Crime And Punishment Analysis

Crime and Punishment follows Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov and analyzes his journey of self discovery after he murders the old pawnbroker, Alyona Ivanovna. Fyodor Dostoevsky mainly uses a psychoanalytic approach specifically in the dream Raskolnikov has, his motives, and he guilt he experiences, along with some archetypal symbolism that illustrates how Raskolnikov dealt with the murder. Before Raskolnikov murdered the pawnbroker he had a dream, which reflects what he truly desired and how he will end up dealing with those desires through his subconscious mind. His dream began with him, as a little boy and his father walking down the street to visit his deceased brother and grandmother at the graveyard, before reaching the graveyard they

When Raskolnikov arrived at the pawnbrokers house, she doesn't recognize him until he mentions the pledge he had promise in his previous visit. The murder occurs instantly, when she turns around Raskolnikov recognizes that it is his chance to do it, he strikes her with the blunt end of the axe until she is dead. After he kills her he takes her keys and attempts to open a drawer in her bedroom but the keys frustrate him and gives up so he moves on to a trunk under her bed and takes the jewelry that was hidden in red silk . He then returns to the body and notices a purse around her neck and takes it, he then hears footsteps and hides in the other room, after he noticed that Lizaveta had returned, in panic he steps out and strikes Lizaveta with the blunt end of the axe splitting her skull. He then notices a bucket of water and washes his hands and the axe and checks his clothes for blood, he then realizes that he needs to escape before someone else arrives. Raskolnikov's motives are not addressed until he confesses to Sonya. His first motive is poverty, he argues that because he is poor and in need of money, it drove him to kill Alyona because she would not give him more than 2 roubles for the things he pawned. His second motive is that Alyona's death was for the greater

Before Raskolnikov confessed at the police station, Nikolai interrupted and took the blame. After Nikolai confessed Raskolnikov realized that he could not, so he took the roll of the onlooker pretending he did not know about Alyona. The officers believed Nikolia but Porfiry thought otherwise after Raskolnikov accidently nicknamed Nikolai after his dream character, Mikolka. Porfiry noted that Nikolai is “still a child and not exactly a coward, but something by way of an artist. He is innocent and responsive to influence. He has a heart, and is a fantastic fellow. He sings and dances, he tells stories,... people come from other villages to hear him. He attends school too, and laughs till he cries if you hold up a finger to him; he will drink himself senseless--not as a regular vice, but at times, when people treat him, like a child”(Dostoevsky 391) and found it strange that a man like him would commit such a crime. His reason to turn himself in was believed to be fear which “overcomes Mikolka when he learns about the murder of the old lady and feels guilty because he had picked up the earrings dropped by [ Raskolnikov in attempt of his escape]; his fear of being accused became unbearable and he wants to hang himself.” (Bem) but Porfiry hinted that it was in fact Nikolai’s religious upbringing and his moral experiences that prompted him to turn himself in to the police. Raskolnikov’s guilt is