Pulcheria Alexandrovna Raskolnikov This example essay topic

1. .".. all is in a man's hands and he lets it all slip from cowardice, that's an axiom. It would be interesting to know what it is men are most afraid of". -Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov By saying this Raskolnikov suggests that men are capable of doing whatever they wish, and the only thing that holds them back are their fears. Because of this Raskolnikov wonders what man's greatest fear is, and with that comes the one thing that no man is capable of doing. 2. .".. for though Pyotr Petrovich has been so kind as to undertake part of the expenses of the journey, that is to say, he has taken upon himself the conveyance of our bags and big trunks".

-Pulcheria Alexandrovna Raskolnikov This is a passage from the letter that Rodion's mother sent to him, his mother is telling him that Dounia's fianc'e has taken care of the traveling expenses for Dounia and her mother to St. Petersburg. 3. "I see that I want nothing. Do you hear? Nothing at all... no one's services... no one's sympathy. I am by myself... alone.

Come, that's enough. Leave me alone". - Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov After burying the goods he stole from the pawn broker, Raskolnikov is walking around and decides to visit his friend Razumikhin. At first it is almost as if Raskolnikov planned on asking his friend for advice about what he should do about the murders he committed. However, he becomes very nervous and leaves his friend's home as quickly as possible. 4.

"Life is real! haven't I lived just now? My life has not yet died with that old woman! The Kingdom of Heaven to her -- and now enough, madam, leave me in peace! Now for the reign of reason and light... and of will, and of strength!" -Raskolnikov Through speaking with Marmeladov's daughter, Polenta, Raskolnikov realizes that life is worth living, and that it can still hold an important meaning. This sheds light on the fact that Raskolnikov realizes that even if a person is not capable of doing good, their life should not be ended. 5.

"Ordinary men have to live in submission, have no right to transgress the law, because, don't you see, they are ordinary. But extraordinary men have a right to commit any crime and to transgress the law in any way, just because they are extraordinary". -Porfiry quoting Raskolnikov Taken from one of Raskolnikov's articles, this passage informs the reader that Raskolnikov believes that he is better than most people. This shows that Raskolnikov believed that there was nothing wrong with murdering someone because he was of this 'extraordinary' group of humans. 6. .".. all great men or even men a little out of the common, that is to say capable of giving some new word, must from their very nature be criminals -- more or less, of course".

-Raskolnikov Raskolnikov realizes that Porfiry Petrovich suspects him in the pawn-broker's murder and in responding to what Petrovich thinks, Raskolnikov attempts correct his way of thinking. He says that these 'extraordinary' men are criminals for having the ability to change society. He's basically contradicting what he said in his article. 7. .".. she bore me off into the country like a treasure. You know she was five years older than I. She was very fond of me. For seven years I never left the country.

And, take note, that all my life she held a document over me, the IOU for thirty thousand roubles, so if I were to elect to be restive about anything I should be trapped at once! And she would have done it!" - Svidrigailov Svidrigailov explains to Raskolnikov that he has come to St. Petersburg now that his wife has died. He had never left the country to follow Dounia before because of the debt he owed to his wife. 8. "But I can't know the Divine Providence... And why do you ask what can't be answered?

What's the use of such foolish questions? How could it happen that it should depend on my decision -- who has made me a judge to decide who is to live and who is not to live?' -Sonia This is showing that Sonia does not agree with Raskolnikov's 'extraordinary' man theory. She is telling Raskolnikov that it's not her place to choose whether or not someone lives or dies. She believes that nobody has that right and that the decision is up to a 'Divine Providence. ' 9.

"But never had men considered themselves so intellectual and so completely in possession of the truth as these sufferers, never had they considered their decisions, their scientific conclusions, their moral convictions so infallible". -Raskolnikov's dream In his dream, Raskolnikov realizes that his assumption of 'extraordinary' men is imperfect; and that there are severe costs to these 'extraordinary' men being able to commit crimes and break the laws that everyone else abides by. 10. "Early one evening during an exceptional heat wave in the beginning of July, a young man walked out into the street from the little room he rented from tenants on S. Place and slowly almost irresolutely, set off in the direction of K. Bridge". -Narrator The fact that Raskolnikov is walking "slowly and irresolutely" shows that he is not sure about whether or not to murder the pawn-broker, and that he is processing in his mind the doubts and uncertainties that he is experiencing.