Paper
Literature’s MVP, Dostoevsky
If literature is a game, then Fyodor Dostoevsky is one of literature’s most
talented and respected players. All of Dostoevsky’s works are not only highly
regarded by his readers, but also scholars of literature. Sigmund Freud stated that
Dostoevsky’s place in literature is “…not far behind Shakespeare” (Freud 972). The
novel most commonly referred to as his masterpiece is Crime and Punishment. This
novel is written with such genius that practically anyone could enjoy it (anyone who
would be willing to read a five hundred page novel, that is). Dostoevsky uses many
devices to keep his reader’s attention. He uses the timeless intrigue of a detective
story but still produces an intellectually challenging novel. Crime and Punishment
can be read and enjoyed by the average reader, but also challenges the intellectually
superior reader by the use of psychological insights. Crime and Punishment’s
characters are filled with deep psychological and spiritual questions that haunt the
reader long after the story is read.
Janko Lavrin stated that Dostoevsky tapped into “…the most hidden recesses
of man’s soul and spirit, he was the first European novelist to explore the
unconscious and to annex it wholesale to modern literature…” (973-4). Victor
Terras elucidates one of the fundamental differences in the psychological
development of Dostoevsky’s characters and other nineteenth-century novelists’
characters:
They are developed centrifugally rather than centripitally. As the novel
progresses, the reader keeps discovering new character traits in a
Dostoevskian hero, and some of these traits will come quite
unexpected. As a result the character in question keeps growing fuller,
more complex, and more intriguing…Dostoevsky himself did not
believe in psychological determinism and insisted on the double-edged
nature of all psychological analysis. (Terras 28-29)
Fyodor Dostoevsky’s remarkable insight into the psychology of man is seen in the
development of Raskolnikov’s dream of the drunken peasants beating the old horse
to death. He dreams that he is back in his childhood and as he is walking with his
father, he sees a drunken peasant trying to make an old horse pull a heavy wagon
full of people. When the old horse is unable to pull the wagon, the peasant gets
angry and beats the horse to death. The dream is significant on several planes,
perhaps the most notable is that the dream is tied to Raskolnikov’s plan to murder
the pawnbroker. When Raskolnikov awakens, he wonders if he can actually “take
an axe, split her skull open, tread in the sticky blood and hide”(qtd. in Breger 23).
In the dream Raskolnikov is both the vicious peasant who kills the horse, and the
boy who feels great compassion for the horse. This “double-edged nature” as
Terras put it, is the type of psychology Dostoevsky used to make Raskolnikov really
appeal to Crime and Punishment’s readers.
Dostoevsky once wrote a letter to A.N. Maikov focused around a question
“with which I have been tormented, consciously or unconsciously all my life– that
is, the existence of God” (qtd. in Dirschel 59). In Dostoevsky’s writings “…the
fight for belief is accompanied by the most vigorous apology for unbelief. But for
this reason they are all the more poignant both as literature and as human
documents”(Lavrin 976). Dostoevsky’s personal struggle with the question of faith,
and also his own experience as a doubting believer, are manifested in the characters
he develops. A large number of Dostoevsky’s books, (including Crime and
Punishment), are written within the framework of a Christian doctrine; juxtaposing
characterizations of believers and non-believers such as Raskolnikov and Sonia; and
enforcing the ultimate good in developing a belief in Christ. Dostoevsky also uses
his characters to describe the mental suffering and questioning that realizing the
truth of Jesus Christ caused him. Dostoevsky projected his own inner turmoil and
his doubting faith into his characters to “…achieve a kind of catharsis…” and
perhaps prevent himself from going mad (Lavrin 974).
In the game of literary composition, Fyodor Dostoevsky is still one of the
most talented and respected players. His works are still highly regarded by all
readers, including literary critics and scholars. Dostoevesky’s masterpiece Crime
and Punishment is written with such propensity that anyone, from the average reader
to the superincumbent reader, can enjoy this novel. The psychological and spiritual
questions pondered by Crime and Punishment’s characters will haunt any reader
long after the novel has been read.
Другие работы по теме:
Sociology By Jon M Shepard Essay Research
Paper As we begin a new millienium, it is important for us to decrease and control crime in America.To begin to do this, as our book Sociology by Jon M. Shepard states, we must recognize the extent to which crime occurs.
