Comment on Alexia's Post

I agree with Alexia's opinion that the combination of Rodia's guilt and his writing this article further prove that he possesses a superiority complex. Rodia sees himself above humanity and society. He thinks of himself as a "superman" who is intellectually and physically superior to everybody around him. Due to this perspective of himself, Rodia justifies why he committed the murders: because he has the right to break any ethical or moral codes that society has instilled in it's people. The only thing I do not understand, is why is he like this? Too much love from his mother? That is the only possibility that I can think of. I honestly have no idea how to think of Rodia anymore. His emotional turmoil is exhausting to keep up with and now we have this whole article he wrote that basically tells us he thinks of himself as a God of some sort. The whole book is getting stranger and stranger with each page. Where and when did he even develop this theory of the "superman?" Why is this the first time we are hearing of it? I am not going to lie, it is quite a relief that we finally gain some insight into his erratic thoughts, but it is confusing and weird to read and think about at the same time. I like this book to a certain extent, but if Shap told us we did not have to read any further than we already have I would not be upset in the slightest.

Such a weird guy

I can honestly say that by reading these past couple of chapters, I have developed a better understanding of the book and I kind of enjoy reading it now. While I still think it is boring, repetitive, and slightly insane, the story is undeniably getting more and more interesting. What I liked about this week's reading is how Rodia's conflict with himself got stronger and more complicated. Since I as the reader know of the crimes he committed and what he has done since those crimes, I enjoy seeing him struggle with things. In no way do I want to see Rodia living his life perfectly content and free of all guilt whatsoever. While he is trying to get away away from Petrovich discovering his past, he is also on the verge of an emotional breakdown. In my opinion, the matter is not whether he is going to have one but WHEN he is going to have one because, it is quite obvious that it is going to occur at some point soon. Regardless of that, Rodia seems out of control of his own life. He has a strange obsession with wanting to confess which is making him act really odd. One moment he is completely "innocent" and normal and the next he is dangerously close to revealing himself for what he is. The ups and downs of his personality are really tiring and hard to keep track of sometimes, but I guess that is where I find the most entertainment in the book.
The best part about this week's reading was Rodia's article on the crime. We finally get some insight on his rationale for why he committed the crimes in the first place. Took him long enough to clue us in, right? The whole idea of Rodia seeing himself as a "superman" who is above the rest of society and has the right to violate moral codes is interesting. It proves that I was correct in my initial opinion of him: that he is an egomaniac who views himself above everybody else and does not feel the need to conform to society because he feels as if he can do whatever he wants. Petrovich and I are on the same page here in thinking that this article proves his guilt for the crimes. I really hope Petrovich figures everything out and Rodia goes to prison for the rest of his life. Another interesting thing about this chapter was Rodia's nightmare. It was weird and kind of cool at the same time. It showed how Raskolnikov views himself- that he is inadequate in living up to his theory of the "superman." He sees himself as mediocre and he does not know how to deal with it. Basically this chapter insinuated that Rodia's life is a contradiction and it left me more confused than ever.

Comment on Josh's Post (Alexia Barrios)

I find it interesting that you are questioning both his sanity and his insanity because it truly is hard to tell whether he is completely sane or completely insane because he jumps back and forth and demonstrates traits from both. I previously did not recognize the Napoleonic theme that you mentioning but I find what you have said about it to be very interesting.  Just like you I feel like a big event is waiting to happen and I am curious as to what it is going to be because the plot needs a little action or just something different to spice it up because it is getting hard to follow along. In order to save me from hating this book entirely I need something new and exciting to happen and I hope that Doesteovsky has written something further along that will do so. I have not gotten as far as you so I am unaware of who Svidrigaïlov is so I am curious to learn more about his character and why you believe he will be Rodia's next target. 

Joshua Cohen's Comment on Alexia's Post

            I like your interpretation that this new character that entered Raskolnikov’s room after his dream might just be a figment of his imagination as it lends an entirely new perspective on the novel. Perhaps this new character is just a part of his mind telling him certain things either to get him to become sane, or is pulling Raskolnikov further and further from sanity as his mental stability collapses. All I know is that if this is going to be Raskolnikov’s next target in his next murder, it would be interesting if this man is just a figment of his imagination as Raskolnikov would be chasing someone or something that does not exist. I feel like if this man is a figment of Raskolnikov’s mind, he might end up killing other people who he believes to be this man, or something similar to that. Yet I am unsure about the fact that the police actually suspect Raskolnikov due to his insanity because it seems that the police have openly stated that they do not suspect him, or at least Raskolnikov portrayed it as if they were not searching for him. Who knows, maybe they will eventually get around to arresting him just as he is about to reach some huge conclusion about his grand “theory” on murder.

"The Crime" (Alexia Barrios)

In Chapter 5 Part 3, Rodia’s Article The Crime is mentioned and discusses the rationale behind committing murder and the article definitely is a embodiment of Rodia’s personal beliefs on the subject. Porfiry brings up an interesting aspect of the articles that suggest, “that there are certain persons who can…that is, not precisely are able to, but have a perfect right to commit breaches of morality and crimes and that the law is not for them.” (246) This argument that certain people or “extraordinary men” (247) are above humanity and have the right to break the law and violate certain moral codes, such as murder is one that in my opinion proves once again that Rodia possess a superiority complex. He continually uses this rationale as justification for him committing murder. Interesting, Razumihkin, one who has previously shown to have a strong moral compass automatically rejects this notion while Rodia states that Porfiry has stated it “perhaps even perfectly” (247) and how it “gave him pleasure to admit this” (247). It proves that they are polar opposites when it comes to their morality.

As usual, the internal conflict that Rodia is experiencing intensifies, as he has to continue avoiding suspicion while dealing with his unpredictable emotions.  It is obvious in my opinion that the police suspect him as a suspect in the murder since Rodia has put himself in situations where he made the impression that he was the murderer.  These attempts were as if he was beginning for the police to discover his guilt and end his psychological torment, but as of right now he is still in the clear and on the road to getting away with murder. Rasumikhin, during a conversation with Rodia, admits “frankly that I (Rasumikhin) noticed it in them long ago, this idea.” (255) This idea being that Rodia was in fact that murderer, but then brushes it off based on how the police handled the conversation since they did not attempt to “hide their game” (255) when discussing the crime.

Rodia’s dream is an event that I also found to be very interesting. The fact that the murder occurred but the pawnbroker but “at every blow of the axe the laughter and whispering from the bedroom grew louder and the old woman was actually shaking with amusement.” (264) This was then followed by an stranger standing in the doorway watching him and leaving him to wonder “Is it still a dream?” (264) This leaves me to believe that Rodia again is having a mental breakdown as I am left unsure whether this stranger is a result of his fading mental state or an actual new character that will be further discussed as the plot continues.

Response To Joshua's Blog (Rachael Marks)

     I do not know how I fell so far behind but it is really sucking. Every time I go to read someone's blog it is full of spoilers. I only just found out that Dunia may be somewhat wanting to call off things with Peter. I am really unclear on how I am so far behind everyone. It makes it impossible to comment on your blogs. I guess I will have to just read a lot of it this week to try to catch up with you guys. But then, I suppose I can agree on some things. I know that something else is coming. Rodia might murder someone again, but I feel if he does he will be caught this time. I do not like this book, but I do not want to fall behind. So (sigh) I guess it is time for me to go sit down and read some more.

Continuing to Question Raskolnikov's Sanity Reaction on Part 3 Chapter 6, Part 4 Chapters 1-3

                After this week’s reading, I am left further questioning Raskolnikov’s sanity or insanity, there is no clear indication as to whether he is insane or he is fully sane. He seems to be sane enough to take the right actions to steer the conversation with Luzhin in a direction that would get Dounia to no longer want to marry him. Yet there are distinct parts where Raskolnikov cannot distinguish between what is dream and what is reality. It is because of this fact that I believe that a lot of what is occurring is happening inside of Raskolnikov’s head and we just do not know it.

            There is also the continuation of the Napoleonic theme that was present in the previous reading where Raskolnikov is trying to compare himself to Napoleon and how he killed tons of innocent lives for a purpose. Yet Raskolnikov feels less satisfied with the comparison when he realizes that he was even lower than the pawn broker and he begins to think of her death as more of a symbol of his ideas and an experiment of his principles towards murder. What freaks me out the most is the way that he acts as if this has failed in proving his point and then proceeds to go and talk to all of his close friends and family and begins to tell them that he will not be able to see them after meeting Svidrigaïlov and realizing that there is yet another force for him to defend his sister from.

            Personally I feel like he wrapping up all of his dealings and is starting to prepare for another big event like the beginning of the book. He is acting somewhat logically when he is making sure that everybody he has made connections with is going to be able to live without him. I have a feeling that once he realizes that he has wrapped up everything he is going to try to disappear and try to “prove” his theory on murder. If he is going to do that, it is clear that Raskolnikov’s first target will be Svidrigaïlov as he seems to be the central divisive force in Raskolnikov’s life as of now.  

Oh Great... Romance (Rachael Marks)

     I did say that I was excited about the feelings between Dunia and Rodia's friend, but I am going to take it back. It is really lame. Awfully so. It is like reading Atlas Shrugged again, with all of its crappy romance between Dangy and John Galt. Except now it is being written in Dostoevsky's style which makes it seem somewhat sillier.
     Another thing is the way these people talk. Do they have any filter? They just blurt out their entire thoughtstreams and everyone acts as if it is normal. It is like they are in a musical, singing songs that everyone can hear, but for some reason will not react to or acknowledge later. And then, there are tensions seeming to be built between Rodia and Sonia, the girl he was disgusted by. There are so many perspectives changing, so everything gets muddled, but it seemed to be that Rodia was entranced when Polenka ran to him saying that Sonia wanted to know more about him and see him again. These books we have read this year have had really weak takes on romance. It is as if they begin depending on romance to stir up some drama and plot. Now, I am not saying that Crime and Punishment would have been a better book without its romantic elements (as I have said for Atlas Shrugged), but they do lessen the obnoxious dragging along this book does. But honestly? Is this the way this story is going to save itself? Why do writers have to do that? It infuriates me that even in Dostoevsky's time writers were already injecting their novels with shitty romance.
     Of course, I do find this entertaining at times. This did bring out more of Dostoevsky's humor, especially with the quote "The minute I've taken you home, I'll pour a couple of bucketfuls of water over my head in the gutter here, and then I shall be alright..." Honestly I thought it was entertaining to read this in a much older book, but sadly that is the maximum amount of entertainment I have obtained from this book. Rodia's friend is an obnoxious, horny, drunk who seems like an idiot, yet he is supposed to be wiser than Peter. Him and Peter are two extremes. Peter is an asshole, but Rodia's friend is childish. Then Dunia, I have no clue what to make of her. The book does an awful job of putting anything into her. She seems so quiet and the way her name is always changing is obnoxious. But I am done with my rant for this weekend. Hopefully it proved to be more positive than my former rants.

Reaction to Alexia's Blog

I agree with Alexia (and Rachael) that the book keeps becoming more and more boring and redundant. I agree with Alexia that the sudden infatuation Razumihin has with Dunya is a nice break from the dullness of the novel of murdering this person, then panic attack, then internal debates. It was definitely a lighter break that was definitely necessary. I like that you pointed out that Dunya said she is marrying for herself, not for Raskolnikov, because Raskolnkiov very frequently said she was marrying for him, and I also like that you point out her strength. I am starting to like Dunya's character.

Reaction to Josh's Post

I guess I get where Josh is coming from, but I do not find this story anywhere near as interesting as he does. The whole Napoleon comparison is brilliant and it works well considering Raskolnikov’s mentality and outlook on situations. The theory/idea that Raskolnikov “feels the need to gratify himself by discovering someone in a situation where they are lower than him, and using what little he can control to help them so that he can feel in control of them” makes complete sense and actually explains a lot about Raskolnikov’s behavior in this book. But unlike Josh, I am not enjoying Crime and Punishment as much as he is. I was wrong when I said that I can speak for all of us by saying that this book is terrible, because evidently Josh loves it. Not that there is anything wrong with that, clearly a bunch of people enjoy C&P because it is an extremely famous and popular novel, but we definitely have different tastes when it comes to our reading material. I like that Josh is so passionate about it, because his opinion gives me a lot of insight on what we are reading. I never would have thought to compare Napoleon to Raskolnikov, and Josh seems to just understand the nature of the book a lot better than I do. For that, I am grateful, because without his posts I would most likely be completely lost in the plotline.

This book is frustrating

I think I speak for all members of my group when I say that Crime and Punishment is one of the worst books I have ever read. Not that the writing is bad or anything like that, because let’s be real, the writing is fantastic in and of itself, but the plotline? Not so much. This story is mediocre at best! It is boring and redundant. I feel like I have been reading the same page over and over again. When is something different going to happen? I need a break from the strange thoughts inside Raskolnikov’s mind. Like I said in my previous post, I still believe that Raskolnikov’s next victim will be his sister’s fiancé, Luzhin. When Raskolnikov is bothered by somebody, what does he do? He gets rid of them. I feel like he does not know how to deal with his anger and his problems. His solution to “dealing” with people he does not like is killing them. Therefore, it is completely logical that Luzhin will be his next kill, if he does decide to murder another person. He is so bipolar and weird when it comes to dealing with other human beings. A part of me wants him to get caught and put in prison because  I feel like he would feel more comfortabele there. It would literally just be him and his own thoughts, nobody to mess up his psyche. Pulcheria describes her son as being “like two different people.” That description fits him perfectly, because he is the most hot and cold character I have ever experienced. One minute he is nice and caring and the next he is cold and detached from humanity. It is the weirdest thing to read about and it is quite difficult to keep up with sometimes. Honestly, I just want this story to end already. Getting through this book is exhausting and sometimes I find myself having to read the same page over and over again because I lose interest and immediately forget what I just read. This week’s reading did not reveal too much about Raskolnikov himself, which I found to be odd considering the whole story revolves around him and his messed up brain. I cannot think of one thing I have learned about him that was revealed by his own thought process and not somebody else. We learned quite a lot about how his family thinks of him through his mother, sister, and possible brother in law. Learning about him through the eyes of other characters was a nice change. It gave us a break from the redundancy of his own thoughts.

Joshua Cohen's Reaction to Rachael's Post

I can understand how you can view this book as boring and somewhat repetitive, because it is very much so, yet there are some underlying theories and principals that make the overall story more interesting than it is at first glance. When reading through the thoughts of Raskolnikov it is extremely annoying to sift through his ranting and somewhat choppy nature to find relevant statements as opposed to rambling thoughts. Yet I feel that the fact that this book makes you feel a little insane while reading is a compliment to the ability of the author to make the reader feel somewhat attached to the character, mostly by the fact that you are experiencing the story through this characters eyes. Also, there are some good ideas that are portrayed in the book that often get me thinking about how society really defines insanity and the differing opinions about actions. Personally, I find that looking at a situation through a different perspective is often more insightful than looking at a situation by myself or just reading one perspective, and the same applies to the structures and assumptions of society. I find Raskolnikov’s idea on how murder might be socially acceptable if it is done for an idea to be interesting in the fact that at first most people think that murder is wrong in all aspects, but Raskolnikov is arguing the side of the murderer, quite literally in this case, which is interesting, at the same time it is disturbing. But, that is my opinion, and everybody else has their opinions and nobody is ever one hundred percent right. 

Is Raskolnikov Really Insane? Commentary on Part 3 Chapters 2-5

There is quite a bit to talk about in this week’s reading, firstly is the editorial that Raskolnikov wrote about the morality of murder. According to Raskolnikov only certain people, he calls them “extra ordinaries” as opposed to the “ordinary” people, can murder rightly. He believes that these extraordinary people are those who have a new idea and if they kill for the idea, it is fine. He uses Napoleon as an example, which is fitting seeing how he acts towards those below him. The whole time he is explaining his beliefs, he is giving obvious signs that he is clearly in the state of mind and had the reason to murder the woman, yet nobody seems to be suspecting him. It seems like at his first encounter with any sort of police or detective, he is extremely suspicious and almost paranoid about them accusing him, yet he loses any sort of paranoia as soon as he is talking about one of his ideas. One example was when he toyed with the detective by asking him if he thought that he was the murderer and basically argued against himself in proof of his crime, yet the detective did not convict him. Or when Raskolnikov goes off about his editorial on murder, clearly hinting at his guilt, and the investigator seems to not take much notice.  The reason that I say that Raskolnikov identifies with Napoleon is the way that he feels the need to gratify himself by discovering someone in a situation where they are lower than him, and using what little he can control to help them so that he can feel in control of them. That might be why he seems to be falling for Sonia, because she is in a position where he would basically have complete control over her life based on his will as Raskolnikov thinks he is in a much higher position than she is. Also, Raskolnikov seemed to get himself into a similar situation with his previous fiancé and how she was somewhat ugly and was in a lower position than Raskolnikov giving him no reason to really marry her other than his intentions to feel like he has control over someone or something. Also, when Raskolnikov feels the worst is when he is not able to control what is happening around him, like when he did think he had a choice about what to do and had very little control over his life. When he regained control over his life to some extent, he seemed to return to his normal state, which is still not very normal compared to other people. I am also somewhat confused by Raskolnikov mixed messages in that at one point he feels compelled to turn himself in yet at another point he is terrified that somewhat might know the truth. At this point, I really do not know what to think about the story and I am waiting for it to make sense.

Reaction to Luisa's Post (Alexia Barrios)

I find it interesting that you think the next person that Rodia is going to be is Luzhin. It’s kind of funny actually considering that he is blatantly obnoxious about his wealth and intelligence and the fact he is marrying Dunya because she is poor. If I thought he was capable of committing murder again I would agree that he would kill him, but personally I don't think he is capable of it. Yea he's having mental breakdowns and whatnot but I don't think he is mentally capable of adding another person’s death to his conscience. It will destroy him. I agree that it was a little strange that Rodia was engaged before. With his self-absorbed and superiority complex I would think that he would have either been forever single or at least have a very distinct taste in women, so I was shocked that his mother described her as being ugly and whatnot. He is somewhat "socially awkward" but I would say that it is because he is very intelligent possibly to the point where he has difficulty interacting with others. Also his sense of superiority might make that difficult as well.  I also found it interesting that Dunya wanted her brother to be there when they were meeting up with her fiancé. I believe that she is purposefully going against his wishes as a way to test Luzhin’s feelings toward her and to see how he would react to the situation. I find Dunya to be a very intelligent and strong woman, and I believe she is someone who defies the gender roles that were posed during the time that they are in since though she is marrying for her sake I think she would not mind being alone and being independent.

Raskolnikov is strange, really strange

I honestly think the next person Raskolnikov is going to kill, if his sister does not let him go, is Luzhin. I am almost positive that if his sister does not follow his advice, he will kill Luzhin so he does not have to deal with him no matter what his sister's decision was. I was shocked that Pulcheria, Raskolnikov's mom, said Raskolnikov used to be engaged. Of course, she describes the girl as very ugly and useless, but the main point is that Raskolnikov used to be engaged. I found that kind of a shocker because since he is so socially weird, I would not think he would be capable of having a girlfriend let alone be engaged to her. His mom and the landlady did not want the marriage to happen, though. I found it peculiar that the mom said that Raskolnikov is like two different people and that he has always been like that. She says that sometimes he is goodhearted and intelligent and others he is cold and lives in his own world. I think Raskolnikov is so socially awkward precisely because he lives in his own world and almost never makes any connections with the people around him. I agree with her statement that he lives in his own world, in which he plans all his deadly actions. Razumihin, trying to be a good friend, decides that bringing women around Raskolnikov will help him out in a way.
Luzhin sends a letter and he says he wants to meet with them the day after but he does not want Raskolnikov to be present. I understand Luzhin on that part because Raskolnikov did insult him. The decision was left up to Dunya for Raskolnikov to be there or not, and she does want him there. I wonder why.
What I found sad at one point was that Pulcheria was afraid of Raskolnikov, her own son. I think she too believes her son has gone mad and she does not know what his next reaction will be since he has been so impulsive. Zossimov too thinks Raskolnikov is insane. Surprisingly, Raskolnikov is very kind to everybody this time and says he will go back to college soon (how old is he again? Did they ever tell us?).
His mom tells Raskolnikov that Marfa has died and Raskolnikov gets frustrated because he notices that everybody is afraid of him, and Dunya confirms this observation. Quickly, though, he regains his composure and actually apologizes for acting rudely recently but states that he is still adamant in not liking Luzhin. His behavior is so bipolar and weird!!

Response To Alexia (Rachael Marks)

I completely agree with all of the contents of your post. The book has been very redundant and uneventful, which has been oh so tedious. It was very nice to finally have something happen. Even if it is a random romance story, which was what I could not stand about Atlas Shrugged, this book needed it. Not romance exactly, but something! And it has finally given it to us. 

I will admit that I did not read up to this part before reading your post, but your post intrigued me to do so and I was very happy to discover that something happened. I do love Dunia, and I hope that the book continues to save itself. I will be very disappointed if we once again get sucked into the drab occurrences that we have had to put up with for much too long. 

This story-line with Dunia will definitely be an interesting one. Her reaction, actions, and the outcome will most likely be very entertaining. I actually look forward to it.

