Psychological Analysis of Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishmen
Psychological Analysis of Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment
In the novel Crime and Punishment, some of the most significant events are mental or psychological, for example; awakenings, discoveries, changes in consciousness. In this essay, I will describe how the author manages to give these internal events the sense of excitement, suspense, and climax usually associated with external action.
In the novel, Raskolnikov conceives of himself as being an “extraordinary man”, and then formulates a theory whereby an extraordinary man has the right to commit any crime. Raskolnikov’s theory goes as follows. All men are divided into two categories. “Ordinary” and “extraordinary.” While the “extraordinary” man has the right to commit any crime and to transgress the law in any way, the “ordinary” man has to live in submission and has no right to transgress the law. The justification for these “extraordinary” men to have the right to transgress the law is because if they are not held to a greater standard, they will cease to be great. To be great means that one is able to break free from common laws. The most obvious example of when Raskolnikov applies his theory to the world is when he commits the two murders. Raskolnikov feels this is an acceptable thing for him to do because he is an “extraordinary” man.
Another time in the novel when Raskolnikov’s subconscious event is climactic is in his dreams. In one dream, Raskolnikov is in his childhood and he is walking with his father. He sees a peasant trying to make a horse pull a wagon, but the horse will not move. His father then begins to laugh at the man because he finds the situation of the peasant trying to make a horse move humorous. The peasant then begins to severely beat the horse, so severely that the horse dies. Raskolnikov then, feeling great compassion for the now dead horse, falls to the ground and begins hugging and kissing it. The dreams Raskolnikov has in the novel are usually symbolic in some way. This dream is symbolic because it is disturbing for Raskolnikov to see the horse beaten to death, and then in turn makes him wonder if he can kill the pawnbroker as he has planned. This brings out a much different side of Raskolnikov that is one...