Svidrigailov's Moral Degradation example essay topic

The Websters Dictionary defines degradation as a fall from higher to lower rank or degree (Websters, 205). Fyodor Dostoyevsky illustrates degradation of morals for several characters in Crime and Punishment. He links the quality of money or lack thereof to the their moral degradation to design complex characters. Dostoyevsky draws a picture of society that is similar to the society depicted in Victor Hugo's Les Miserables. The poor become greedy and the rich become greedier. And, good moral decision making can be greatly overpowered by the need or want of more money.

The degradation of society and lack of money cause Raskolnikov to kill the greedy pawnbroker, Altona Ivanovna and her sister Lizaveta. Raskolnikov believes that killing them for their money will be a great conquest for himself and society. After fighting with himself about whether or not he should commit the crime, he overhears someone talking about the same plan. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of lives could be put on the right path, dozens of families rescued from poverty, from ruin, from collapse, from decay, from venereal wards of the hospitals -- all this with her money! Kill her, take her money, dedicate it to serving mankind, to the general welfare. Well -- what do you think -- isn't this petty little crime effaced by thousands of good deeds?

(63, part 1) Raskolnikov decides he must go against his good judgment and commit murder for the good of society and himself. Dostoyevsky also takes the character of Raskolnikov to the opposite extreme. After his mother sends him money, he uses it to help out the Marmeladov family in an act of pure charity. He comes across Marmeladov injured by a carriage and without hesitation offers to help. "I know him!" and he pushed all the way forward. "It's the clerk, the retired titular councilor, Marmeladov!

He lives near here, in Kozel's house... Somebody get a doctor! I'll pay. Here!" he fished money out of his pocket and showed it to the policeman. (170, part 2) Dostoyevsky is showing how Raskolnikov's decision making is effected by money or lack thereof. Svidrigailov is a character who was poor and in jail.

He was bought by MarfaPerovna and lived a good life off of her money. Unlike Raskolnikov, Svidrigailov's moral degradation becomes worse with his increase of wealth. He cheats on his wife, causing her to eventually kill herself, and gets a fifteen year old pregnant. He then admits to Raskolnikov that he was in love with his sister, Dunya, but now just wants to sleep with her.

"Secondly, I fancy you won't refuse me a little help in a certain project of mine that touches directly on the interests of your dear sister, Dunya. Because of certain, ah, prejudices, she wouldn't even admit me into her yard by myself, without an introduction. But with your help, I could count -- " (268, Part 4) Dostoyevsky is portraying Svidrigailov as the lowest, immoral character in the book. The lack of morals he has is illustrated by him asking Raskolnikov to help him sleep with Dunya. Dostoyevsky reiterates how lack of money can lead to moral degradation in the character of Sonia Marmeladov. Because her father could not find work, Sonia was forced to prostitute herself to support her family.

"When my only daughter took to the streets for the first time, I had to go too... For my daughter lives by the yellow ticket... (10, part 1). This gives a picture of how truly bad their society was. Moral degradation is defined by Dostoyevsky in the character of Sonia. Dostoyevsky depicts societies views on the poor as the absolute worst.

Moral character is defined by economic status. When one is up, they never think they are up enough, and when one is down they think they " ll never be up again. Drunkenness, however, is not virtue; and that's the truth, too, only more so. But destitution my dear sir, destitution is most certainly a vice. You may be poor, yet still retain a certain inborn nobility of feeling, when you are destitute, there is nothing, there is nobody, when you are destitute, they don't use a stick to chase you away. When you are destitute, they sweep you clear of human companionship.

(12, part 1) Dostoyevsky uses economic status to build characters. Ultimately, the more money one has, the happier they are. But, the lack of money does not always lead to the moral degradation of the poor. Only Dostoyevsky's characters who have weak morale, like Raskolnikov, or are backed into a corner, like Sonia, must go beyond the point of good judgment for the betterment of those in need. However, Dostoyevsky also gave comparison with the character of Svidrigailov.

He is one whose economic status did not effect his moral degradation. Ultimately, Dostoyevsky is trying to say that circumstance can make good people do bad things, but truly bad people will remain in that manner, no matter what economic status they possess. Moral Degradation

Bibliography

Dostoyevsky, Fyodor. Crime and Punishment, First Signet Classic Printing, 1999 Websters Dictionary.
1997, United States of America.