Razumikhin's Sudden Love and Dunya's Resourcefullness (Alexia Barrios)

To be completely honest, I am no longer enjoying this book as much as I did in the beginning. I enjoyed Part 1 of the novel, but those parts following it have been uneventful in my opinion. The same events seem to be occurring over and over; he has a delusion or a panic attack, decides he wants to confess then never does. The readings these past couple of weeks have consisted of these same actions. I feel like Rodia has been doing going back and forth with whether or not to confess, and then whether or not he is acting mad and at first it was entertaining, but now it no longer holds my interest. The only aspects of this weeks reading that really grasped my interest were the subplots and other smaller events that occurred.

In this weeks reading one interaction that really sparked my interest was the sudden infatuation that Razumikhin grew for Dunya. It was a nice break from the dull and heavy tone that the novel has had thus far but it was certainly odd and one that I didn’t expect since I never thought the author would incorporate any romance into the novel. We witness this sudden love for Dunya occur as Rasumikhin is in “a state" (193) as he walks Dunya and her mother back to their horrible lodging that Dunya’s “scoundrel” (195) of a fiancé, Luzhin, put them in. Razumikhin’s drunken state seemed to allow his thoughts on her “goodness, purity, sense…and perfection” (194) to be known, and it is how we learn of his “sudden drunken infatuation for Avdotia Romanovna” (196) Also, it seems that his drunkenness provided him with some clarity on people and he makes a interesting point when he says “though all my friends there are drunk…they are all honest, and though we talk a lot of trash…we shall talk our way to the truth at last, for we are on the right path, while Peter Petrovich…is not…” (195) It demonstrates that though they are not wealthy and as intellectual as Dunya’s fiancé they possess a characteristic that is far more valuable in his opinion which is equivalent to my own; honesty.

I also liked learning more about Dunya. Up to this point of the novel we knew very little about her, but now we learn of not only her beauty through Razumikhin’s vivid descriptions but also of her intelligence and resourcefulness. In the past I have mentioned Rodia’s arrogance and once again it was shown as he mentions Dunya’s engagement saying that “you (Dunya) are marrying Luzhin for my sake” (190). She proves this to be incorrect when as she claims she’s “marrying for my (Dunya) own sake, because things are hard for me.” (222) She also plotted to test her fiancé, urging Rodia to meet up with them to see “the whole truth” (225) if he is really “angry or not” (225) which I thought was representation of her strength and dignity.

An Attempt To Not Complain (Rachael Marks)

So obviously we all know I do not enjoy reading this book. I will attempt to spare everyone the agony of hearing more about that because redundancy is boring. It is EXTREMELY boring... I could not possibly be trying to imply anything about the book could I? Because the book is not exactly redundant (just... really... slow and dwells too much on unnecessary events). 

But the thing is, I am going to try my hardest not to talk about how tedious it is to read this book. How I dread having to blog about it. I am not going to talk about these things. I forbid myself from saying anything about how I groan each time I even look at the book (woops... I guess I did say something). 

Done! No more complaining (at least not about having to read it). Now for the actual discussion of the book, which I guess is a reaction in ways, but in reality my reaction to the book is my constant complaint. I do not find summarizing the book a reaction, but I suppose it might be nice to change things up and react to certain events in the book. Most of the events render me the same reaction, "yeh- that's nice- I get that you're sick and delusional Rodia", but I will try to change it up a bit. 

So there is a huge collection of people visiting Rodia. They are all talking about different things and it becomes overwhelming. I realize that what they were discussing was important, but did they really all have to come at Rodia at once? I wanted answers, but this is were the description is actually supposed to occur. 

Once we finally start hearing that the police actually are doing something about the fact that someone has been murdered, in comes Peter to just make everything annoying. As I suspected, he and Rodia did not get along at all. I suppose he is not quite the man Rodia's mother hyped him up to be. 

Then Rodia continues to be annoying, I guess he felt that Peter was taking away his spotlight. He starts walking around being angry with people and confusing them. So now not only the readers, but the actual characters are aggravated with him. Joy! 

Pretty much Rodia just continues like this for a while. He teases people, like when he hints that he may be the murderer, but of course it is taken as a joke. Some woman attempts suicide which makes him think about suicide, because he cannot go more than a few hours without thinking about something related to death. So yeh, that is what happens. I apologize for my reaction being so bland, but really, it is suitable for a story that is on the same level of blandness. 

Comment on Alexa's Post (Alexia Barrios)

 Personally, I do not think his character is extremely complex but just very annoying. His emotions throughout this second part of the novel are erratic and unpredictable. He has gone through a variety of emotions, but mainly, especially in this weeks reading, he presents himself as calm, but to the point that it is eerie. It is like the calm before the storm type of scenario. He is definitely not “a psycho maniac”, he is just someone who is dealing with a great amount of guilt after killing two men in cold blood. One would think he is because the murder was so vicious, but I do not like he is a psycho or he would not feel the guilt that he does throughout the second part of the novel. This is why he is capable of being kind and yet has killed two people. It was a crime of passion, so once it was complete he was capable of returning to his normal nature but now he has the burden of the murder on his conscience, which altered him, but not entirely. Just like you, I was not expecting him to want to confess since he has tried so hard to avoid suspicion; the fact that he was raising suspicion during his conversation with Zametov was very strange in my opinion.

 

Reaction to Luisa's post

I agree with Luisa to a certain extent. I do think Raskolnikov is messed up, but I do not think he is sadistic. Sadism is the deriving of sexual gratification or the tendency to derive sexual gratification from inflicting pain or emotional abuse on others. I do not think this accurately portrays Raskolnikov's disposition on the murders he committed. Honestly, I still do not know how to feel about him. His character is weird and his thought process is difficult to follow. Maybe he is just confused with his own purpose in life, maybe he is psychotic, I really do not know. Luisa also mentioned that she finds it strange how Razhumikin is obsessed with Dunya. Well, I find it weird and slightly annoying that Raskolinkov continues to demand that she calls off her engagement. I have a feeling that he is going to snap at some point and murder her fiancé. Maybe he will be Raskolnikov's next victim? Who knows. Raskolnikov is a strange person and thinks about things in a completely different perspective than normal people. His lines between right and wrong, moral and immoral, are definitely blurred. There is never knowing what he is going to do next, but I guess that is what keeps us on our toes.

Intolerable! (Rachael Marks)

Once again I will be subjected to ranting about this book. It still fails to entice me in any way and it still drags along. The thing that irks me lately is the names. Oh these names! They are so bothersome and confusing. One of the most challenging aspects of this book is that I have such a difficult time following what is going on because I do not know who is who. The names prevent me from connecting to certain characters and remembering who they are. It makes it very frustrating to read this novel. The worst part is that some of them look very similar and it becomes difficult to distinguish which person is actually being talked about without always keeping very close attention. After reading The Kite Runner today and being so amazed and depressed it was so annoying to be subjected to reading this book. I cannot stand it. I hate that I cannot stand it! Why is it so damn difficult for me to get into it? I love psychology and following the mindset of people, but it is so intolerable that I just cannot find anything that can keep my head from drifting off. I feel like I am just reading words at this point. I do not end up putting them together, I just read them and forget to make sense of them. Then I have to read certain sections over and over again. Maybe if I were able to read this book at another time I would find greater joy in it, but while reading it at the same time as various intriguing novels, it is just torterous. Maybe I am still upset about all of the other books I want to be reading right now, but this book has been hell.

