Post #2 (Rachael Marks)

There are many different types of internal struggle. With different situations different factors cause the mind to be thrust into a state of great torment. There are six types of internal struggle that can be greatly associated with this book, the struggles of choice, regret, control, desire, reflection, and coping. Raskolnikov is faced with each of these situations and spends quite a long time dwelling on how they should be dealt with.
There are many times that Raskolnikov finds himself having to make a choice. In regards to some perspectives it could be said that all internal struggle is a struggle between choices. Raskolnikov's main initial choice is whether to kill or not to kill. While this is also a desire some distinction between the desire and choice would be found in the fact that at some points, this was no longer a choice for Raskolnikov. He had to do it. That is when it is no longer a choice but something stronger, and eventually it becomes something more than a desire, it becomes something far out of his control. His body will not allow him to sit still any longer, he must act on the desire, whether he wants to or not. This is when the situation becomes a struggle of control. The book draws this out in long rants about every struggle he is going through. Raskolnikov's personal torture almost seems to be put upon the reader. In a manner of spilling his guts out, even though the book takes place in third person and he is not usually speaking out loud, Raskolnikov is telling his story in a way not so different from a poet.
In common methods of writing, a poem will pour out a feeling with some kind of conclusion or twist at the end. The conclusion is not always as simple as making a choice, sometimes the conclusion is to do nothing at all. The structure of Raskolnikov's rants flow the same way. He dwells on an idea, evaluates his choices, and either acts on it or saves it for later where he will rant about it again.
A poem that circles, turns, and contemplates to some extent that Raskolnikov may, would be "Evidence of Life" by Erica Jong. This poem is comparable to Raskolnikov's thought stream in the way it doubts, but defends certain ideas. Jong, like Raskolnikov, is tied around several points, trying to make something of them. The poem dwells on what evidence there may be of life, then love, then of the speaker having love, then if there ever was love in the first place. This is much like Raskolnikov feeling irksome, questioning what is bothering him, deciding if it is the sickness, and then contemplating if he was sick to begin with. In a way both the speaker of the poem and Raskolnikov may never have answers to any of their many questions, but at the same time, it feels like they know the answer. When the Jong writes, "& if it wasn't love,/ if you called me now/ across the old echo chamber of the ocean/ & said:/ 'Look I never loved you,'/ I would feel/ a little like a fool perhaps,/ & yet it wouldn't matter." it displays a similar struggle that Raskolnikov feels in the novel. Even though he feels like he knows what is to come, results still affect him. There is no escaping the impact that his actions will cause him. In his struggle it almost seems like he is not looking for an answer, but looking for anything to ramble about. It may be said that he is distracting himself.