What is the symbolism of water in Crime and Punishment?
What is the symbolism of water in Crime and Punishment?
Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novel Crime and Punishment explores the murders and existential punishment of Raskolnikov. The author uses the symbol of water to represent the larger idea of life and redemption. Water symbolically aids those doing positive acts while it is rejected by wicked men.
What is Raskolnikov’s sentence?
Five months after first confessing, Raskolnikov was sentenced to eight years of hard labor in Siberia. Sonya went with him, while Razumikhin, Dunya, and Pulcheria Alexandrovna stayed in St. Petersburg.
Why does Raskolnikov kiss the ground?
As he goes to confess, he does not understand Sonya’s grief since he is doing what she had asked. But he remembers her advice to go to the cross-roads and as he kneels and kisses the ground, a roar of laughter erupts from all who were around him. Some thought he was drunk; others thought him mad.
Which character is symbol of innocence in Crime and Punishment?
the horse
Even the dream about the horse being flogged to death by its drunken owner recalls, in a subtly symbolic way, Raskolnikov’s own cruelty. Some even see the horse as a symbol of the innocent who suffer at the hands of others.
What ironic events take place in Crime and Punishment?
Irony is apparent in the early stages of Raskolnikov’s guilt. First, situational irony occurs when Raskolnikov is in the pawnbroker’s apartment, and he hears someone knock on the door and say, “Are they asleep or are they murdered?” This arouses panic in Raskolnikov and instigates his guilt.
What is the significance of Raskolnikov’s dream in the epilogue?
This final dream, occurring in the last part of the book, is the final step in Raskolnikov’s turning away from his former belief in a higher order of chosen people. His dream showed him the ultimate destruction of a society based on this idea taken to the extreme.
What does Razumikhin represent in Crime and Punishment?
Razumikhin is Raskolnikov’s foil, illustrating through his kindness and amicability the extent to which Raskolnikov has alienated himself from society. To some extent, he even serves as Raskolnikov’s replacement, stepping in to advise and protect Pulcheria Alexandrovna and Dunya.
Why does Razumikhin like Raskolnikov?
Dmitri Prokofych Razumikhin Razumikhin is Raskolnikov’s best friend, who stands by him in every situation. He is humble, social butterfly and friendly to everyone. Razmukhin believes that Raskolnikov is good at heart like him.