Crime and Punishment: Lecture Notes

Introduction

• Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
• Set in 1860s St. Petersburg, Russia
• Story of impoverished student Raskolnikov
• Themes: morality, alienation, crime, redemption

Plot Summary

Introduction

• Raskolnikov plans a crime on a hot July night
• Visits Illyana, a greedy pawnbroker, and memorizes her money's location
• Receives a letter from his mother, Pulcheria
  • Sister Dunya survived a scandal, plans to marry Luzhin, a rich lawyer
• Raskolnikov plans to rob and kill Illyana

Rising Action

• Overhears a student justify Illyana's murder for the greater good
  • Confirms Raskolnikov's justification
• Raskolnikov kills the pawnbroker and her half-sister Lizaveta
• Escapes unseen, but faints from guilt when questioned by police
• Becomes deliriously ill, cared for by friend Razumikhin and doctor Zossimov
• Guilt and paranoia grow

Climax

• Confronted by Porfiry, a police investigator
  • Discusses Raskolnikov's article on extraordinary men
• Stranger calls him a murderer
• Svidrigailov, a former employer and predator, complicates matters
• Raskolnikov confesses to Sonia, who responds with compassion

Falling Action

• Svidrigailov's attempts on Dunya fail, he commits suicide
• Raskolnikov confesses to police

Resolution

• Sent to Siberian prison for eight years
• Sonia visits regularly, eventually professes love and finds redemption

Key Characters

• Raskolnikov: Conflicted former law student, intelligent but egotistical, deeply alienated
• Sonia: Compassionate, forced into prostitution, moral compass of the novel
• Illyana Ivanova: Cruel pawnbroker, lacks true Christian values
• Dunya: Raskolnikov's sister, high integrity, strong-willed
• Luzhin: Manipulative lawyer, values social appearance
• Razumikhin: Raskolnikov's hopeful and loyal friend
• Svidrigailov: Deceptive, predatory, and eventually suicidal

Symbols

• The Garret: Symbolizes Raskolnikov’s poverty and isolation
• The Cross: Represents faith and suffering; a hollow gesture for some, genuine for others
• Napoleon: Represents the concept of extraordinary men justifying moral transgressions
• Lazarus: Symbolizes rebirth and redemption through faith

Themes

• Alienation: Physical, mental, social isolation
• Crime: Examines moral boundaries and consequences
• Suffering: Dual role of destruction and redemption
• Morality: Conflict between traditional Christianity and new rationalism

Conclusion

• Raskolnikov's journey from crime to redemption
• Exploration of deep psychological and moral themes
• Enduring legacy of Dostoyevsky’s novel