Alex's Comment on Isa's Reaction

     Isa, I don’t feel that Raskolnikov has any type of emotional connection with his family. In fact, I don’t think he is capable of forming emotional connections. His reaction towards his family and their wanting to help is a clear indication of his inability to receive and his feeling he does not deserve any help. He is both critical and harsh in regards to his mother and sister and the reunion turns out to be a failure. 

     I agree that we are all very frustrated with his actions, however, I feel that Dostoevsky wants us to understand Raskolnikov more than reject him. I feel that Razumihin's fixation on Douina actually changes the novel up a bit because it distracts the reader from the Raskolnikov’s tedious condition. 

I have also noticed this behavior in Raskolnikov, but I think that it is normal to have a physiological reaction to stress or trauma. 

     I think that high levels of impulse and emotion are ignited in certain moments. I am not sure about what triggered his murderous instinct, possibly something from his past, but I do agree that he is definitely receiving a form of self-inflicted punishment. 

Alex's Reaction to P2 Ch7&P3 Ch1, 2

     Chapter 7 of Crime and Punishment marks the turning point in Raskolnikov’s condition. After identifying with Marmeladov, Raskolnikov is able to heal himself by helping him and his family during a health crisis. Witnessing family reunification has allowed himself to see healthy interactions which has pulled him out of his deteriorating state. This chapter demonstrates for me the fact that human beings aren’t all evil or all good. Raskolnikov is capable of selfless acts towards others. Whether he does it out of guilt or not is besides the point, he isn’t all bad. 

When isolation was his only state of existence, he was a lot sicker. Now that he has ventured out onto the street, isolation terrifies him. He is unable to be alone with his thoughts. Isolation serves as a reminder of what he has done in his past. 

     During the reunion with his family, Raskolnikov’s dark side is revealed once again. I don’t know what triggers this reaction, but perhaps it is the fact that they are gathered in his room. I am now starting to question my speculations about him having some kind of antisocial personality disorder, he is definitely bipolar. It is clear to see that Raskolnikov does not get along well with his family because he refutes their help. 

     Raskolnikov’s guilt is so relentless that again the story of the two murders comes up and no one wants to believe he is the true killer. He seems to want to get punished; he wants justice to be made but he is paying the price mentally by going mad with shame and guilt. Guilt is a deep desire to get punished for having murderous instincts. It is a desire for someone to stop and control his behavior. He is afraid of these instincts and emotions and wants someone to limit the fact that it could even happen again. The end of chapter 2 of part 3 leaves us with that sense of his paranoia, this feeling that he is being watched, judged and excluded and it could all very well be in his mind. Crime and punishment has been rightly said to be a very good psychological portrait of a man’s mental states. 

Ryan Pearson's Response to Keri's Reaction

Keri,

 

      I agree it was strange about the horse driver showing no remorse.  I think it is Dostoevsky’s way of highlighting the difference in the class systems in St. Petersburg during that time period. I agree with you that it was bizarre that Raskolnikov begged the police officer to allow Marmeladov to be bought to his home to die rather than to the hospital for treatment.  Again, I think the point the writer was trying to make is to show the awful day to day existence of the poor working class in St. Petersburg or in the case of Raskolnikov, the poor non-working class.

      I also agree that the coincidences in the book at this point defy reality.  I found it totally unbelievable that Raskolnikov would stumble on the scene of this “accident” and am not sure why the writer keeps having all this coincidental meetings.

      I found Dunnia to be a breath of fresh air.  She seems poised and refined and added an element of normalcy to the odd and depressing cast of characters—it is understandable why Peter wants to marry her.  It was a strange and creepy twist that Razumikhin was infatuated with her—of course, it really is no surprise given the plot and story that we have read so far.   I’m sure the upcoming forced family meeting will be a s-storm!!

Ryan Pearson

Isa's comment on Keri's Reaction

Keri,
          I don't know if this is just my personal opinion, but I wonder if you too are also sick and tired of Raskolnikov's "guilt" and his indecisiveness regarding confession or not. It seems the majority of my posts here as well as yours, Alex's and Ryan's mention at least once the guilt that this man feels regarding his murder. I find that the author of this novel is becoming incredibly repetitive regarding this subject. I'm not sure if this a mechanism to demonstrate Raskolnikov's inability to move on (he physically cannot forget) or just to drill it in to the reader... whatever the case, I am over it.
     I agree that Raskonikov's unusually cold treatment of his family was necessary for his mind; it is a way to channel all of his guilt and paranoia into another medium. He is literally distracting himself from his own troubles by treating his family both indifferently and rudely. Since his guilt is obviously eating him alive, I wonder if he will tell someone in confidence rather than "confess" to the authorities. This could be somewhat of a quick fix for his pain.

Part 3 Chapter 1 & 2 Reaction

           Part 3 begins with the strange emotional connection that Raskolnikov has with his family. It is obvious he cares deeply for his family; though he treats his sister harshly, one could make the argument that his immature ultimatums are as a result of the protection he feels over her regarding this fiancee. But he simultaneously alienates himself further by proposing said ultimatums and criticizing his mother for the constant affection she bestows upon her son. While reading these chapters, it almost seems as if Dostoevsky wants the reader to hate Raskolnikov. His actions are unexplainable and frankly, frustrating. At this point, I am so tired of his actions that I just want him to get caught already. Considering the amount of pages left in this novel, I fear that these internal "cat and mouse" games that Raskolnikov plays with himself will continue for the majority of the novel. I'm not sure how I feel about Razumihin's fixation on Douina. Maybe it's my overall frustration with this novel, but I just feel that any "sub-plot" distracts me. But then again Raskolnikov's ramblings are becoming tiresome... so I don't know which I really prefer.
           One thing that I have continually noticed is the fact that Raskolnikov passes out any time commotion or high excitement occurs. Obviously the murder has traumatized him, but why doe sit cause this particular reaction? Is he now so personally detached from his own emotions that any form of hysteria is too much for him? I think it's ironic that he murdered these women in an impulsive, emotional and raw moment, and he now cannot handle such moments anymore because of that murder. Once again, punishment in this novel is self-served, and Raskolnikov is certainly getting his share.

