Raskolnikov Duality Essay

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Fyodor Dostoyevsky utilizes duality and split persona as the central vehicle to contrast the notion of the psychology of crime and punishment. Throughout the novel Raskolnikov is mentally tormented by his cruel acts and continuously transitions between his urge to act on his guilt or act out menacingly. Thus, Dostoyevsky is able to capture the true essence of dual conflicts and the fluctuation between intellectual principles. Raskolnikov exhibits a split personality in his words and actions. He behaves as though he is two separate people in one. When he speaks, he contradicts himself, when he does something, he immediately regrets it. For example, while on a walk, Raskolnikov notices a young girl who has caught the attention of an older man and steps in to intervene.“I hindered him, and now he’s waiting until I go away...” Then, a moment later, after paying …show more content…

In another excerpt, one of Raskolnikov’s friends, Razumikhin, shares his concern of the contrast between Raskolnikov’s personalities. “Magnanimous and kind. Doesn’t like voicing his feelings, and would rather do something cruel than speak his heart out in words. At times, however, he’s not hypochondriac at all, but just inhumanly cold and callous, as if there really were two opposite characters in him, changing places with each other.” (p. 215). In this excerpt, Raskolnikov's friend notes that his behavior is odd and that it seems like there are two sides to him. He is either very kind or very cruel. While people’s emotions may vary, Raskolnikov’s case is different as he exhibits the extreme of both. He is not nice or mean, he is either very kind or very cruel. The use of these words, creates a feeling of extremity and this creates a heavy contrast. This divide also applies to Raskolnikov’s crime as he kills the woman without remorse, even going as far as to call her a “louse”, then crumbling under the weight of the

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