"Crime and Punishment"

Book Review # 112516

A discussion of the book "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky in which he uses repetition to help us understand his central character, Raskolnikov.

2,330 words () | 1 source | MLA | 2008 United States

Paper Summary:

The paper shows how repetition is a key element in Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" and how certain colors are continuously repeated as an indication of a character's mental or moral state, as in yellow, which indicates mental or moral decrepitude. The paper notes that, throughout the book, certain phrases and also structural patterns are repeated. The paper also discusses how the use of repetition brings forth subtle details in our understanding of the protagonist Raskolnikov's road to redemption and that, until the very end, Raskolnikov continually goes through similar cyclical, repetitive attempts at justifying his actions.

From the Paper:

"With this in mind, the immediate regression reflects the level to which Raskolnikov is entrenched within his own moral theory. Even Sonya, the character that is meant to symbolize the hopeful and benevolent nature, can only change this Raskolnikov for a few moments. For the rest of the meeting, Raskolnikov deviates very little from his cynical state."