The History Behind Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Crime and Punishment was written by a Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky in 1866. This novel was originally published not as a book, but as articles in a literary journal called The Russian Messenger over the period of one year. Crime and Punishment was later published as a single volume and considered a novel by Dostoyevsky, though he had originally intended it to be a novella. Fyodor Dostoyevsky wrote on subjects close to home, using settings and characters familiar to his own experiences. Thus, it is important for the reader to analyze the history behind the work of Crime and Punishment to understand it completely.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky lived in Saint Petersburg for the majority of his life. He attended the Saint Petersburg Institute of Military Engineering and was successful, though his true passion was creative writing. At the age of 24, Dostoyevsky received much fame for his first novel, Poor Folk. Though he continued writing, his fame diminished, and in 1849 he was imprisoned for association with the Petrashevsky Circle. The Petrashevsky Circle was a literary discussion group of individuals united in their dislike for Russian autocracy and serfdom. In the underground meetings, individuals of many careers joined to read banned literature and discuss utopian ideas. Following Nicolas I’s discovery of the Petrashevsky Circle, Dostoyevsky was sentenced to death; however his sentence was only followed by a mock execution. He was then sentenced to eight years exile in Siberia. Nicolas I shortened his term to four years, though Dostoyevsky was forced to serve in the Siberian Regiment for five more years. There he

met his wife, Maria Isayeva. After Siberia, he continued writing- his style indeed reflecting the strong influence of h...

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...thor. In order for any reader to have a deeper concept of this Russian classic, one must begin to understand Dostoyevsky, his experiences, and environment. Behind every book is the author, and behind every author is a life story. Life experiences of any artist bleed into the work, whether intended or not, though Dostoyevsky clearly intended to permeate his work with familiarity.

Works Cited:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_and_Punishment

http://vidocq.org/vidocq.html

http://www.murderpedia.org/male.L/l/lacenaire-pierre.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Russian_Messenger

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fyodor_Dostoyevsky

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikolai_Gogol

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrashevsky_circle

Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Crime and Punishment (Kindle Locations 4396-4398).

Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Crime and Punishment (Kindle Locations 4481-4482).