Crime and Punishment

1. Add 5 Cups of Existentialism...

Think of Raskolnikov as the doorway to understanding Existentialism…and just about everything else in this book. He’s depressing, he’s moody, and he’s not the type of person you would EVER want at a party; the perfect human for this distressing philosophy. Existentialists believe that nothing has meaning unless, we as humans give it meaning through our actions, and Raskolnikov pursued this line of thinking wholeheartedly. From the very beginning of the novel, his actions basically defined him; I mean, he was labeled as a murderer by the end of part one. And from there, his action brought him (and just about every other character in the book) great anxiety; enough so that he turn himself in. He brought a certain meaning to his life from killing the pawnbroker and it was one that both he and the reader used to describe him for the rest of the novel. So here we introduce the true existentialist.

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2. A Teaspoon of Social Darwinism...

Social Darwinism, the belief that one race or social class is born better than the others. AKA, the philosophy for bigoted pricks. Many of the characters with money followed this line of thinking. Luzhin believed himself better than everyone else because he came from wealth. He looked down on Dunya and Sonya and expected them to practically worship him. This philosophy could also be seen in Svidgrailov, who seemed to think that the world was his game, and the people, his players. Raskolnikov also seemed to think himself a superior to those around him. In his crime essays, he often wrote that only great people were allowed to kill ordinary men. And obviously, because Raskolnikov WAS (or at least, in his mind) a higher being, he was totally justified in killing the pawnbroker. Basically, it's a philosophy for those fortunate few born lucky (or who believe they are). What could be better?


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3. A Half-Cup of Socialism...

Socialism is when everyone is socially equal, and because of that happy. No matter how you look at it, it sounds great in writing. Except you know, not really. Socialism was what Raskolnikov was trying to achieve by killing the pawnbroker, and also part of the reason why he despised Svidgrailov and Luzhin. Those three characters stood as symbols of a higher social class, the ones who were apparently better than Raskolnikov because of their status. However, Raskolnikov couldn’t allow himself to be thought of anything less than an equal to those around him. This was part of the reason why he killed the pawnbroker, and also why he held such a strong dislike for the two older men. He didn't want to think of his inferiority, so he decided to do away with the three characters instead. Here, Dostoyevsky brings up the fact that although socialism is idealized, the price to get it could be much more costly.


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4. Along with a Tablespoon of Communism...

The idea of communism, a society where people have economic equality, can be seen in the act of the murder itself. One of the many (try 30) reasons Raskolnikov killed the old woman was because she had money and he didn’t. Not only that, but she was barely using it, where as he was living in poverty. Add to that the fact that she had a sort of power over him, one where he was forced to come to her if he needed money, and we have the common struggle with the proletariat overtaking the bourgeoisie. Raskolnikov (the proletariat) wouldn’t stand being treated badly anymore by the pawnbroker (the bourgeoisie), so he killed her (overthrowing the power). Cute, huh?


http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/full-communism

5. A Dash of Feminism...

Feminism, feminism, feminism. Who could ever forget that in a novel? And, to be sure, Dostoyevsky definitely didn’t. Nearly all of the women in his novel hold some sort of authority. There are some who have positions of certain power, such as the pawnbroker, and others who have some moral high ground (*cough* SONYA *cough*). Even Katerina came from nobility, something that would set her apart from many of the men and women in the novel. The feminist philosophy can also be seen in Raskolnikov’s sister, Dunya, who was basically his slightly less crazy female counterpart. She was attractive, she was intelligent, she was kind; and had all of the positive traits (and some of the bad. It takes a lot to shoot someone) from the protagonist. She could have easily been a brother instead, but Dostoyevsky decided to pay homage to all the women out there, and create a woman as interesting as the main character.

http://tracihilton.com/tag/feminism/

6. A Sprinkle of a Dislike for Utopia...

Utopia, the belief in a perfect society – the thing everyone thinks they want, but in reality, they really don’t. Imagine, living in a world where there is no poverty, no sadness, and no distress. Perfect, huh? Except in taking all of that away, you also take away individuality, ambition, and innovation. That’s the only way to have a utopia; if everyone else is the same. This radical view can be seen in the radical character of Luzhin’s housemate. He’s a good guy who just wants to see everyone treated the same – an advocator of socialism and some communism. However, he is also seen as being one of the most ridiculous characters in the book. The reader can’t help but think him an idiot, because that’s just what Dostoyevsky wants them to think. Obviously, the author agrees with the impossibility of utopia, because, although he seemed to advocate it, he did it through the least respectable character. He’s a tricky one, that Dostoyevsky.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0cH1ycnJhk

 

7. A Stick of “No Capitilism!”...

Capitalism, the economic system of America that encourages competition and innovation; one where an individual is (supposedly) able to make it big through willpower alone. Absolutely perfect. Or is it? What if you weren’t on the winning side of capitalism? What if, instead, you were forced to live in the poorest part of town with no money, struggling to survive? Well then, your poverty might just possess you as it did with Raskolnikov. It can be said that part of the reason he was so crazy was because he lived in abject poverty. Simply put, he wasn't lucky enough to benefit from capitalism, and his lack of money drove him to murder. Who knew, capitalism really is the start of everything.


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8. A Half-Teaspoon of Nihilism...

Nihilism can be described in three short words: existentialism on speed. Think of all the depressing thoughts and actions of an existentialist and then take away their faith and some of their morality, and you get a nihilist. This type of philosophy would especially come out when Raskolinikov spoke with Sonya. He just couldn’t seem to understand that not only did God exist for Sonya, it was something that she wholeheartedly believed in. She believed in a better tomorrow and was a strong advocate of her morals, ideas that Raskolnikov, with his bitter outlook and questionable ideologies, just couldn't seem to grasp. His disbelief in God (until the epilogue) shows just how pragmatic and cynical Raskolnikov really was.


http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/nihilism

9. A 1/3 Cup of Uber-Mensch...

Sometimes, just sometimes, it’s okay to think that maybe you’re a little better than people. You know, that time you score the winning goal or you’re the only one in your entire class to get a hundred on a hard test. It’s just a chance to give yourself a little bit of credit. Now, when you start putting yourself on the level of God, and murdering people, well…then we have just a bit of an issue. And this is just what Raskolnikov did. After reading him talk about his paper on crime, where he basically said that there are some people superior to normal human beings who have the right to kill, we begin to get the idea that Raskolnikov might just (and this is only a slight possibility, mind you) believe in uber-mensch, the thinking that one is better than everyone else around them.  But then, when he starts saying that he believes himself to be one of those great human beings, and then he actually goes and kills a person, we realize that he might dabble just a little more in the belief than we first expected. (Or he could just be a full on advocate of the stuff).

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10. And Top it Off With Some Utilitarianism.

Utilitarianism is a truly great idea. It can be described as the most amount of happiness attainable for the largest amount of people through an act.  Nice, helpful to everyone, and it ends with everyone being happy. Who could hate an idea like that? Unless, of course, it causes a murder. Raskolnikov truly believed that he would increase his level of happiness by committing the murder because it would make him money; money, which he could then use to support his mom and Dunya and help Razumikhin start his business. In some ways, it can be seen that Raskolnikov truly had good intentions. He just went around it in the completely wrong way. And through this, Dostoyevsky showed that utilitarianism really is an ephemeral dream.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUCStCGMFOY