Radion Raskolnikov – My Favorite Character
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The late 19th century has become the era when Russian prose was in full bloom. Never before had the writers such an influence on minds and souls of the audience, never before were the spiritual demands and cultural search so intense. The basic ethical problems held the attention of the greatest minds of the time. What is Freedom and where its limits should be sought? What should and what cannot be forgiven? What is the true meaning of Love, what is there behind the biblical words “love your neighbour like yourself”?
The novel by F.M. Dostoevsky “Crime and Punishment” and its main character, Rodion Raskolnikov, can righteously be stated here as one of the most brilliant examples of this literature trend. The plot is relatively simple, almost a detective story – a young man kills an old usurer lady. But the true motives of this crime are far from a mere bean counter. A typical representative of his generation, young and poor student Raskolnikov has built his own cruel philosophy, based on the nitschean concept of a “superhuman”. His idols are the great ones of this world, all the traits of a powerful person for him are embodied in charismatic, outstanding figure of Napoleon Buonaparte. Raskolnikov is sure that only two categories of human beings exist: the “quavery creatures”, bound to lower themselves to the order of things, on one hand, and the “history makers”, “the high and mighty”, endowed with a right to break the moral laws, on the other.
A “superhuman”, for Raskolnikov, is a person that follows nobodys rules but his own. Like Napoleon who sent hundreds in the deserts of Egypt and left thousands in the Russians snows, a “superhuman would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. For Raskolnikov, the murder of the old lady is to test, if he is a Chosen One, does he have a right to shed blood. His crime at the same time is a greatest sacrifice: a human being fell prey not to a murderer but to a conception.
One could say that Dostoevsky was thus trying the very human nature, making sure that he himself was capable of such a dramatic act. However, Rodion Raskolnikov yearns for power over souls not only for power itself. His ultimate goal was general weal. Raskolnikov dreams of making the world better. Even keeping up with the imaginary Napoleon he still worries about his mother. He does everything possible to save his sister, Dunia, from her marriage