Heroism, Hedonism, and Healing Power of Love
Thoughts about Dostoevsky's book 'Crime and Punishment'
Note: This post may contain spoilers, so please skip if you want to read the book. I have intentionally not written the summary of the book. You can either read the book it or find a summary online. Those who have read the novel or know the summary can make sense out of this post.
“Your worst sin is that you have destroyed and betrayed yourself for nothing.”
Porfiry Petrovich to Rodion Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment.
I don’t intend to write a review or analysis of Crime and Punishment. I shall merely write about how these characters connected with me and what I learnt about human nature from this work.
To be honest, I was so moved by his other great work, The Brothers Karamazov. It made me weep and ponder about people I had met in the past. But I had no words to write about The Brothers Karamazov because it was truly overwhelming.
The only difference between The Brothers Karamazov and Crime and Punishment is that I didn’t cry at the end of the book. Somehow, Dostoevsky decided to end Crime and Punishment on a positive note, if not a happy one.
The Great Man Theory - Roskolnikov’s Heroism
The main character, Roskolnikov, thinks he is bound to do great things in life and compares himself with Napoleon and acquires a fake sense of heroism. He believes that great men should be allowed to commit some crimes (as defined by society) and the general rules don’t apply to them.
Under this guise he commits two murders. Not suprisingly he is an atheist and is kinda impoverished. This is a potent mix.
Dostoevsky props up this argument and breaks it down only in the final pages of the book and his chosen character to do the job is Sofya Semyonova. She instills humanity into the mind of Roskolnikov and transforms his heart.
The message that is driven home is that humanity can’t be trampled over in the process of creating a great man. It has to be the very basic component of any person living in civilised society.
The superiority complex that comes with the perception of being a “great” man also diminishes the humanity of people that a self-declared “great” person meets in his/her life. Roskolnikov takes this dehumanisation to the extreme level by murdering two people as they were in the path to his greatness.
This made me acutely aware of possible instances where even I might have trampled over emotions or dignity of people at times, because of my perception that I’m somehow better. Dostoevsky subtly reminded me that it’s important to put humanity first no matter what attributes that a person has (or does not have).
Accountability and Transformation - Svidrigailov’s Hedonism
Crime and Punishment does have many interesting characters. But the one who stands out is Svidrigailov. He lives a hedonistic life purely driven by desire and his whims. He subscribes to no moral code. Instead he manipulates people to get his way.
Sometimes, you can encounter such people in real life and feel angry that you can’t lead a life of that kind yourself (if you are person who doesn’t have such traits). But Dostoevsky argues that this kind of life is not sustainable. The person would crumble and collapse eventually under the weight of his/her deeds and immorality.
It’s a subtle way of saying Karma gets its way, but we may not be there to see that happen. One has to be accountable for all actions that he/she performs, no matter what the circumstances are. And that is another key pillar that makes Crime and Punishment a great work.
The Healing Power of Love - Sonya’s Leap of Faith
I have written so many posts about love. This blog has witnessed me evaluating and tussling with the idea of love in cinema, books and elsewhere. But no story or analysis comes close to the portrayal of the healing power of love demonstrated by Sofya and Roskolnikov.
In a way the ending generates hope in the reader and makes you believe that Roskolnikov and Sofya can lead a happy and decent life together.
I might have objected to the idea of being in love with a criminal, that too a remorseless one. But the circumstances of this story made that thought take a backseat. What really transforms Roskolnikov is the assurance and presence of Sonya even as he goes through his worst moral, emotional and psychological turmoil.
I don’t think that any piece of art has ever demonstrated the healing power of love more effectively. It’s not a sudden and drastic change, but a gradual, persuasive interaction that is tempered with affection and patience.
It’s quite possible that Sofya could have failed in her mission. But her faith in god and the goodness in Roskolnikov made the outcome possible. Even then, I would say it was a gigantic leap of faith to trust Roskolnikov could be healed by love.
Final Thoughts
Reading Crime and Punishment was truly a spiritual experience that somehow shaved the rough edges of my worldview which is driven by personal achievement and utilitarian philosophy at the outset.
It awakened the more tender human side which was hitherto dormant. But I’m not sure how that would translate in the real world.
I’ll have to wait and watch.