Second Part of Term Paper (Alexia Barrios)

An aspect of committing such a vicious crime that Raskolnikov that he seemed to have overlooked was the psychological turmoil that consisted of intense guilt, which results in the semi-delirious state that it threw him in. Shortly after the murders are committed, it is visible that Raskolnikov’s previously strong mental state becomes to deteriorate due to his guilt. His once lucid thoughts become sporadic and nonsensical as he falls deeper and deeper into delirium as he struggled whether or not to confess to the murders. There are several moments throughout the novel in which he comes so close to confessing, but then retracts himself or teases with the person to whom he was about to confess to.

“What was taking place in him was totally unfamiliar, new, sudden, never before experienced. Not that he understood it, but he sensed clearly, with all the power of sensation, that it was no longer possible for him to address these people in the police station, not only with heartfelt effusions, as he had just done, but in any way at all, and had they been his own brothers and sisters, and not police lieutenants, there would still have been no point in this addressing them, in whatever circumstances of life.”

This quotation, which was thought made by Raskolnikov in Part II Chapter I, illustrates Raskolnikov’s realization on the topic that his murdering of Alyona and Lizaveta has resulted in his complete isolation from society. This alienation and separation of himself from the society in which he lives in was one that began with his superiority complex, but the isolation grew much more once the murders were committed. The murders in a sense completed his separation, as he has now truly crossed over the lines and broken whatever ties he had left to humanity. His guilt only grows more intense as the novel continues, thus causing the separation between himself and society to grow as he grows unable to hold conversations without sounding as though he is a lunatic. This alienation increases along with his guilt to the point where he completely removes himself from his family and friends when it comes near to him confessing to Sonya near the end of the novel.

The city of St. Petersburg is represented by Dostoyevsky to be filthy and overly crowded by a variety of low class citizens as drunks are sprawled along the streets, and women force their children out on the streets to beg for money. This clutter and chaos that is St. Petersburg is one that is directly correlated with Raskolnikov’s mental state as he comes near the time of confessing as all the negative factors of the city “contributed to irritate the young man’s already excited nerves”. This negative image that Dostoevsky presents plays a vital role in the alienation of Raskolnikov as well. Through Raskolnikov’s eyes the city is presented to be infest with drunkards, molesters, and other vile creatures, all of which he believes to be much lower than himself. This belief directly correlates with his superiority climax thus stemming with his alienation. Due to the fact that the city is inhabited by such vile creatures, he does not associated himself with any of them, and finds himself continually disgusted by the mere sighting of a drunkard like Marmeladov at a bar.