I really do not know what else to say. I hate to attack books that I cannot understand. Maybe, I understand it too much and everything just seems boring about it. I am not very sure. I just feel awful for having the same complaints about it. I want to write about something different. I want to write something interesting and thoughtful about it. But here I go ranting along. I really do hope that this changes soon. I do not think I can rant any longer about this book without feeling like my posts are repetitive and insignificant.

Completely Confused

The more I read and progress through the book, the more confused I seem to be. Raskolnikov's character is one of the most complex characters I have ever been introduced to. From the beginning of the book, I knew that there was something quite off about him but I could never place my finger on it. There has always seemed to be a part missing from him that takes away from his humanity. He does not fit in with the rest of society, he knows it and we know it. He possesses a certain sickness of spirit, and coupled with his moodiness, depressive anxiety and arrogance, it spawns his obsession with the murder. While it is quite confusing as to why he randomly decided to become a murderer in the first place, it is also confusing that he is not a complete psycho maniac. Raskolnikov is capable of extreme generosity and compassion and tends to pity the weak and helpless. His acts of kindness towards Marmaledov's family when Marmaledov passes away was unexpected, but pleasant. This capacity for goodness signals that all is not lost in Raskolnikov. The fact that he is a murderer but is kind to others is strange but captivating. In the past, I have compared his personality to that of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but some of his personality traits remind me of Ted Bundy's as well. While he is not as normal and charming as Ted Bundy was known as being, he does have the whole being a secret murderer but still being a nice person thing going for him. The whole dynamic of his character is frustrating, because while he is suffering with the fact that he is guilty for his crimes, he does not want to be punished for it for the rest or his life. The last thing I expected him to do was confess, and for a moment, I thought he was going to. But of course, that is way too simple for Raskolnikov and he just loves being complicated. I am always up and down with my feelings towards him. Honestly, I just want to get to the end of this book already because I am extremely interested in how it is going to turn out. 

Raskolnikov is a Sadistic Person

Raskolnikov is actually mad, just like the police Zamyotov thinks so. I found it extremely surprising that Raskolnikov almost said his crime. I personally think Raskolnikov is messed up in the head, just as I am sure every one else in my group would agree. I also find it strange that he gets so angry at a suicide attempt when he walks past the bridge...because he just killed two people like it was nothing, so why would he be so revolted by a suicide attempt? I find it even more shocking when he asks the workers why the blood is gone... That to me is very, very sadistic, he basically wanted to keep seeing the blood of the two people he killed as a reminder of the action he had done, and he wanted to keep that reminder. I think he is a psychopath. Contrary to this previous action, when Marmeladov was about to die, Raskolnikov was there, and when he did die, Raskolnikov left money for Marmeladov's family. When he carries out actions like this, they make me think he still has a little bit of a conscience, but I guess only for people that gave him something, because he killed two completely innocent people just because he did not like them. Another thing from the chapters I read this week that stood out to me other than Raskolnikov's extremely strange personality, is the peculiarity of Razhumikin's sudden "obsession" with Dunya, he is very attracted to her because of her beauty and confidence. Razhumikin even gets jealous when a doctor appreciates Dunya's beauty. Raskolnikov, on the other hand repeats to Dunya to call off her engagement.

My Reaction to Alexia's Post

Personally, I don’t find Raskolnikov’s calm demeanor to be disturbing, in fact, I find it to be a bit of a relief in relation to the rest of the novel. I think that his calm demeanor has to do with the fact that he finally found something to do, another task similar to the murder of the old lady in terms of keeping him busy. This time, it is helping out the family abandoned by their father, Marmeladov, whom Raskolnikov gives money openly and agrees to help them get out of their current state. Another task that is keeping Raskolnikov and away from insanity is the conflict with his sisters new fiancé, which he has also taken a quest to make sure that he never marries his sister, thus keeping Raskolnikov a little bit more busy in the meantime.  I feel like this new calmness is almost justified given the fact that his insanity seemed to stem from the fact that he had nothing to do other than to suffer in his guilt and think about the crime he has committed. But once he has something to take his mind off of the crime he is able to return to relative normality. Yet I feel like this current calm is just temporary and I feel he is going to do something that is only going to make things worse, much worse. Personally, I prefer when Raskolnikov is the egotistical guy who goes around and helps those lower than him as opposed to the paranoid nearly schizophrenic murderer.

"And what if it was I who murdered the old woman and Lizaveta?" (Alexia Barrios)

Rodia behavior just seems to be getting weirder and weirder as the novel progresses. In beginning of Chapter VI we see him as “perfectly calm; not a trace of his recently delirium nor of the panic fear that had haunted him of late. “ (284) This behavior is odd seeming that his mental and emotions have been going on a downward spiral leading many of his friends to believe that he is insane. But this sudden calmness is unsettling. Rodia has three options of what he can do about his current situation; confess to the murder, commit suicide and end this relentless emotional punishment that he currently enduring, or just continue living how he is an hopefully live through the guilt. Rodia, in this weeks reading, is determined to turn himself in. The oddest encounter in Chapter VI is that between Rodia and Zametov (he was introduced earlier in the novel, but referred to as “the head clerk” at the police station). Rodia’s behavior is strange as he toys with Zametov. He does not blatantly admit to be the murder but he keeps going back and forth with Zametov, stating rhetorical questions such as, “And if it was I who murdered the old woman and Lizaveta?” (303) I cannot fully comprehend what Rodia is attempting to do here. Is he trying to send subliminal messages to Zametov that he committed the murder? Is this his way of getting it off his chest and telling somebody what he did without really telling them? The whole conversation is circumstantial, he never fully confesses to doing anything, but he alludes to the possibility, such as when he reminds him of “when I (Rodia) fainted. Well, do you understand now?” (296) He is basically telling Zametov that he committed the murder hence why he passed out in the police station, and Zametov is obviously “alarmed” (296) as Rodia says this then Rodia breaks off into “the same nervous laugh as before, as though utterly unable to restrain himself.” (296) This entire conversation just demonstrates his desire to be discovered, which goes against his previous desire to escape suspicion. Before he would have avoided any talk of the murder, but now he is openly discussing it, even putting input on what he supposedly “should have done” (302), such as “I should have taken the money and jewels…I would lift that stone-there would sure to be a hollow under it, and I would put the jewels and money in that hole…there’d be no trace.” (302) Overall, his internal conflict about what he should do with his guilt is still going on, he wants to confess but the fact he never fully does so far in the novel shows that in my opinion he is not ready to turn himself in and face his punishment.

