Comparing Crime And Punishment And Frankenstein

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Frankenstein by Mary Shelly are two novels which explore the mind and the morality of human nature. One, an epic work of psychic exploration and great depth, the other a tragic story of the cruelness of mankind. In Crime and Punishment, the rehabilitation of man, and the decaying psyche of a criminal are two ideas that are not only evident, but are the roots of many discussions about humanity and the nature of the human mind. In Frankenstein, the cruelness of man and his both denial and impending acceptance of responsibility for his actions are two themes that are seen throughout the novel. In one of Dostoevsky's grandest and most famous works, Crime and Punishment, we are taken on a journey through the mind of a murder, the lives of those who surround him, and his rehabilitation. This murderer, Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, is a genius in his own mind, but lets his wit get the best of him. Clouded by paranoia and delusions, his mind is constantly a tossing, turning, scattered place. In Mary Shelly's novel of tragic loss and the cruelness of man, we learn the story of Victor Frankenstein, a man who let ambition and the
Crime and Punishment is an epic work that not only takes us through the mind of a killer, but discusses in depth many topics of psychology and politics. The tone of both novels also seems to differ. In Frankenstein, Victor is often troubled and has to deal with the deaths that he has caused, but there are moments of calmness, an undercurrent of the appreciation of the natural beauty of the world. In Crime and Punishment, though sometimes relieved but more enlightening characters, the tone is darker and more uneasy. The settings are always crowded, dirty, and poor. In Frankenstein, the settings are cleaner, sometimes darker, and at times more