The Good Earth Essay Research Paper Each
The Good Earth Essay, Research Paper Each and every novel is filled with an abundance of literary devices. Foreshadowing, metaphors, and similes, just to name a few, assist the author in better expressing his or her work. One of the most effective and powerful literary devices is irony. Irony can be defined as the contrast between what is said and what is actually meant.
Capital Punishment Essay Research Paper Capital PunishmentMy
Capital Punishment Essay, Research Paper Capital Punishment My opinion on capital punishment is very shaky because of the unstable facts and controversy surrounding this topic. I personally, am caught somewhere in the middle of deciding on being for or against the death penalty. I am for the death penalty for several reasons: I think that we need to get the hardened criminals off the streets and out of our court and jail systems.
Capital Punishment 6 Essay Research Paper CAPITAL
Capital Punishment 6 Essay, Research Paper CAPITAL PUNISHMENTCapital Punishment or Life Imprisonment? I think that capital punishment should be use more often than just life imprisonment. Life imprisonment is just not working. The death penalty does have some cons but it has its share of pros too. Lets start with the pros.
Crime And Punishment Essay Research Paper Midnineteenthcentury
Crime And Punishment Essay, Research Paper Mid-nineteenth-century Russia is a mass of people and marked by political suppression. It is cursed with poor living conditions and immorality. The brutality of existence in the city of St. Petersburg is where we find those who wish to rise above the chaos and madness of the time.
Raskolnikov
…A Tragic Hero Essay, Research Paper The character Rodion Romanovna Raskolnikov from Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novel Crime and Punishment is a classic example of a tragic hero. His life as a man of many redeeming qualities takes a turn for the worst as his desires to improve his existence lead him to surrender to temptations that inevitably ruin his life.
Human Value Essay Research Paper The criminal
Human Value Essay, Research Paper The criminal mind of Raskolnikov- His inability to conquer his conscience after the murder. human ValueIs it acceptable for some human beings to suffer and die and not for others? In the novel Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky offers his solution through the character of Raskolnikov.
Crime And Punishment Essay Research Paper Intellect
Crime And Punishment Essay, Research Paper Intellect and Emotion In Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, the main character is a man with two contradicting personalities a dark grim side and a warm loving side. The terms dark and grim used loosely to describe his intellectual side. It was this side of him that allowed him to commit a great sin, a murder of an old pawnbroker.
Capital Punishment And Torture Unconstitutional Or Junstice
? Essay, Research Paper Capital punishment and torture are often looked down on in today?s societies because they are viewed as cruel and unconstitutional, but perhaps they would help in more ways then we would like to admit. They can be beneficial in many ways such as encouragement to be truthful, encouragement to live by the laws, and as a source of punishment.
Capital Punishment Essay Research Paper Capital PunishmentWhat
Capital Punishment Essay, Research Paper Capital Punishment What type of society kills its own people? The American culture?s morals have accepted the death penalty as a reasonable punishment. However, who gives us the power to determine when someone?s life should end. People who murder others should be punished and pay the price of their crime, but not killed.
Crime And Punishment 8 Essay Research Paper
Violence in literature often has a greater meaning than simply providing entertainment for the reader. In great literature, no scene of violence exists for its own sake; the act of violence contributes to a greater meaning of the complete work. Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov s actions in Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoevsky, is an example of this.
Crime And Punishment And Othello Comparison And
Contrast Essay Essay, Research Paper Crime and Punishment and Othello: Comparison and Contrast Essay by: Aubrey Wood In both Crime and Punishment and Othello there is a theme of necessary
Alyonia Ivanovna In Crime And Punishment Essay
, Research Paper Erik Klavon mac-addict@bigfoot macaddict.home.ml/ Mrs. Griffith English IV H October 5th, 1997 Throughout the novel Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky develops the character of Alyonia Ivanovna into one that guides the flow of the book. At the most obvious level she is essential to the plot.
Effiecent Freeway Driving Essay Research Paper Hate
Effiecent Freeway Driving Essay, Research Paper Hate Crimes To what extent is a crime a hate crime? Aren t all crimes to some extent hate crimes? Should the consequences for a crime committed against a minority be more than that for one against a white person? The purpose for classifying a crime as a hate crime might be to raise awareness in the public to the intolerance against minorities but I believe the punishment should fit the crime and not the reason for the crime.