Cool Picture I Found

What Makes Raskolnikov Tick? Commentary on Part 2 Chapters 5-7 and Part 3 Chapter 1

         It seems like Raskolnikov is driven insane by the fact that he does not have a goal or purpose that he has given himself to accomplish. The entire time after the murder up until now has been filled with Raskolnikov basically wandering around slowly going insane as he does not know what to do with the money. At one point, he was faced with three choices on how to endure the current situation, he could turn himself in and suffer the consequences of his crime once and for all, he could kill himself and end the torture he is under, or he could continue living and just live through the guilt of his actions. Through his actions he is convinced he must turn himself in, even though it seems like this decision was made by his inability to control himself in front of the police leading to him justifying that it would make sense to turn himself in. But after Marmeladov is killed and Raskolnikov has an opening to really help the family left behind by their father’s death, he has a task and he starts to grow sane once more. Now that he feels like he can use his newly acquired power of money, Raskolnikov thinks that he has some personal standing and grows somewhat cocky. This can be seen through him basically playing with the detectives and taunting them that he might be the one who is the murderer. Yet this might also be interpreted as Raskolnikov acting in such a way to see if society could see him as a murderer, to see if they would think that he is able to do this. I am not sure if he is just justifying the fact that he did it or if he is trying to make sure that people do not continue to suspect him as a murderer so that he can become his version of a superhero. As Raskolnikov gains a sense of purpose, his actions become a lot more determined and he becomes much more confident it seems. For example, his confidence towards his hatred with his sister’s new fiancé is coherent enough that it cannot be blamed on his sickness and it could even be said that this acts as just another goal for Raskolnikov to accomplish that pulls him away from insanity. At this point I am not sure if Raskolnikov is pretending to be crazy to draw off the cops, to draw them closer to him, or if he is even playing at all, for all I know this guy is probably crazy. 

Joshua Cohen's Comment on Alexia's Post

             I find your observation about the fact that he hid his evidence under a rock as being that he is hiding the equally heavy burden of the evidence under an equally heavy rock. At first I thought that he did that because there were other people around the canal and his refusal to hide the rock in the canal was just further evidence of his paranoia in the situation and that the rock was the first place where there were no people around to see him. Also, I feel like the further into the novel we get, the less we know about what is going on. I am not sure we are getting further into Raskolnikov’s mind and I almost feel like we are starting to leave it, or lose ourselves in it. As my previous blog post mentioned, I am not sure if what Raskolnikov is seeing is real or if he is imagining it anymore because of just how insane Raskolnikov is going, therefore it is difficult to say we are getting further into his mind because he seems to be shutting everything out and losing all coherence and as he loses grasp on his mind, the reader seems to be forced to lose grasp on the situation in a very similar manner. Yet if the things Raskolnikov are seeing are real, then they just seem to convenient and I feel that the whole investigation being described in Raskolnikov’s room is just a way to make him feel even more guilty because of just how painfully aware Raskolnikov is of others unjust punishment for something he did. Finally, the irony behind the lady giving Raskolnikov money out of pity is extremely ironic seeing that Raskolnikov was the one who felt all high and might to give away his money, but as soon as he commits the crime that he felt was necessary to continue to exist, he can no longer exist. 

My Comment on Alexa's Post

For some reason my comment did not want to show underneath Alexa's post. What Rodia did was terrible, but like you said I do not want him to receive physical punishment. I do not think it would have any effect on him. Instead his own punishment on himself is far worse than any physical punishment possibly could be. Just like you, I do not really care for Rodia. His arrogant and air of superiority in the first part of the novel just made me dislike him, but that doesn't mean that I do not feel bad for him. From his thoughts we can see how badly this is having an effect on him, both physically and mentally. He is completely different now than he was at the beginning of the novel.

Poor Raskolnikov

First off, I must admit that, while I do believe Raskolnikov should be punished for the crimes he committed, I do not wish to see him go to prison or given the capital punishment. I do, however, want him to suffer internally for the rest of his existence; his true punishment resides in his own mind, not whether he is caught or not. Having to live with the guilt of murder will haunt him for the rest of his life. With that said, it is evident that the guilt is already catching up to him. As of this moment, he lives in constant fear that he will be caught for the murders at any time of the day. His paranoia coupled with his guilt is slowly starting to eat away at him. He is jumpy, nervous, anxious, and frightened about everything, and his character is weakening with every turn of the page. It has become somewhat annoying to read Crime and Punishment now, because his stream of consciousness is scattered and erratic. He no longer possesses the arrogant, self-righteous demeanor he previously put forth. The consequences to his actions are starting to catch up to him, and he is not the same Raskolnikov we were initially introduced to. Not that this is a bad thing, because I never really liked Raskolnikov's character in the first place, but it does make me feel a little bad for the guy. Living in constant fear is unhealthy and, in my opinion, I think it will take its toll on his psyche.

Hiding Your Guilt Won't Work Rodia

I am adopting Rachael's nickname for Raskolnikov, Rodia, because his name is way to long to be repeatedly written throughout my blog posts. Rodia has taken a turn for the worse. The guilt of his punishment has taken over him, causing his previous sense of superiority and arrogance to go out the window and be replaced with weakness and paranoia. This is evident from the reading as we can get a sense of his paranoia. He is constantly in fear that others are suspecting him and that at any moment he will be discovered as the murder. He walks into his own home in the beginning of Chapter 2 of Part 2 in complete fear that he will find policemen searching his home. His speech and inner thoughts are just as sporadic as he appears to be. He is trying to suppress his guilt by getting rid of everything that had to do with the murder, such as the jewelry and the bloody purse. He contemplates where to hid them and ultimately chooses under a rock. I find it interesting that he decided that under a massive rock would be a better hiding spot for them versus a canal, I've never had to get rid of murder evidence but I would think the latter to be a more efficient way but ok. The fact he chose the massive rock is the authors choice at trying to make it symbolic, by saying that he is trying to bury this massive amount of guilt he carries under a equally massive rock. As the chapters continue we just see his physical and mental state diminish. He no longer holds him tall or, as I previously said, carries himself with an air of superiority, instead to those around him he looks wild and some people on the street even assume he is a drunk bum and give him money out of pity for him, which I find ironic.  Overall, I am enjoying the novel. I like how deep we get into Rodia's head and it enables to see how much he has changed from Part 1 of the novel to a couple chapters into Part 2.

What's going to happen?

After Raskolnikov wakes up from being unconscious for four days, in which Razumikhin, the landlady, Nastasya, Zossimov, and Zamyotov have all been taking care of him. Zossimov, Razumikhin, and Nastasya are always talking about the murder that Raskolnikov committed -- not knowing it was Raskolnikov. Because it was him and he is always attending these meetings, he gets very very angry every time they talk about the murder. They began to believe that the one that was guilty was the painter because he had a pair of earrings that belonged to the victim. But, this was not for sure and there were theories that said the real murderer could have been the drop them there, and accidentally deviate the evidence to his advantage. Luzhin, the guy that Raskolnikov's sister is supposed to marry, shows up at his door and Raskolnikov talks to him very distantly. He is very cold and at one point actually explodes on him saying that Luzhin just wants to be a benefactor for his sister. Because of this, Luzhin decides to leave. From what I see, there is a lot of tension growing in the book and I have no idea how this is going to turn out.

Dragging Along (Rachael Marks)

     Rodia has not been feeling well, at all. If the book wasn't delierious enough before, it surely is now. I'm convinced that Rodia's state is purely based off of what he has done. He seems disgusted with the blood and everything, not even thinking about his personal gains. It is clear to me that he has never done something like this before. He is immersed in a state of delusion and can't seem to wrap his head around the occurances. He is not exactly evaluating it, but it still seems to be the only thing that he can think about. Rodia has become very jumpy and feels as if everything he does will be tied to the murder, and everything that goes on is something that may be about the murder. He is wondering when he will be questioned about it, but it seems that the police have not found out anything as of yet. And the book drags along with his fit of anxiety and paranoia.
      I want to like this book. I really really do, seriously. But, I just cannot get into it. My friends who have read the book have told me that it is fantastic, and so I was very excited to read it. The concept is great, the only thing is, it just has not drawn me in. I'm not sure why but it doesn't have the same pull that Atlas Shrugged did. Or maybe I was so transfixed on Atlas Shrugged and now The Kite Runner that I don't have an opportunity to find enjoyment in reading this book. Every weekend I have forced myself through each word, struggling not to close it and give in to my boredom. It's very sad, I really want to appreciated this book! It is very frustrating. Maybe it is too drawn out, or maybe there are just so many more things I wish I could be reading instead, but this book just isn't doing it for me. I hope my perspective changes, and soon.

