Justice In Crime And Punishment, By Fyodor Dostoevsky

Unanswered Questions In Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky discusses justice, questioning who or what determines this ideal. Primarily, he focuses on a man named Raskolnikov, who murders two women and then wrestles with his motives. As Raskolnikov’s hopeless outlook drives him to madness, his friend Sonia reveals an alternative view of justice, which allows for redemption. Through analyzing his character’s viewpoints, Dostoevsky never explicitly defines justice; instead, he exposes his audience to different interpretations to form their own conclusions. However, by depicting Raskolnikov spiraling into madness, Dostoevsky guides his reader to reject justice as determined by man in favor of it established by a higher power.†¦show more content†¦From declaring he wanted to become a Napoleon to wishing for financial independence to murdering for his own sake, he rattles off various motives, showing his obsessive rationalization (394-397). By presenting his con flicting intentions, Dostoevsky exhibits the chaos within Raskolnikov’s mind. After the murder, his restless conscience tortures him, leading him into madness. Throughout the novel, Dostoevsky describes Raskolnikov as â€Å"delirious† and â€Å"fanatical,† likening him to a madman. Stemming from his guilt, this condition, remarked upon by his friend Razumihkin, the doctor Zossimov, the inspector Porfiry Petrovich, and others, consumes him and manifests as a physical disease. By portraying him as diseased, Dostoevsky links his murder with corruption – a corruption so great that it infects both his mind and body. This focus on corruption may also imply that man is inadequate when determining justice for himself. Another character, Svidrigailov, operates according to his own judgements and experiences similar decay, manifesting in madness and despair. When sharing his view of a despicable eternity, the old man declares, â€Å"More just? And how can we tell, perhaps that is just, and, do you know, it’s what I would certainly have made it† (277). Svidrigailov scoffs at the presumption of definite justice and relies on his own reasoning as he jokes about eternity. However, without a standard, heShow MoreRelatedCommon Themes in Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov2032 Words   |  8 Pages Russian author and philosopher, Fyodor Dostoevsky, was best known for his literary contributions between 1866 and 1880. Of his substantial work, Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, The Devils, and The Brothers Karamazov are the novels he remains most recognized for. In each of these novels, Dostoevsky examines and interprets several social, physical, mental, and emotional situations and conditions, which he believed to, influenced the nature of humanity. 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