Book Analysis of Crime and Punishment
Kevin Du
Mr. Peck
Advanced World Literature
31 October 2013
Crime and Punishment Essay
Human moral standard is much lowered when one is put into a situation of desperation and has no better way to escape but committing crimes. It is human as well as all other animals’ nature to fight to provide the best for itself. Raskolnikov in the novel Crimes and Punishment has been driven by various intrinsic and extrinsic factors, such as his complicated mental philosophy, his poor economic state, and the influence from the society surrounding him before deciding to murder the pawnbroker.
The first motive of Raskolnikov’s decision to be considered is that Raskolnikov is in desperate need for money. Raskolnikov has dropped out of a university a few months before. He is currently staying in a garret, a small space under the roof of a five-storied house. The garret was described to be “more like a cupboard than a room” (Dostoyevsky, 1). Raskolnikov’s economic crisis is so depressing that he does not even have the money to pay his rent and is always afraid to see the landlady. “…Each time he passed, the young man had a sick, frightened feeling, which made him scowl and feel ashamed. He was hopelessly in debt with the landlady, and was afraid of meeting her.” (Dostoyevsky, 1)Throughout the letter Raskolnikov’s mother wrote to him in chapter III, more about the family background of Raskolnikov is revealed. The money Raskolnikov received from his sister, Dounia was from her service as a maid in the Svidrigailovs’ house. She was disrespectfully treated by Mr. Svidrigailov and was despised by his wife. Dounia is about to get married to a wealthy man who is forty-five. Although her mother is optimistic about this, Raskolnikov expresses his contempt for the man and does not want to be offered help from him. Raskolnikov has been driven toward the thought of murdering the old pawnbroker before that. He has examined the place in one occasion when he pretended to pawn a silver
Mr. Peck
Advanced World Literature
31 October 2013
Crime and Punishment Essay
Human moral standard is much lowered when one is put into a situation of desperation and has no better way to escape but committing crimes. It is human as well as all other animals’ nature to fight to provide the best for itself. Raskolnikov in the novel Crimes and Punishment has been driven by various intrinsic and extrinsic factors, such as his complicated mental philosophy, his poor economic state, and the influence from the society surrounding him before deciding to murder the pawnbroker.
The first motive of Raskolnikov’s decision to be considered is that Raskolnikov is in desperate need for money. Raskolnikov has dropped out of a university a few months before. He is currently staying in a garret, a small space under the roof of a five-storied house. The garret was described to be “more like a cupboard than a room” (Dostoyevsky, 1). Raskolnikov’s economic crisis is so depressing that he does not even have the money to pay his rent and is always afraid to see the landlady. “…Each time he passed, the young man had a sick, frightened feeling, which made him scowl and feel ashamed. He was hopelessly in debt with the landlady, and was afraid of meeting her.” (Dostoyevsky, 1)Throughout the letter Raskolnikov’s mother wrote to him in chapter III, more about the family background of Raskolnikov is revealed. The money Raskolnikov received from his sister, Dounia was from her service as a maid in the Svidrigailovs’ house. She was disrespectfully treated by Mr. Svidrigailov and was despised by his wife. Dounia is about to get married to a wealthy man who is forty-five. Although her mother is optimistic about this, Raskolnikov expresses his contempt for the man and does not want to be offered help from him. Raskolnikov has been driven toward the thought of murdering the old pawnbroker before that. He has examined the place in one occasion when he pretended to pawn a silver