Crime and Punishment: Back to the Basics

Before we go on with the novel, merely representing the synopses of each chapter, which can be rather mundane, let's discuss some of the literary techniques used by the author in this terrific novel.

1. Motifs. (recurring structures, contrasts and literary devices that are used to help develop and inform the reader with regard to the text's major themes as the book is read)
Question: We know that poverty is rather ubiquitous throughout this novel, which takes place in St. Petersburg, Russia. Which characters are best described throughout the novel as being in a state of poverty? Which ones are not?

Question: We understand, by reading the text, that Raskolnikov is often depicted throughout the novel as a person who "distances himself" from two specific other characters, who are they? (this would be just the opposite of what "should happen" in a poverty-stricken" environment, where people generally bond together, poverty being the overwhelming force that makes families support one another).Hint: these two characters are related, as mother and child.

Question:[I] In what way does poverty help Dostoevsky develop the scenes and the settings of St. Petersburg? What is he specifically addressing when he uses poverty in the novel?

Symbols.
The City of St. Petersburg is represented as being extremely crowded and dirty in the novel, Crime and Punishment. There are drunks throughout the streets; children and women are seen begging for money; residents are crowded into small, noisy apartments, where (in some instances) a person might own just one corner of the apartment.
Question:[I] St. Petersburg represents two major symbols in the novel; what are they?

Recall that Sonya provides Raskolnikov with a cross before he goes to the police station to confess his crimes (some of you might not have read this far into the novel as of yet). Aside from the important symbol that it represents in the realm of Christendom, and Jesus' self-sacrifice for the sins of humanity, what else does the cross represent to Raskolnikov's character? What, significantly, does the cross represent to Sonya?

Note: If this post is well received by others and is liked, I will continue to post these sort of questions; I will most certainly post the answers as well. Depending on the reception, I will either continue with the summaries with respect to the novel, continuing with Part III, or I will delve back into chapter one and dig up some more literary techniques, such as the 'internal and external conflicts' that are represented in Raskolnikov's character, specifically as it deals with the opening of the novel, and as it continues throughout the text.

Professor Mea505, I will answer to this later.

LOL :thumbs_up

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Originally Posted by mea505

1. Motifs. (recurring structures, contrasts and literary devices that are used to help develop and inform the reader with regard to the text's major themes as the book is read)
Question: We know that poverty is rather ubiquitous throughout this novel, which takes place in St. Petersburg, Russia. Which characters are best described throughout the novel as being in a state of poverty? Which ones are not?

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Families Raskolnikov (especially Rodya) and Marmeladov(they are actually the best example); and Luhin and Svidrigailov on the other side.
Dead sister should be rich, but they didn't have time to show that, so we can only assume.

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Originally Posted by mea505

Question: We understand, by reading the text, that Raskolnikov is often depicted throughout the novel as a person who "distances himself" from two specific other characters, who are they? (this would be just the opposite of what "should happen" in a poverty-stricken" environment, where people generally bond together, poverty being the overwhelming force that makes families support one another).Hint: these two characters are related, as mother and child.

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Bamby and his mother?

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Originally Posted by mea505

Question:[I] In what way does poverty help Dostoevsky develop the scenes and the settings of St. Petersburg? What is he specifically addressing when he uses poverty in the novel?

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In my opinion, he makes those scenes realistic; because bigger part of population was poor. He showed problems of small man in most of his works(opposite of Tolstoy).

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Originally Posted by mea505

Symbols.
The City of St. Petersburg is represented as being extremely crowded and dirty in the novel, Crime and Punishment. There are drunks throughout the streets; children and women are seen begging for money; residents are crowded into small, noisy apartments, where (in some instances) a person might own just one corner of the apartment.
Question:[I] St. Petersburg represents two major symbols in the novel; what are they?

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I don't think it was problem of St.Peterburg, it was a common in those days; and it was technique of realism to show common people in common situations ( check Belinsky's views). Nothing much different from others Russian writers; except it's much better.
Two symbols? Hint...

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Originally Posted by mea505

Before we go on with the novel, merely representing the synopses of each chapter, which can be rather mundane, let's discuss some of the literary techniques used by the author in this terrific novel.

1. Motifs. (recurring structures, contrasts and literary devices that are used to help develop and inform the reader with regard to the text's major themes as the book is read)
Question: We know that poverty is rather ubiquitous throughout this novel, which takes place in St. Petersburg, Russia. Which characters are best described throughout the novel as being in a state of poverty? Which ones are not?

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The Raskolnikovs and Marmeladovs are poor; Luzhin and Svidrigailov aren't. Haha, what Bazarov said. :D

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Originally Posted by mea505

Question: We understand, by reading the text, that Raskolnikov is often depicted throughout the novel as a person who "distances himself" from two specific other characters, who are they? (this would be just the opposite of what "should happen" in a poverty-stricken" environment, where people generally bond together, poverty being the overwhelming force that makes families support one another).Hint: these two characters are related, as mother and child.

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Dunia and Pulcheria, if I'm not mistaken.


My apologies, I swear I'll answer the rest when Saturday comes. I have little time right now for more in depth questions (as the rest you supplied are).

So it's not Bamby?

Many of you were on the right track with respect to the questions and you answered most of the questions correctly.

