Raskolnikov's Redemption In Crime And Punishment

Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment is a dramatic story about a poor man by the name of Raskolnikov and the conflicting journey he undergoes. The story is about his aims at ameliorating himself through theory and murder. However, it is not as cut and dry as the prior statement may make it seem. In fact, this morally ambivalent story uses Raskolnikov’s subconscious struggle, the effect of love on other characters, and Raskolnikov’s redemption to exemplify Dostoevsky’s idea of man’s need for emotional stability.
Raskolnikov chooses an isolated life where he may not be bothered. He secludes himself from his family and friend Razumihin. He lives in a “garret... under the roof of a high, five-storied house”, which is considered more of a “cupboard
He knows that his sister Dounia is sacrificing herself for him in order to get money. This angers him exceptionally and he is furious that she could be so naive and foolish with her acceptance of such a selfish man’s proposal. His care for them is so extreme, that he thought to himself that he would have “murdered Luzhin” if he had seen him on the street so that he could save them (Dostoevsky 43). However, this is the extent of his love for his family. He proceeds to reject them after their arrival to Petersburg and again after his committing of the murder. He is very cold towards them and continues to alienate himself from them. He feels like he is unworthy of their love since he has sinned and they still support him, unknowing of what he has done. He treats his friend Razumihin even worse than his family. Razumihin is a man who is a better self of Raskolnikov. He is a tutor, loves his family, and does everything he can to help Raskolnikov in his time of need. Raskolnikov responds to this with short and brutal retorts. He shows no mercy on his friend and does his best to push him away, which has little effect on Razumihin. He does his very best to be cold towards those who care for him and wishes to be left alone with his