crime and punishment IO reflection 1
Grace Cheung
IB English 1
Mr. Klotz
November 7th, 2014
Dostoyevsky Life Reflection Before today’s IO presentation, I didn’t realize how much of an impact Dostoyevsky’s life had on his writing, especially in terms of main ideas and motifs. The major ones mentioned in today’s presentation included solitude and poverty. His family members all die before him, and he is basically left alone in the world, leading to an intense feeling of solitude that is brought out in Crime and Punishment, with Raskolnikov’s increasing sense of being separated from society. Poverty also played a huge role in Dostoyevsky’s life, starting from a young age when he feels left out at school because of social classes. This constant feeling in his life leads to the in depth exploration of various characters’ responses to poverty, from Raskolnikov’s murder and robbery to Sonia’s selfless sacrifice for her family. Another few crucial aspects of Dostoevsky’s life are brought out in the character of Marmeladov. I saw many parallels between Dostoevsky’s marriages and habits and Marmeladov’s marriage to Katerina and his alcoholism. Dostoevsky fell in love many times, but they all quickly soured. I felt that this really connected to Marmeladov and Katerina’s relationship. Although they do not have a very good relationship anymore, the way Marmeladov describes her in the bar in Part 1 portrays them as having started out of love. In addition, Marmeladov’s uncontrollable need to drink is a strong parallel to Dostoevsky’s gambling addiction. They are both self-destructive behaviors that lead to utter ruin. Learning about Dostoevsky’s life really illuminated the ties all these characters have to his personal experiences.
IB English 1
Mr. Klotz
November 7th, 2014
Dostoyevsky Life Reflection Before today’s IO presentation, I didn’t realize how much of an impact Dostoyevsky’s life had on his writing, especially in terms of main ideas and motifs. The major ones mentioned in today’s presentation included solitude and poverty. His family members all die before him, and he is basically left alone in the world, leading to an intense feeling of solitude that is brought out in Crime and Punishment, with Raskolnikov’s increasing sense of being separated from society. Poverty also played a huge role in Dostoyevsky’s life, starting from a young age when he feels left out at school because of social classes. This constant feeling in his life leads to the in depth exploration of various characters’ responses to poverty, from Raskolnikov’s murder and robbery to Sonia’s selfless sacrifice for her family. Another few crucial aspects of Dostoevsky’s life are brought out in the character of Marmeladov. I saw many parallels between Dostoevsky’s marriages and habits and Marmeladov’s marriage to Katerina and his alcoholism. Dostoevsky fell in love many times, but they all quickly soured. I felt that this really connected to Marmeladov and Katerina’s relationship. Although they do not have a very good relationship anymore, the way Marmeladov describes her in the bar in Part 1 portrays them as having started out of love. In addition, Marmeladov’s uncontrollable need to drink is a strong parallel to Dostoevsky’s gambling addiction. They are both self-destructive behaviors that lead to utter ruin. Learning about Dostoevsky’s life really illuminated the ties all these characters have to his personal experiences.