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Matt Rose
AP English
Mrs. Mattner
13 October 2014
Crime and Punishment Justice Essay
Justice is an ideal that is perceived in different ways by various individuals and is an
integral aspect of society that determines the consequences necessary in proportion to the action
committed. In Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment the protagonist, Raskolnikov,
struggles for much of the novel in his search to understand and find justice. Although
Raskolnikov initially sees justice as an ideal that he can transgress, the protagonist ultimately
comes to realize that justice is a vital aspect of society that all must uphold. Raskolnikov
eventually searches for justice by seeking the road to redemption and by achieving repentance.
Throughout the novel, Raskolnikov is exposed to the impoverished environment of St.
Petersburg. The protagonist is surrounded by poor, destitute individuals who have little hope of
bettering their situations. It is evident that this desolation has a large impact on Raskolnikov and
influences his perception of justice; he uses the hopeless situation of the poor to justify his
murder of the pawnbroker. During the time period in which Crime and Punishment is set there
was a rigid class system that separated members of society into different groups based on
socioeconomic status. Raskolnikov and the other characters who live in the part of St. Petersburg
depicted in the novel are members of the lowest class in Russian society. Since the class system
was very inflexible these individuals had little hope of ever improving their circumstances. This

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class-based oppression greatly affects Raskolnikov's impression of justice; he seemingly

commits the murder in part to transgress the class system. For much of the time before he
commits the murders, Raskolnikov isolates himself in his room. This self-imposed separation
from society most likely contributes to the protagonist's fractured mental state and may influence
him to make the decision to commit the murder. Raskolnikov's isolation distorts his perception of
justice; the lack of having the opportunity to converse with an intellectual equal leads him to
make a decision that he normally would not have made and causes him to see justice as
something to which he is superior. Raskolnikov creates a theory that states that there are a few
people in society who are inherently superior to others and thus have the right to break moral
law. He believes that the purpose of these "supermen" is to commit actions that are beneficial for
all members of society. Raskolnikov's theory causes the protagonist to see justice as something
that he can rightfully transgress in order to achieve the greater good for society. He uses his
theory to justify his murder of the pawnbroker and believes that it is just for him to be
invulnerable from the consequences of committing the crime. Raskolnikov's personality seems to
be split into two distinct parts: one part of the protagonist is compassionate, charitable, and seeks
out others while the other part is cold, calculating, self-centered, and wants to be isolated from
others. It seems as though the former part of Raskolnikov's personality sees justice as something
that should be given to all while the latter part views the ideal as something that is highly
subjective and that can be transgressed by superior members of society. Conflict between these
two personalities of Raskolnikov creates mental instability which complicates his understanding
of justice. The protagonists personality split becomes the most severe after he commits the
murders. Immediately after committing the crime, Raskolnikov feels guilt, confusion, and
extreme paranoia. These feelings manifest themselves in a fever that debilitates Raskolnikov for

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several days. The intense emotions that the protagonist feels after committing the murders
indicate that he is not the superior being that he thought he could be and cause him to begin to
realize that he did not create justice through his actions.
Dostoyevsky employs several characters in the novel who serve to facilitate the
protagonist's eventual transformation into a penitent individual. Each character has a profound
impact on Raskolnikov's perception of justice and his journey to redemption; however, they
influence him in very distinct ways. Svidrigailov represents an extreme example of
Raskolnikov's theory. Since he may have committed several crimes and evaded being convicted,
Svidrigailov exemplifies Raskolnikov's belief that some people are invulnerable to the
consequences of the law and able to transgress societal norms and regulations. Although part of
the protagonist is intrigued and mesmerized by Svidrigailovs behavior and personality, he
primarily feels disgust when he is in the mans presence: To put it bluntly, you are repulsive.
Nobody wants to know whether or not you were right (Dostoyevsky 270). It is evident that
Raskolnikov dislikes Svidrigailov largely because he so accurately personifies the protagonists
theory: Raskolnikov initially sees his theory as truth but begins to doubt his philosophy when he
sees it carried out in real life. Svidrigailovs suicide in the end of the novel represents the death
of the protagonists theory. When Raskolnikov hears the news about the suicide, he immediately
feels as though something had fallen on him and was crushing him (Dostoyevsky 504).
Raskolnikov likely feels this way because he realizes that one who lives in accordance with the
principles in his theory is doomed to an outcome similar to that of Svidrigailov. This shows the
protagonist that acting in a way consistent with his past definition of justice leads to emptiness
and despair.