Crime And Punishment Essay Research Paper The
Crime And Punishment Essay, Research Paper The Crime of Alienation The massacre of 25 students at a high school in Colorado shook the nation as the most devastating and heartless crime of youth. No one questions that these murders were a crime to society, as no one questions that rape, assault, and theft are also crimes.
Crime And Punishment By Feodor Dostoevsk Essay
, Research Paper Crime and Punishment by Feodor DostoevskThe passage in Crime and Punishment, by Feodor Dostoevsky, which best represents the rest of the story is found in Part Five, Chapter IV, page 350, second to last paragraph. At this point in the story, Raskolnikov has revealed to Sonia that he is the murderer, and is trying to explain to her his reasons for this action.
Crime And Punishment Is There Or Is
There Not Such A Thing As Crime? Essay, Research Paper Crime and Punishment: Is There or is There Not Such a Thing as Crime? For this question, I have chosen to discuss the following three works of
The Chamber Essay Research Paper A Question
The Chamber Essay, Research Paper A Question of Life or Death The novel The Chamber, by John Grisham, is an emotional account of a lawyer’s struggle to liberate his racist grandfather from death row. This attorney not only battles to save a life but skirmishes against of the most debated topics of modern society: capital punishment.
Philosophy Of Crime And Punishment Essay Research
Paper Dostoevsky?s Crime and Punishment is a tale of poverty and suffering by all characters. Through suffering comes rationalization of decisions made and the circumstances of life. Philosophical theories develop through rationalization of the character.
Raskolnikov S Suffering In Crime And Punishment
Essay, Research Paper Raskolnikov s Suffering in Crime and Punishment In Fyodor Dostoevsky s novel, Crime and Punishment, suffering is an integral part of every introduced character s role. However, the message that Dostoevsky wants to present with the main character, Raskolnikov, is not one of the Christian idea of salvation through suffering.
Fergie Jenkins Essay Research Paper FERGIE JENKINS
Fergie Jenkins Essay, Research Paper FERGIE JENKINS: WHAT IS JUSTICE? “Justice: Fairness. A state of affairs in which conduct or action is both fair and right, given the circumstances. In law, it more specifically refers to the paramount obligation to ensure that all persons are treated fairly.”
The Caning Punishment Issue Essay Research Paper
Comp/2nd 1/14/97 The Caning Punishment Issue Reintroducing corporeal punishment would lower the crime rate and give some justice to the victims. There should be a defined level to the punishment and to which crimes it should be dealt. Establishing such laws should also take in to account the growing crime rate and the need to solve this problem.
Crime And Punishment Value System Essay Research
Paper In Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky gives the reader an inside look to the value system that he holds for himself, as well as the type of characteristics that he abhors in people as well as the characteristics that he admires in people. He uses characters in the novel to express his beliefs of what a person should be like in life to be a good person.
Crime And Punishment Essay Research Paper In
Crime And Punishment Essay, Research Paper In the novel Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoevsky, suffering is an important part of every character’s role. However, the message that Dostoevsky wants to present with the main character, Raskolnikov, is not one of the Christian ideas of deliverance through suffering.
Suffering Crime And Punishment Essay Research Paper
Suffering in Crime and Punishment In the novel Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoevsky, suffering is an integral part of every character’s role. However, the message that Dostoevsky wants to present with the main character, Raskolnikov, is not one of the Christian idea of salvation through suffering.
Suffering Crime And Punishmen Essay Research Paper
In the novel Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoevsky, suffering is an integral part of every character’s role. Dostoevsky uses comic characters as instruments for competing ideological issues. A typical example is the loquacious bar room character Marmeladov, an alcoholic with an ironic abstract side to his personality.
Fyodor Dostoevsky Essay Research Paper Fyodor Mikhailovich
Fyodor Dostoevsky Essay, Research Paper Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky?s life was dark and dramatic as his novels were. His father?s drunken brutality led to his murder by his own serfs. At the age of 28 he was imprisoned for alleged subversion against Tsar Nicholas. He was in prison for ten years. While in prison he made many changes in his philosophies and it was greatly shown in his novels. ?Man is a mystery.
Biogrophy Of Dostoevsky Essay Research Paper Fyodor
Biogrophy Of Dostoevsky Essay, Research Paper Fyodor Dostoevsky drew upon his many hardships and life experiences in order to instill a sense of realism and truth into the novel Crime and Punishment. He bases many of the characters in the novel on his own life. By incorporating his own life challeges into the novel, there is a greater sense of personal reflection and emotional honesty.