Crime And Punishment, By Fyodor Dostoyevsky

In its basic form, nihilism is seen as extreme cynicism where humans neglect existence and reject aesthetic and religious moralities. Thus, values, customs, and beliefs are bare and unfounded according to nihilistic behavior. Crime and Punishment, a novel written by Fyodor Dostoevsky, displays this dangerous skepticism in a literary sense. While Dostoyevsky writes this novel, nihilism grows among the many young activists in 19th century Russia. Through historical evidence, nihilists during this era seek to overthrow the established norms by the Russian government. Dostoyevsky demonstrates his disinclination to this concept, by implementing this anarchic behavior through the main character, Raskolnikov. Radicals like Raskolnikov conduct themselves in arrogant and lawless mannerisms because of the nihilist mindset they gain from the pessimistic Russian society.
His voluntary aloofness reveals the concept that relationships are worthless and empty. Similarly to the historic young Russian radicals, the main character avoids human interaction because of his self-induced isolation. Raskolnikov is able to remove himself from the citizens of Russia both physical and mentally. His exclusion from society simply advances his nihilistic inclinations. As a result of this, he acquires the persona of the “superman”. The idea of the “superman” derives from the German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, who refers to it as the separation between the weak and the strong. The strong is only populated by a minority of humanity. Raskolnikov’s desire to be against traditional norms places him as a figurative “superman”, who is superior and above the