Joshua Cohen Commentary on Part 2 Chapters 2, 3, and 4: Why Does it Have to be so Confusing?

          In this week’s reading, the number one theme is confusion and general madness. During the reading, I had absolutely no clue what was going on, and to be honest, I was starting to feel the stress that Raskolnikov was feeling because of the way the chapters were written. The pacing of the words were quick yet sporadic and I had a hard time following what was happening, just like Raskolnikov was. Personally, I find this effectiveness to be brilliant, like before, and how the author was able to capture the mind of Raskolnikov as though he were trapped in a cage while he was running about trying to get rid of the evidence of his crime. He goes so crazy, in fact, that he literally passes out and generally loses control over himself. At this point in the story I have no idea what is going on, whether what he is describing is in his head or real. Both points have validity in my head, but neither one makes much sense. On the one hand, Raskolnikov could be going crazy due to the guilt he feels for the crime and has entered a state where he is imagining everything that is occurring to him. The whole investigation and his actions might just be his mind running rampant as he tries to make sense of what is happening. This would make sense as it would be a repetition of how he tried to justify himself earlier through all his actions, and this is just an embodiment of his justification. He could be imagining the fact that the doctors are visiting him and basically talking about the investigation of the murder, quite conveniently, so that Raskolnikov has a blow by blow discussion of what is happening. Yet, this would not make sense if it is all in his head because there are still figures from before the incident that seem to be acting normally and there is proof of things still occurring outside of this room/Raskolnikov’s mind such as the money from his mother. So if this is not just in his mind, this could be justified as a further punishment for Raskolnikov’s crimes that he has to suffer through as he watches his friends and family slowly unfold the truth while he just sits there, lying to them and to himself about the crime. I feel that this is going to be more painful, again, than if he were just caught in the first place, because he is going to be painfully aware of the punishment that others might receive due to his actions. But, I still do not know enough to make any sense of what is what and who is who in this story, so I guess I will just have to wait. 

Joshua Cohen's Reaction to Luisa's Post on Chapter 7 and Chapter 1 Part 2

I agree with the fact that it was kind of a surprise that Raskolnikov had to kill Alyona’s sister, but it makes sense with the rest of the story. If Raskolnikov had just killed Alyona, there doesn’t seem like there would be much guilt that Raskolnikov would feel, but because he had to kill Alyona’s sister, he is feeling a lot guiltier than he would be. Also, I am not so sure that it is really his “evil” side as much as it is his will to survive by whatever means. He only justifies this murder with the fact that he heard someone else complaining about Alyona and he felt that that was enough to justify her murder. The book is definitely changing from the crime stage, where Raskolnikov is thinking about the crime and eventually committing it, to the punishment stage in part two. I feel that now Raskolnikov is finally going to feel all the consequences for his actions, but I am not sure where it is going to come from. I personally feel that Raskolnikov is going to become extremely paranoid or extremely depressed and inflict most of the punishment on himself. I feel like that would be worse because if he got caught and sent to jail, everyone would know that he deserved the punishment. If people do not know why Raskolnikov is being so paranoid or depressed, they will try to help him which would probably cause him more torture because of the knowledge of his guilt that will most likely haunt him. It would also make more sense if the punishment came from within himself because then it would explain why he is so weird and introverted at the beginning of the book. 

My Comment to Alexa's Reaction

I think Alexa makes an extremely on point observation saying that the story resembles Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Raskolnikov truly has this outside composure and then complete insanity on the inside. I agree with her that his punishment will truly lie in his inner conflict of deciding whether to confess or not confess and remain a free man.

Raskolnikov's evil side prevails

Raskolnikov's mysterious plan is finally shown and executed. He had consistently had hatred for Alyona Ivanova, because he had overheard people saying she was an extremely bitter woman who had no purpose, and after hearing it multiple times he decided that it was his own job to be the one to kill her. He always had these thoughts in his head in the previous chapters, but I never knew what the thoughts were about, until it was revealed in this reading and then executed. Not only does he muder Alyona, but his sister as well. He did not intend on killing her too at first, but he killed her in the end because she was a witness to him standing over her dead sister's body and she could not tell anybody what he did, so he killed her too. He killed his witness. This twist to the story was kind of a shocker to me because even though I suspected him of doing something evil, he had moments where he committed such humane actions, such as giving away his money or helping that girl, that I did not think he would just go and kill somebody because he felt it was his duty to eliminate her from the planet. His evil side, so to say, prevails in this case.

My comment on Alexia's reaction

I completely agree with Alexia's reaction to this part of Crime and Punishment, in fact my initial reaction was quite similar. The internal struggle Raskolnikov is going through is a huge aspect of his punishment for what he has done. His fainting spell in the police station demonstrates the evident pressure that he feels to figure out and classify the conflicting desires he has. His inability to do so also shows how difficult the struggle really is for him, which makes me feel slightly bad for him. What he did was clearly wrong, immoral, unconstitutional, and illegal, and I'm not saying I can relate to him, because I can't, but I do sympathize for him. The tension and feelings of alienation from society that he is feeling are important to the development of his character. A person who commits such a crime should undoubtedly feel estranged from the rest of humanity, if he didn't, I would not consider him human. Maybe he'll decide to truly pay for his actions and make the correct decision in dealing with them. Hopefully, Raskolnikov can redeem himself in my eyes at least.

Raskolnikov's Punishment

My feelings toward Raskolnikov are still unclear. In the second part of Crime and Punishment it is quite obvious that he feels some sort of guilt or remorse for the crimes he has committed. Now that the "crime" part of the title is behind us, we can focus on the "punishment" part. But what exactly is Raskolnikov's punishment? As we all know, from the beginning of the novel, Raskolnikov displays more than one persona. His range of actions and emotions is similar to a "Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde" type of character. On the outside, he appears to be in control of his situation, but he is full of turmoil on the inside. Thus far, nobody knows the truth behind his actions, but as he sits in the police station it grows more and more obvious that he is guilty of something. The result of the crime was the complete opposite of what he thought it would be. He thought that, with the completion of the murder, he would feel better about everything, satisfied, more in control, accomplished. But in reality, his carefully composed facade and general feeling of superiority are slowly deteriorating and being replaced with anxiousness, delirium, paranoia, and weakness. Now, the real point of the novel starts to unfold. We get to witness his torturous confliction between wanting to confess and wanting to remain a free man. The internal suffering he is experiencing is, in actuality, his true punishment, but I have a feeling that this is only the beginning of what Dostoevsky has in store for Roskolnikov.

