Nietzsche
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Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “Dostoevsky, the only one who has taught me anything about psychology.” The two writers share many similarities and differences. Dostoevsky clearly had an effect on the thinking of Nietzsche. The two would be considered both philosophers and psychologists. Both writers became prominent in the late 19th century in Germany and Russia respectively. Dostoevsky was noted for his Russian literary classics and would be responsible for a flowering of late 19th century Russian literary culture. His Russian contemporaries include Leo Tostoy and Anton Chekov. Dostoevskys most famous works include The Brothers Karamozov, The Idiot, and Crime and Punishment. Nietzsche is most famous for his philosophical works such as thus spoke Zarathustra. The two writers have many similarities in their philosophy. They both see a changing role in religion. Nietzsche and Dostoevsky also differ sharply on some other aspects of life. One of these being the differing views on the role of the fatherland. Nietzsches beyond good and evil and Dostoevskys crime and punishment are two works that can be compared and contrasted to show the similarities and dissimilarities of the two geniuses. The two men offer great insights in these books on morality and the affect it can have on the actions of the individual and the society as a whole.
Dostoevskys crime and punishment, is set in Tsarist Russia in the 19th century. Rodya Raskolnikov, the main character, is a student at a University in St. Petersburg. By the early stages of the novel, he has dropped out of school and is left in his one room shanty, to ponder his own philosophical questions. He is poor, hungry and desperate for money. He begins to sell some of his possessions to a pawnbroker, Alyona Ivanovna, to gain money for his basic survival. He begins to see the poverty and desperation of St. Petersburg at this time. Rodya would begin to look at Alyona as a source of this problem. Alyona, in Rodyas eyes, was profiting off of the poverty and misery of others by buying off their possession at unreasonably low prices. She would then horde the money for herself while the people outside of her own apartment starved to death. Raskolnikov decides to murder the pawnbroker for the sake of humanity. His plan is not deeply thought out in advance and it runs into trouble when Lizaveta, Alyonas sister walks in. Rodya has to take the irrevocable step of murdering her. Originally, just Alyona is to be murdered and the she would be robbed. The reasons for this will be explained later in the following sections of the novel and this essay.
Rodya has now committed the terrible deed of murder. He now begins to try to reason out the murder through philosophy. This philosophy he uses would be considered very Nietzschian by any standards. While sorting out the ins and outs of why he has done this, he falls into a catatonic sickness. For days the only person to visit him is his fellow student Razumihin. Rodya, in and out of consciousness, mutters things about the murder. No one, however, can understand what he is saying. Eventually, Rodya comes to and is forced to go to the police chief, Porfiry. Porfiry would prove to be a worthy adversary for Rodya and would be instrumental in Rodyas later admission of guilt. He would begin to suspect Rodya almost immediately through his own pure instinct. At this point in the story there is no evidence that points to Raskolnikov as being the assailant.
The novel begins to slow down in pace at this time. New characters are introduced and subplots begin to develop. These subplots include Rodyas sister, Dounia and her attempt at marriage with a rich senator named Luzhin. Dounia had worked for a friend of Luzhin, Marfa Petrovna. Marfa was a rich woman who owned an estate. Dounia was a domestic servant on the estate. Living there also was Svidrigailov, Marfas husband. They were married because Marfa saved this man from people he owed money to. The marriage was not based on love but rather this special deal that Marfa had struck up. Svidrigailov would make advances at Dounia frequently and one day Marfa had come upon him doing this in the garden. Marfa, however, believed it was Dounias fault and she was fired and was made into a public disgrace. When the events showed it was Svidrigailov faults, Marfa would apologize and to sweeten the deal she would marry Luzhin, a rich and powerful man. Luzhin agreed to this consortium because it would put him in control of Dounia. She would look to him as her savior and would be at his mercy economically. This would not come to be.
Dounia would be given money by a deceased Marfa. On top of this, Svidrigailov would offer her a large amount of rubles not to marry Luzhin. Svidrigailov had ulterior motives for this, as one shall see later. The most disapproving of the marriage would be Rodya. He saw the union between his sister and Luzhin as an attempt by Luzhin to control her. Rodya also believed she was sacrificing her life to help strengthen the economic situation within the Raskolnikov family. Rodya didnt want the money of Luzhin to grant his way through college. Rodya would meet Luzhin, Razumihin, Dounia and Rodyas mother. At this meeting Rodya would show his disapproval and insult of Luzhin. Dounia would agree with Rodyas analysis and break off the marriage.
The next major character in the story would be the exact opposite of Nietzsches superman, Sonya. Sonia is a destitute woman living with an adopted family in St. Peterburg. She turns to prostitution to earn extra money for the family. Rodya would meet her when a horse drawn carriage kills Sonyas guardian father. Rodya donates the last of his money to Sonias family for a funeral. Sonia and her “mother” see Rodya as an angel sent from heaven to help them. Rodya would grow close to Sonia and eventually they would begin to fall in love. Sonia is also responsible for the conversion of Rodya form atheism to Christianity. The tow would argue about her existence of god, cornerstone to Rodya and Nietzsches theories. Rodya would convert would she read him the story of Lazarus. Rodya would feel compelled to confess his crimes to the girl.
Rodya got a reaction he didnt expect from Sonia. She didnt become disgusted with him as he expected. She instead professed her love for Rodya and told him to repent. Sonia tells Rodya to repent before god and the people of Russia he has sinned against. She proscribes an exact description of what Rodya should do on page 314:
“Stand up! Go at once, this very minute, stand at the crossroads, bow down, first kiss the earth, which you have defiled and then bow down to all the world and say to all men aloud, ÐI