverly juxtaposing the narrative. There is enough drama and suspense

to make the readers complete the novel.

Dostoevsky has widely used symbols in his novel. Symbols are usually

objects, characters, figures, or colors. They represent abstract ideas and concepts.

Raskolnikov’s dream has a symbolic meaning which suggests a psychological

view. In his dream about the horse, the mare has to sacrifice itself for the men. This

could be symbolic of women like Dunya and Sonya sacrificing themselves for

men. Soniya hands over the cross to Raskolnikov before he goes to the police

station to confess. The reform of Raskolnikov is revealed by this symbol.

Dostoevsky introduced the symbolism from city life and the possibilities for

making use of examples from the lives of city people was cleverly utilized.

Dostoevsky connects the problem of the city to Raskolnikov’s thoughts and

subsequent actions. The crowded streets, shabby houses, taverns, noise, and stench

all are transformed by Dostoevsky into a rich store of metaphors for the states of

mind.

Dostoevsky is an expert in dialogue and he makes use this talent in the novel
Crime and Punishment. Mikhail Bakhtin has referred to this matter. In Crime and

Punishment, there are inner monologues. What goes in Raskolnikov’s head after

reading the letter from his mother is a good example. He talks to himself and also

to Pulkheria, Dunya, and Sonya, though of course none of them are there. The

narrator also provides information, that does not seem to come from any of the

characters. When Dostoevsky discusses topics like philosophy and politics, he

indirectly provides discusses the ethical and social impacts of the situations

involved. This cannot be Lebezyatnikov’s and Luzhin’s perspectives. It may be

the narrator’s voice. Much impressed by the Dostoevskian style, Bakhtin quotes:

“Dostoevsky was obsessed with the power of ideas, which we hear so much about

in the novel, but that ideas were nothing until they were put into dialogue with

other ideas. One could only test or bring an idea by exposing it to many different

kinds of people” (Bakhtin).

Critics point out that Dostoevsky is essentially a dramatic novelist. Crime

and Punishment are full of dramatic scenes and Raskolnikov’s murder of the

pawnbroker is a single scene among them. There are also several dramatic

confrontations between characters. Dostoevsky’s characters rarely have calm

discussions but they have fierce arguments and verbal duels. Dostoevsky

formulates the idea of double believing that there may be two sides to a human

personality. He gives extremely contrasting characters. For example, Raskolnikov

is obsessed with a theory but Marmeladov lives entirely by impulse. Raskolnikov

is extreme whereas Razumikhin is reasonable. Raskolnikov cuts himself off from

his family, while Dunya and Sonya completely sacrifice themselves for the family.

Sonya’s meekness and faith contrast with Raskolnikov’s pride and rejection.

Most of the critical discourse on Crime and Punishment deals with an

abstract and an ideological level. It tends to disregard its tremendously dynamic

and affective stylistic texture. Dostoevsky’s stylistic mastery still deserves to be

examined on his use of music and certain patterns of sound. The portrayal of

character speech and descriptive passage in the novel are not only effective but are

a means of creating drama and suspense in crucial places. They often create the

special tonality of the novel. The acoustic dimensions of Crime and Punishment

profoundly affect the novel’s overall structures and poetics.

Like many other important 19th century novelists, Dostoevsky does not

hesitate to advance the plot. Many of the crucial developments in Crime and

Punishment depend on sheer coincidence, which was an accepted literary

convention of the period. In this novel, many times the characters overhear things

accidentally or eavesdrop, or dramatically appear to someone out of dark.

Dostoevsky states that coincidences as matters of fact. He uses this technique as a

shortcut to bring together certain characters and to set up dramatic situations.

 Dostoevsky’s plot type has different stages. The first is the Falling Stage,

where Raskolnikov is obsessed with a terrible idea that he cannot get out of his

head. The hero has many problems. He leaves the college, lets his teaching gigs

drift away, and spends the past month held up in his room muttering to himself and

thinking murderous thoughts. On top of that, he is sick from poor nutrition and is

suffering from hypochondria and depression. He is a classic booker hero in the

Falling Stage. He falls under the shadow of a dark power that is his mind.

The next is the Recession Stage, Raskolnikov goes through a nightmare

stage. He dreams of a horse being pitilessly beaten and killed. On seeing this

nightmare, his desire to kill the pawnbroker seems to fade away and he feels

relieved. Unfortunately, Raskolnikov’s Recession Stage lasts only for a few

seconds.

There is an Imprisonment Stage in his life. Raskolnikov is imprisoned by his

ill thoughts and he viciously slays both Alyona and her abused sister, Lizaveta.

Raskolnikov’s life is like one big nightmare. Raskolnikov is tormented by bad

dreams and ugly scenes throughout his youth and is at the lowest point of his

young life.

The final stage is Rebirth. Here the hero gains miraculous redemption with
the help of Sonya. During his first year in prison, Raskolnikov is still the same

torn-up guy. He is in deep anguish. When Sonya appears next to him on the log

next to the river, he has a change of heart. He falls deeply in love with Sonya. The

contrast between the natural setting of the riverbank, all those dirty rooms and

streets, make the rest of the novel a classic Rebirth story.

Dostoevsky makes effective use of the literary techniques of suspense,

foreshadowing symbols, coincidence, individualization, and narration. The slow

revelation of details helps to grab the reader’s interest. Creating suspense adds

momentum to the plot and increases the emotional impact of each event as it

occurs.

Dostoevsky’s style in Crime and Punishment is loaded with repetition of

stories, images, and ideas. His observations on the tone of voice, gestures,

dialogue, and action with great consistency amount to stage direction. Stylistically

this novel is a test of patience and reading skills. The multi-page paragraphs are

full of different voices and perspectives. This confusing bulky style mirrors the

confusion of times which Dostoevsky was trying to capture.

The most prominent writers like Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre values

Dostoevsky’s writing for his profound insights into human dilemmas. His style,
themes, and unforgettable characters continue to influence generations more than a

century after his death. The artistic style of Dostoevsky enables him to dive into

the insight of human dilemmas and his literary technique makes the novel a

universal classic.

In the final analysis, Dostoevsky was a writer who had a strong social

commitment. The sufferings of the ordinary people were sensitive to him. Instead of

becoming an indifferent intellectual, he chose to become a socialist activist and had

to spend four precious years of his life in the Siberian desert. Dostoevsky can be

compared to Mahatma Gandhi because both of jumped into action for bringing

justice to the people who live around them. Both were highly educated members of

the upper classes but chose to concentrate their activities to improve the lives of the

lower classes.