Crime And Punishment Analysis

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In Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov is a developing character who embarks on a personal journey throughout the contents of the novel, which centers on the compelling nature of his environment. Raskolnikov is man who is consumed by the thoughts in his head, and receives quite a few omens that compel him to make certain choices. The issue of compulsion and persuasion can be observed in his inner and external environment, and affects Raskolnikov’s decisions. The topic of compulsion deeply affects Raskolnikov’s character development and personal journey throughout the course of their respective novels as seen through unconscious motivation, compulsion from his ideology, and from persuasive characters.
Unconscious motivation is a powerful tool in uncovering the motives of Raskolnikov. Raskolnikov was largely affected by his subconscious mind, as seen through his dreams. Chronologically, Raskolnikov first dreamt of a poor old mare “gasping and shrinking from the blows of the three whips which were showered upon her like hail” (Dostoyevsky 48). The violent nature of this dream alludes to the inner debacle Raskolnikov is experiencing due to his thoughts on murdering the old pawnbroker. The crowd is split between horror and awe at the brutal whipping of the mare, much like Raskolnikov’s feelings on murdering Alyona. Upon waking up, “darkness and confusion were in his soul” as he is one step closer to murdering the pawn broker. (Dostoyevsky 52). In addition to the vicious and conflicting images in the dream, Raskolnikov was “walking into the country with his father” in this dream (Dostoyevsky 47). His father urged Raskolnikov that the horse’s fate was “not [their] business”, and to move on from the spectacle (Dostoyevsky 52). In the drea...

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...life that he has a difficult time comprehending that other people’s actions aren’t on behalf of him, so he only draws on the evidence that supports his conceited assertions.
Compulsion is a powerful force, coming from many different directions. Family, friends, love interests all affect the decisions of Raskolnikov. Along with their external influences, he is internally influenced by his subconscious mind and belief system. These internal and external influences manipulate the Crime and Punishment’s protagonist to choose a certain path, and to make decisions that contribute to his personal journey to enlightenment against the incorrect path and way of life he was pursuing. The compulsion that Raskolnikov experiences impacts his journey of personal discovery throughout the course of the novel and contributes to the growth and development of his dynamic character.

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