       

Keri's comment to Ryan

Ryan,
I agree that the Russian names are oftentimes off-putting and out of place. They are ridiculously hard to pronounce and out of place. I am following the storyline and a ridiculous name pops up in the mix and it is just ridiculous. Another ridiculous aspect of this novel lies in the coincidences. In reality, it is unlikely that Raskolnikov would just happen upon the scene with Marmeladov. I have found that in life, you almost have to search for those things. They are certainly not natural occurrences that people just come across.
While reading part 3, I thought that Raskolnikov's cold treatment to his relatives was a direct result of the guilt he feels for the murder he has previously committed. This guilt is torturing him to the point of illness. It is certainly not healthy but then again, this situation is far from ideal. I really want Raskolnikov to just confess and directly deal with this situation. I get that he may be afraid of the consequences but he is honestly dealing with much worse by keeping it to himself. I think that confessing will be a very cathartic process for him. I predict that he will be a much happier person once he confesses.

Reaction to part 2, chapter 7 and part 3, chapters 1 and 2

In the next section of "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Raskolnikov is on the cusp of confessing to the murder he has previously committed. He is ready to finally free himself of all of the guilt he has experienced. He is ready to free himself of the illness, which in my opinion, is caused by this same guilt. I find that this novel is filled with sketchy coincidences like in television shows. It seems awfully coincidental that Raskolnikov is walking on the street and just happens to discover the scene with Marmeladov. I was rather shocked by the fact that the carriage driver, who basically ran Marmeladov over, failed to even apologize. Not only did he not care to see what would happen to Marmeladov in his apartment but he also did not say sorry. Instead, he rationalizes the whole situation by saying Marmeladov scared the horse. I was appalled by this. The driver just severely injured another man and all he has to say for himself is that Marmeladov scared the horses.
Honestly, I thought Raskolnikov's solution to this incident was horrific. Since when is it smart to take an injured person, on the verge of death, to his own apartment? Yes, the doctor's office may have been far but in the end, it took the same amount of time for a doctor to arrive anyways. As a result of this, Marmeladov's poor children had to watch their father die. I felt so bad. I cannot even imagine what I would do if this happened to me. Therefore, I predict that this will be very traumatizing for the children. They watched him articulate some words and with each word, their hope grew. It was all for nothing. Marmeladov dies in front of his entire family. This leaves his wife sad and alone. She constantly complains about how he does nothing to help her with household affairs and now she is really left without a hand. This scene was tragic to read.
As for part 3, I believe that Raskolnikov keeps desperately trying to get rid of all of the guilt but it never works. This, in turn, most likely leads to the cold treatment he is giving his relatives. Finally, we meet Dunnia and her fiancé. As predicted, her fiancé is widely disliked by all. I could tell this would happen from the beginning. I guess I will see what happens as I delve further into part 3.

Ryan Pearson Part 2 Ch. 7, Part 3 Ch. 1 and 2

Once again, I find this week’s reading full of coincidences which to me are unrealistic.  The fact that Raskolnikov is drawn to a commotion that turns out to be the running over of Marmeladov, the public official he met in a tavern earlier in the story and that Raskolnikov heroically steps in, identifies him, announces their long friendship and convinces the police officer to have Marmeladov transported to his rooming house a few steps away is almost laughable. So is the fact that Raskolnikov jumps into action almost as a hero in a warped sense and takes on an authoritative role.  Again, the theme of alcohol and drunkenness permeates this week’s reading and highlights Dostoevsky’s apparent impression that the fine folks of St. Petersburg are mostly poor drunken souls who live in squalor and despair and in many instances (such as the suicide jumper and maybe even Maremeladov- just a thought) choose to end their life as opposed to the alternative.

Reintroducing Sonia in as her father was dying was another bizarre and depressing twist.  I found it disturbing to have her show up, dressed as a prostitute for all the pathetic gawkers to witness and for her father to realize the horror of the situation as he died.  The whole scene reminded me of a terrible train wreck that no one can bear to watch yet everyone is glued to—in this regard Dostoevsky did a solid job of creating a vivid picture in my mind of the ridiculousness of the whole situation.  Also, again we see that Raskolnikov gave away the last rubles he was given—perhaps his repeated pattern of giving away any money he has is symbolic of his desire to take care of those he selectively decides to take care of?  Honestly, what a strange cast of characters.

The beginning of Part Three highlighted the emotional conflict eating at Raskolinikov. It was evident to me as I read these two chapters that his mother and sister idolized him and that his cold and offensive treatment of them was unexpected and met with much concern and emotion.  Dostoevsky did a god job of painting a pleasant picture of Dunnia—I imagine her as a refined gem, full of dignity and grace despite her poverty and social status.   Her fiancé seems like a louse- not liked by really anyone—however, how Raskolnikov’s ultimatum to Dunnia was cold—another example of his further isolation from those who care about him. 

To sum up this week—I am really over all of the Russian names- it is slowing down my reading of the book.  I am not enjoying the sense of hopelessness and despair that we are reading about in every chapter.  And for me, I am not enjoying the continual character study of so many different people in St. Petersburg.  The book is very drawn out and slow.  We are almost half way through and while we have been clearly exposed to the internal emotional struggle of Raskolnikov and the horrid existence of many of the people living in St. Petersburg during this time, personally I am over it.  Anyone agree?

Ryan Pearson