Essay About Simple Authority And Raskolnikovs Mother

Character Analysis
Character Analysis
In his story, Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky explores the moralities of two
very different criminal minds. They are of the protagonist, Raskolnikov, and one of the
antagonists, Svidrigailov. Both of these men commit very heinous crimes, but it is their
thoughts about these incidents on which Dostoevsky focuses.
Raskolnikov is the main character of the novel. We are not only able to see how
and why he commits the murder, but also, his preparation. It all revolves around a radical
idea he has manifested called the “Super-Man Theory.” It states that one can be above
simple authority, and able to commit any action, even if illegal, to better humanity.
Because of this thinking, he kills a pawn-broker named Alyona Ivanova, solely because
he believes by her taking other peoples money and objects, she is in some way harming
humanity and himself. Throughout the rest of the novel, he struggles with the question
of whether or not he is one of the true “super-men.” Because of his uncontrollable
guilt he slowly comes to realize his normality. Although, he never really confesses
that he is sorry for the murder, and continues to believe that it was justified.
Svidrigailov on the other hand is a true villain. He has sinned a lot
more often
than Raskolnikov. But, his sins are, for the most part, behind him and he has accepted
them. Svidrigailov has an obsession
with Raskolnikovs sister, Dunya. In a letter from
Raskolnikovs mother, she tells him how Svidrigailov tries to seduce and court Dunya.
Svidrigailov also has dreams about young girls, and this makes many people suspect he