Salvation in Crime and Punishment
Salvation in Crime and Punishment
The promise of eternal life has been the driving force behind man’s quest for salvation. Religion and the understanding of God and implicit faith in divine justice are the keys to salvation. This is the message conveyed by Dostoyevsky’s character Sonia, a redemptive figure for Raskolnikov in the novel “Crime and Punishment”. Written in 1865 and set in Russia, this story is about Raskolnikov, an impoverished young man. He kills an old pawnbroker to prove his theory that superior men are above the law and are free to determine their own destiny. However, he realizes that he cannot exist without being a part of the human community. Unable to resolve the conflict between his conscience and theory, Raskolnikov confesses his crime to Sonia and faces his punishment. This begins his journey to redemption. Sonia’s function in the novel “Crime and Punishment”, is to inspire Raskolnikov to the recognition that spiritual rebirth and salvation are possible only by suffering and believing that everything exists through the grace of God.
Raskolnikov meets Sonia through her father, Marmeladov, a simple government clerk who lives with his family in the slums. After losing his job because of a drinking problem his family becomes destitute without any means of financial support. Sonia, a gentle girl who is the daughter from his previous marriage, becomes a prostitute to earn money to support the family. She does this because of her compassionate and loving nature. Even though Sonia is intelligent, attractive, caring, and sensitive, society will not permit her a better life because of the circumstances of her birth that place her in the working class. Sonia lives in poverty and misery, and is deeply ashamed of her profession as a prostitute. But, through it all, Sonia remains childlike and innocent. Her faith in God is her strength. She believes because God is the dispenser of divine justice, He will provide for her family. Sonia believes that God will “not allow” her and the family to live in their present circumstances forever, and has hope for a better future through Divine Providence. When Raskolnikov questions her faith and says:
“But perhaps there is no God at all,” (pg 299, line 17).
She answers,
“What should I be without God?” ...