Fyodor Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment” presents the consequences of crime the ways in which persons accept the punishment for their crimes. The author explores the psychology of the criminal and presents the excerpt in a pensive tone. The narrator reveals that Raskolnikov accepts his punishment and reflects on the events of the last year and a half. Raskolnikov is forced to deal with the guilt that torments him as he sits in his jail. He has been honest and admits to his crime. The selection is important as it marks reveals the foundations of the novel and gives the readers an insight into the events that lead to the Raskolnikov’s imprisonment.
Arguably, the admission to guilt can be a reflection of the psychological nature of the killer and one could easily argue that this admission and careful details of the killing is an episode that would point to Raskolnikov mental state. In fact, Raskolnikov’s details of the murder could be classified as nihilist as he appears unsentimental towards his actions in the first paragraph of the excerpt. He does not seem to have much regards for the life that he takes and the mystery of the murder of Lizaveta. His explanation allows the readers to see that he had no regards for the social conventions as he not only murders the woman but he steals her keys and the contents of the chest. Clearly, a criminal’s behavior reflects his personality (Winerman 11) as the readers realize that his actions are the result of his psychological imbalances. He gives a nihilist account of the murder and yet he is disturbed when he hears Nickolay and Dmitri shouting for him. Again in the readers see that he is unstable as he moves give out of his pensive state and throws himself at Sonia’s feet. One can only assume that his actions and his crime are a result of his psychological instability and how one change because of love.
The diction in the excerpt is clear and the reader is able to grasp the facts of the trial easily. The author uses rich visual imagery to ensure that the reader is drawn to the prison and can connect the solitude of the prisoner to the “broad solitary river” (Dostoevsky 1) and the prison in Siberia. From the short description, one gets the feeling that the town is small or remote from the author’s bland description of the single administrative centers (Dostoevsky, 1) which hints at the poor conditions of the surroundings.
In concluding, the excerpt was selected to offer contrast in the psychological imbalances of the nihilist killer. His initial actions represent the ramble of an individual who is caught between two worlds. His psychological state is questionable as he shows no remorse for his actions and yet while in solitary confinement in a desolate prison, Raskolnikov finds love and true meaning of a new life. The New Testament is his guide to this future and serves as a metaphor to the changes that psychologists believe can come through gradual regeneration and renewal.
References
Dostoevsky and Freud: Exploring the Relationship Between Psyche and Civilization (n.d) Web
Dostoevsky, Fyodor, Crime and Punishment, (1866) Ebook Version pub. Guttenberg, (2006),
Web 27 Mar 2016 < http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2554/2554-h/2554-h.htm>
Winerman, Lea, Criminal profiling: the reality behind the myth (2004) Cover Story, Vol 35, No.
7, Print version: page 66 Web 27 Mar 2016 http://www.apa.org/monitor/julaug04/criminal.aspx>
