Superego In Crime And Punishment

The novel Crime and Punishment written by Fyodor Dostoevsky withholds a representation of the id and superego theorized by Sigmund Freud. During the time in which Crime and Punishment was published in January 1866, was the time the philosophy of “Nihilism” in which Friedrich Nietzsche created was brought about, and was becoming quite popular in the Motherland, Russia. The idea of Nihilism entailed the idea of empty life, simply you live on earth for the amount of time you live and you die. Nihilism states, nothing more and nothing less is to become of your life. From a third person perspective, a person could see this as an opportunity to do whatever they please. For life has no meaning why follow laws? Dostoevsky had gotten his hands on
Women were portrayed as the superego. In the novel Sonya who is Marmeladov’s daughter was forced into prostitution but still managed to support her family due to their situation of poverty. Sonya was also able to maintain a strong sense of religion and kept up with her faith without falling into any bad habits. Pulcheria Alexandrovna Raskolnikov who is Raskolnikov's mother is a sweet woman who is devoted to her son. It is said that she would be willing to give up anything for her son. The women described in Crime and Punishment follow a superego like personality that “does no wrong”. Dunya is in relation to the main character Raskolnikov as his sister. Dunya is described as a brave woman who fights for her family by ending her engagement with her soon to be husband Luzhin because Luzhin insulted her family. Luzhin is an example of the id because of the anger he put towards Dunyas family by insulting them. The men in Crime and Punishment follow a similar pattern of id dictated by Nihilism. Marmeladov is introduced as an alcoholic former government official who Raskolnikov meets at a tavern. Marmeladov is a drunk that is more than aware that his drinking is ruining his family's life as well as his own, but he is unable to quit the addiction. The idea of Nihilism gives him the idea that there is no real reason to life so why care about your family when you can
Dostoevsky seems to have modeled the character traits of the men and women off of the characteristics of id and superego. He had used the idea of Nihilism and the moral living of women to aid him in the writing of this novel. Men being the “id” following the idea of nihilism, and Dostoevsky’s portrayal of women as the “superego” by following a sense of moral