My (Alexia) Comment on Rachael's Post

I find it interesting that you do not find him to be purely evil. The way that he committed the murder makes it hard for me to see him as anything but evil. He killed this woman in such a brutal manner and then killed her sister in an equally brutal manner for being nothing more than a witness. This is dark and twisted in my eyes. The only aspect of this all where I can see how you would not categorize him as entirely evil is due to the fact that he feels remorse. Due to the fact that he feels guilt both physically and emotionally proves what you are saying with the fact that he cannot really be described as evil. Though the murder was committed as if he were wholly evil, I agree that it is challenging to pinpoint him as evil just because it looks more like a crime of opportunity and passion. If he was entirely evil, I don't think he would have felt the remorse at all or as strong as Raskolnikov does in this weeks reading. On the other hand I do not admire Raskolnikov in any way shape or form. I find it difficult to after he committed the murder, but I do think that the author attempted to have the readers sense this conflicting emotions that you feel, though for me it is a little challenging to feel that way.

The Guilt Proves to be Too Much for Raskolnikov

The first part was focused more on the actual crime, but now that it has been committed the second part seems to be more dedicated to his punishment, hence the title Crime and Punishment. I got the answer to the question I proposed in my last blog post and the answer was yes, he is obviously feeling remorse. I use the term obviously because his whole emotional and physical state has changed; he is paranoid, frantic, and growing weak, all because of the guilt he is feeling. In the beginning of Chapter 1 of Part 2, he is frantically searching his clothes to ensure there is no blood and then finding the pawned items. This demonstrates how he is becoming paranoid, which leads him to worry because he almost forgot to hide the pawned items. This paranoia is considered by Raskolnikov to be a the beginning of his punishment, which is interesting because h believes that he will punished through emotional torment and stress rather than physically being punished. He also later when he is called to the police station he faints, and I believe this happens because he is nervous that the police suspect him and also he has a very heavy guilty conscience weighing on him. This causes him to once again have this internal struggle with himself on whether to rid himself of his overbearing guilt by confessing but as a result lose his freedom, or say nothing at all and remain a free man with a guilty conscience. Also at the police station we get a sense that Raskolnikov is now feeling isolated from society. This isolation was not something that is new since before he had this air of haughtiness and he isolated himself from society because he simply thought he was better than everyone else, but now he comes to the realization that he has completely isolated himself saying “…that it was no longer possible for him to address these people in the police station, not only with heartfelt effusion, as he had just done, but in any way at all…” (188) 

Rodia Loses It (Rachael Marks)

It appears that Rodia has finally reached his breaking point. The line between good and evil, and although his intentions are "good" I would not define his murderous craze as such. He has not only killed his intended victim, but another person who was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Would I call it evil though? I'm unsure. Although the act was spurned on malicious intent, there is something about it that makes me feel wrong about calling it wholly evil. I do not believe Rodia is an evil person, although he is a murderer. There is something, that I cannot quite put my finger on, that brings him out of this category. It irks me that I am unable to find the words to explain why this would be. He killed in such a brutal way so why should I feel the need to defend his actions? Why is he such an admirable character? I feel sick with how much I care for him, but at the same time, I do not. Of course, I have come to realize, that this conflicting emotion I hold is something that Dostoevsky intended to create in his audiences mind. Can a person commit an act of violence and still be percieved as a decent person? Is there really such thing as good or evil? Maybe so, maybe not, but I feel like labels are not going to cut it in terms of this story. Rodia is an exception to the standard label, and maybe that is why I admire him so much.

Joshua Cohen's Reaction to the Murder of Alyona and it's Implications to Raskolnikov

So, here we get to see Raskolnikov kill the broker, and we get evidence that he is not completely void of all emotions. He reacts like a normal person should when killing someone (not from personal experience), he is nervous about whether or not the old woman will notice his intentions, he is somewhat careless because he is distracted by the act of killing Alyona and he overlooks a few things. This is an important insight into Raskolnikov character in that he is not just a cold blooded killer, he is in fact human. Even though he had planned the murder out in his head so many times, he is still in shock after the killing. Yet, it is unclear as to whether he is disturbed about the general idea of killing people, or that he had to kill Alyona’s daughter which he had not intended to do. At this point in the story, Raskolnikov’s perception that he is the judge of moral justice has turned against him as he is now at the mercy of being punished for the moral wrongdoing of murdering two innocent women for his own benefit. I find it interesting that Raskolnikov is not actually being punished by an external source, as nobody has discovered that he has committed the crime yet, therefore any suffering that Raskolnikov feels is entirely his own punishment. He is hating himself for committing the crime, he cannot believe himself, and it is almost as if the part of him that strove to punish moral wrongdoings is separate from his conscious self, and has decided to punish himself. I feel like this is a foreshadowing for things to come later in the novel and I feel that Raskolnikov is going to end up having a personal crisis over this and will probably end up killing himself or those around him out of paranoia. 

Rodia's Dream (Rachael Marks)

I have to say that I had a very difficult time with this weeks reading. I did not take from it as much as I would have liked to. My thoughts and ability to concentrate were overshadowed by the dream Rodia has in chapter five. It was horrifying. The imagery Dostoevsky uses to depict the scene terrified me. I could not focus on anything but the horrid picture of the vicious slaughtering of the horse. It was so graphic, so brutal, yet it was perfect for this story. The writing in the part is beautiful, it is done with excellence. A writer has done their job if they can make you feel. Whether the author makes you feel sadness, disgust, fear, or relief they are accomplishing something. They have brought you (the reader) inside of their story. I did not particularly want to be in this aspect of the story, but my writerly appreciation gave me so many mixed feelings. In this part of the book I was faced with the collision of two things that are immensely important to me, excellent literature and animal rights. Being put together in a contrasting manner has made the reading a very painful experience for me. It is hard to feel disgust and appreciation at the same time, yet Dostoevsky has brought this upon me. I see now why he is a highly regarded author.

Joshua Cohen's Reaction to Alexa Coots

     I agree that the ambiguity of the book in its description of Raskolnikov and his past are very much an aspect of the books appeal. Because the reader has very little knowledge of Raskolnikov’s background or surroundings at the beginning of the novel, the reader is left to see the world only from Raskolnikov’s eyes, which perceives things a lot different than the readers would. With a lack of knowledge about Raskolnikov’s past, the reader is left to assume how Raskolnikov grew up, making it difficult to see how even Raskolnikov perceives what he is doing. It is unclear to the reader exactly what Raskolnikov thinks about what he is doing, other than the fact that he thinks that whatever he is doing is right. Even with that, Raskolnikov vacillates between perception a lot in the story which kind of leaves the reasons for Raskolnikov’s compulsions and actions up to the reader. Personally, I think that Raskolnikov grew up without a real guide as to what is right and what is wrong because everything he can remember from his childhood is all of the immoral actions of those around him. I think that, as of now, Raskolnikov is kind of taking revenge on society for being so possibly messed up in his childhood by dishing out what he thinks is social justice. Yet one could see the actions of Raskolnikov as just an expression of his truly generous self and his want to reduce the number of immoral deeds committed in society. Yet another person could see this as Raskolnikov trying to fulfill a desire for power to control others by making sure that he helps those below him, almost as if he feels vindicated by knowing that people are lower than him, and that they depend on his actions to get through the day. All of this combines to the true ambiguous beauty that Dostoevsky captured in his writing.