Fyodor Dostoyevsky Crime and Punishment

 Born- 11/11/1821  Died- 2/9/1881  Grew up amid an orphanage, an insane asylum, and a cemetery for criminals.  Served as an officer in the Russian Army.  Became noticed in 1846 for Poor Folk.  Arrested for treason  Originally sentenced to death  Later resentenced to hard labor in Siberia  Forced back into military service Fyodor Dostoyevsky

 Moved back to St. Petersburg  Wife dies five years later  Depression and gambling  Sped through Crime and Punishment  Moved through Western Europe  Married a twenty year old woman  Wrote successful short fiction between 1873 and  Dies…… Fyodor Dostoyevsky cont.

 Hit and miss writer  Criticized by many Russian authors  Russian literature under developed  One of first Russian users of symbolism  Known for work with character’s psyche  Represented how society and politics morphed characters Fyodor Dostoyevsky cont.

 Setting: Saint Petersburg, Russia (mid 1860s)  Point of View: Third Person Limited (Extreme focus on thoughts of protagonist)  Themes: Alienation from Society  Pychology of Crime and Punishment  Symbols: Saint Petersburg Tale of the Tape

 Raskolnikov- Protagonist (sort of)  Sonia- Raskolnikov’s girlfriend  Dunya- Raskolnikov’s sister  Marmeladov- Sonya’s father/resident drunk  Pulcheria- Raskolnikov’s mother  Porfiry Petrovich- Murder investigator  Ilya Petrovich- Police official Major Characters

 Svidrigailov- Dunya’s former employer  Razumikhin- Raskolnikov’s foil  Katerina- Marmeladov’s wife  Luzhin- Dunya’s fiancé  Alyona Ivanovna- Pawnbroker/victim  Zossimov- Raskolnikov’s doctor “Assisting” Characters

 Raskolnikov is a former student living in a tiny apartment just struggling to get by.  He is considering killing a pawnbroker and stealing her money.  He meets Marmeladov who is drinking away his family’s money while his daughter, Sonia, works as a prostitute.  He gets a letter from his mother saying that she and Raskolnikov’s sister, Dunya, are moving back to Saint Petersburg.  Dunya also plans to marry a jerk named Luzhin who can help Raskolnikov financially  Raskolnikov splits the pawnbroker’s head open with an axe.  Oh yeah…he kills her sister also.  Raskolnikov becomes mentally and physically sick because of his dirty deeds. Condensed Summary

 Razumihin knows Raskolnikov is acting strange so he comes over to take care of him.  Raskolnikov meets Luzhin, threatens him, and forces him to leave.  He runs into a cop and confesses…and then says he is just playing around.  He later finds Marmeladov who has been ran over by a horse drawn carriage.  He assist s Marmeladov back home to die, there he gives all his money to his wife Katerina.  Raskolnikov returns home where his mom and sister wait to discuss Dunya’s marriage to the jerk.  Svidrigailov comes to St. Pete, Raskolnikov “takes care of him”  Raskolnikov goes to the police station and basically confesses again Cont.

 Raskolnikov begins to fall in love with Sonia.  He falls for her so much, that he confesses his crime to her.  Remember Svidrigailov? He overhears the conversation…  Svidrigailov doesn’t get any and he commits suicide.  Raskolnikov confesses (for real this time)  He is sentenced to eight years in sunny Siberia  Sonia moves there also  Happy Ever After…  Cont.

 “Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart. The really great men must, I think, have great sadness on earth.” Favorite Quote