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While the character of Svidrigailov serves to show Raskolnikov the faults in his way of
thinking, Sonia acts as the link between Raskolnikov past sins and the road to redemption. When
Raskolnikov reaches out to Sonia after having committed the murders, Sonia acts as a
compassionate, understanding figure who can sympathize with the protagonist's feelings. Sonia
advises Raskolnikov on how to redeem himself and ultimately drives him to confess to the crime.
Her influence leads Raskolnikov to eventually reconcile with God, allowing him to find
redemption through the medium of religion. When the protagonist visits Sonia in her apartment
for the first time, she reads to him the story of Lazarus. This passage symbolizes the redemption
that both characters will have to undergo due to the actions they have committed and brings the
two tortured souls together: The candle end had long been flickering out in its crooked holder,
dimly illuminating in this beggarly room the murderer and the harlot, who had so strangely come
together here to read the Eternal Book (Dostoyevsky 313). Through Sonia's influence,
Raskolnikovs perception of justice begins to be based on conservative, religious ideals rather
than the radical beliefs that heavily influenced his theory.
While religion plays a vital role in changing Raskolnikovs understanding of justice and
helps lead him down the road of redemption, intellect also has a significant impact on the
protagonist. Porfiry Petrovich is Raskolnikovs intellectual equal who suspects the protagonist of
committing the crime and strives to bring him to justice. Porfiry uses psychological tactics in
order to bring Raskolnikov to confess. The intellectual battle between Porfiry and Raskolnikov
constantly puts the protagonist on edge and causes him to be paranoid and anxious throughout
much of the novel. In addition, Porfiry uses his intellect to pick apart Raskolnikovs theory,
pointing out the flaws in his line of thinking: How do you go about telling the extraordinary
ones from the ordinary? [] But youll agree, it would be a bit, ah, sticky, wouldnt it, if there

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were an awful lot of them, ah? By thoroughly questioning Raskolnikov about his theory,
Porfiry provides the protagonist with intellectual stimulation that was absent while he was
isolated in his room. It is possible that Raskolnikov would have discarded his theory if he had
discussed his philosophy extensively with an intellectual equal like Porfiry. Towards the end of
the novel, Porfiry helps guide Raskolnikov in his pursuit for justice by advising him to confess
and accept the sufferings that may come when he tries to attain redemption: So buck up, and be
a little less afraid. Are you frightened at the great task that stands before you? No, it would be
shameful to be afraid of that. Since youve taken the step youve taken, brace yourself. Thats
justice. Do what justice demands (Dostoyevsky 438). Since Porfiry's encouragement comes
from an intellectual standpoint Raskolnikov is greatly influenced by his words. The detectives
tactics ultimately contribute to Raskolnikov's decision to confess and influence him to search for
justice by seeking the road to redemption.
Raskolnikovs continuous search for justice demonstrates his ultimate willingness to
make amends for committing the crime, contributing to the novel's overall theme of redemption.
Towards the end of the novel, it becomes clear that the protagonist can only realize his search for
justice by attaining redemption and repentance. Raskolnikov becomes repentant and finally
begins to journey on the road to redemption when he serves out his time in Siberia. Initially, the
protagonist remains impenitent about his past crime, instead believing that he simply made an
error. True transformation comes for Raskolnikov when he dreams that a plague had infected
most of the worlds population, causing everyone to think that he or she solely possessed the
truth. He dreams that this occurrence led to the destruction of society: Everybody was in a state
of alarm, and nobody understood anybody; each thought the truth was in him alone; suffered
agonies when he looked at the others; beat his breast; wept and wrung his hands. They did not

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know whom to condemn or whom to acquit. People killed each other in a senseless rage
(Dostoyevsky 519). This dream brings Raskolnikov to realize that problems arise if everyone has
their own definition of justice, indicating that his was erroneous in his past perception of justice.
This realization finally enables the protagonist to achieve repentance and prepare himself to
begin his struggle for redemption. Raskolnikovs search for justice is ultimately successful; he
comes to understand that justice is an objective ideal that all must uphold in order to maintain
societal structure.