Crime and Punishment
Novel
|
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Crime and Punishment Main Text
TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE
A few words about Dostoevsky himself may help the English reader to understand his
work.
Dostoevsky was the son of a doctor. His parents were very hard-working and deeply
religious people, but so poor that they lived with their five children in only two rooms.
The father and mother spent their evenings in reading aloud to their children, generally
from books of a serious chara...
Read Crime and Punishment Main Text
Crime and Punishment Key Info
Key Facts
Full Title: Crime and Punishment
Original Title: Преступление и наказание (Prestupleniye i nakazaniye, Russian)
Author: Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821–1881)
Title of the Author: Russian Novelist, Short Story Writer, Essayist, Philosopher, “Psychologist of the Human Soul”
Source: Inspired by Dostoevsky’s own poverty, moral struggles, religious faith, and his observations of crime, pun...
Expand Crime and Punishment Key Info
Crime and Punishment Character
Major Characters
Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov (Raskolnikov): The central hero of the novel. A poor former law student living in St. Petersburg. He believes that “Extraordinary men” can break moral laws. To prove this theory, he murders an old pawnbroker. But he suffers from guilt, inner torment, and conflict. In the end, he confesses and seeks redemption through punishment. Raskolnikov symboli...
Expand Crime and Punishment Character
Crime and Punishment Literary Device
Figures of Speech
Irony: A major example of irony is Raskolnikov’s theory. He believes that extraordinary people can break the law. So, he kills Alyona Ivanovna. His expectation was peace and self-confidence. But in reality, he collapses under guilt. Even before the court’s punishment, he suffers mental torment. Effect: This irony shows that no matter how intelligent a person is, crime never b...
Expand Crime and Punishment Literary Device
Crime and Punishment Summary
Background
Fyodor Dostoevsky began writing Crime and Punishment in 1865, and in 1866 it was first published serially in Russia’s famous literary magazine The Russian Messenger. Later, it was released in book form. Behind this novel lay Dostoevsky’s personal sufferings, debts, gambling addiction, and inner conflicts. His four years of imprisonment and hard labor in Siberia, and the lives of the cr...
Expand Crime and Punishment Summary
Crime and Punishment Theme
Themes
Crime and Guilt: The most important theme of the novel is crime and guilt. Raskolnikov murders Alyona Ivanovna and Lizaveta Ivanovna. He thinks this murder will benefit society. His theory was that extraordinary people may break the law. But after committing the murder, he realizes that crime is not only an external act. The inner torment after the crime is even more frightening. He suffer...
Expand Crime and Punishment Theme
Notes
Explore 11 detailed notes related to Crime and Punishment. Each note provides in-depth analysis, explanations, and critical insights.