To recap, here are the answers:

1. Almost every character in the novel, except Luzhin, Svidrigailov, and the police officials, are desperately poor.

2. The two characters are/were: Pulcheria Alexandrovna and Dunya.

3. The author depicts St. Petersburg in the following way (the answer was really given within the text of the next question): Drunks are sprawled on the street in broad daylight, consumptive women beat their children and beg for money, and everyone is crowded into tiny, noisy apartments. (the one of you who got this right knows who "he is." Right on the mark!)

4. The city has a two-fold representation: it represents the state of society with all of its inequalities, prejudices, and deficits; but it also represents Raskolnikov's delirious, agitated state as he spirals through the novel toward the point of his confession and redemption.

5. To Raskolnikov, the cross represents or symbolizes not that he has achieved redemption or even understood what Sonya believes religion can offer him, but that he has begun on the path toward recognition of the sins that he has committed. For Sonya, she gives him the cross to bring him back to humanity, and her love and concern for him.

And, may I ask: Who is Bamby?

If you're a teacher; then we are post graduated students, and questions about Avdotya and Pulcheria are almost insulting :D Give us something harder!

Bambi...famous deer from famous cartoon, along with his mother.

So, you want something that is a little more difficult to answer, is that it? OK, and while I think about what to address, I might add that I knew who "Bambi" was/is (the cartoon character, personified), but I was not sure if that was the same character that you were describing. I promise, however, that by Monday, you will have an honest-to-goodness "brain-teaser" with respect to the novel, Crime and Punishment, but don't complain to me when you are unable to address the question(s). :lol:

So, here we are, on a Saturday, gearing up for the big question(s) to be released on Monday. In the interim, however, I would like to pose a "sample" question, a "taste," if you will, of what to expect on Monday. This question is prompted by "one member's" dissatisfaction with an earlier question I posed, which apparently "insulted his intelligence." Therefore, here we go:

Question: In the novel, Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky includes a rather interesting technique, called allegorical foreshadowing by using a very specific story to predict Raskolnikov's return to humanity. What is the story? Be very specific.

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Originally Posted by mea505

So, here we are, on a Saturday, gearing up for the big question(s) to be released on Monday. In the interim, however, I would like to pose a "sample" question, a "taste," if you will, of what to expect on Monday. This question is prompted by "one member's" dissatisfaction with an earlier question I posed, which apparently "insulted his intelligence." Therefore, here we go:

Question: In the novel, Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky includes a rather interesting technique, called allegorical foreshadowing by using a very specific story to predict Raskolnikov's return to humanity. What is the story? Be very specific.

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:goof:

Hint?

Don't forget Razumikhin as an impoverished character.

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Originally Posted by mea505

a very specific story to predict Raskolnikov's return to humanity

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How about the raising of Lazarus, the dead brother of Mary and Martha of the Gospels, which includes 'Jesus wept'?

"And . . . and do you believe in God? Excuse my curiosity."

"I do," repeated Raskolnikov, raising his eyes to Porfiry.

"And . . . do you believe in Lazarus' rising from the dead?"

"I . . . I do. Why do you ask all this?"

"You believe it literally?"

"Literally."

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Sonia opened the book and found the place. Her hands were shaking, her voice failed her. Twice she tried to begin and could not bring out the first syllable.

"Now a certain man was sick named Lazarus of Bethany . . ." she forced herself at last to read, but at the third word her voice broke like an overstrained string. There was a catch in her breath.

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Under his pillow lay the New Testament. He took it up mechanically. The book belonged to Sonia; it was the one from which she had read the raising of Lazarus to him ... ... But that is the beginning of a new story--the story of the gradual renewal of a man, the story of his gradual regeneration

Excellent Answer, Gladys! You got it right. I didn't really expect it so soon.

Where are the rest of the questions, professor?

They will be forthcoming. I will not be able to post them until Thursday. Been busy.

Well, I'm new to the forum and just finished Crime and Punishment so I'll take a stab at it.
"Question: We know that poverty is rather ubiquitous throughout this novel, which takes place in St. Petersburg, Russia. Which characters are best described throughout the novel as being in a state of poverty? Which ones are not?"

Raskolnikov, Razumikhin, the Marmeladovs, pretty much everyone except Pyotr Petrovich and Svidrigailov.

"Question: We understand, by reading the text, that Raskolnikov is often depicted throughout the novel as a person who "distances himself" from two specific other characters, who are they? (this would be just the opposite of what "should happen" in a poverty-stricken" environment, where people generally bond together, poverty being the overwhelming force that makes families support one another).Hint: these two characters are related, as mother and child."

Avdotya and Pulcheria

"Symbols.The City of St. Petersburg is represented as being extremely crowded and dirty in the novel, Crime and Punishment. There are drunks throughout the streets; children and women are seen begging for money; residents are crowded into small, noisy apartments, where (in some instances) a person might own just one corner of the apartment.
Question:[i] St. Petersburg represents two major symbols in the novel; what are they?"

One of the symbols I thought of was nihilism and the effect that it has on the people living in such morbid conditions, even today in the inner city. The characters of Sonya and Raskolnikov seemed to me like opposites. I may be reaching but Raskolnikov in his superman state had an amoral attitude to the murder of the crone and could be related to as the devil. Sonya although a prostitute was conveyed as as sort of angelic character.