Topic > Dostoevsky's Raskolnikov: a study in alienation

Crime and Punishment, Part Two: Essay Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In the second part of Crime and Punishment, the reader sees a continuation of many previously presented themes, but in a new and more extreme setting. While Raskolnikov tries to stay away from the accusations, he continues to alienate himself from those who would love and help him, and hides his emotions from them, as well as the evidence he monitors so closely. Rodya is protected by pure luck throughout the text of Part Two, and it is clear that through the beginning, middle, and end his secluded lifestyle, even in the weakness of his sanity, protects the facade of his innocence and it spares him judgment; at least for a while. As you enter the pages of part two it's clear that Rodya's mental and physical state has deteriorated as the guilt of his crime weighs on him, eating away at his sanity and reason. Indeed, while he is obsessed with hiding such guilt - clinging to bloody rags even in his sleep, abandoning the loot from Alyona's house, asking everyone what they know when murder comes up in conversation - he is also tormented by it, desperately wanting to reveal his secret." But such desperation and, if I may say so, such cynicism of perdition that suddenly possessed him, that he waved his hand and continued. "Just put an end to it!..."... Having reached a turning point of the street yesterday, he peered with tormenting anxiety at that house... and immediately looked away. "If they ask me, maybe I'll tell them", he thought as he approached the station... he didn't ask anyone anything "I'll go in , I will fall on my knees and tell everything..." he thought, going up to the fourth floor."p.94Rodya's conscience pleads with him throughout the novel to be moral and give up this terrible crime so that at least he can have peace of mind. However, Raskolnikov's dualism is also against him in that his "reason and will" cannot let go of his secret, but rather needs to feel that he has gotten away with it. This emotion versus reason creates a very nervous and confused Rodya throughout the text and he often panics, obsessing over the details of the murder, and at other times gives up, hoping that someone will catch him and his torment will end. To prove this, Rodya must remain as alienated as possible, because he cannot control his outbursts (as he demonstrated several times during his attacks in front of Zossimiov, Natasya and Razumikhin), so he must control his company. Even in the midst of his illness, while delirium threatens him and he is unable to look after himself, he tries to push away even those few people who would like to help him. Razumikhin, however, does not give up, and he, Natasya and Zossimov are determined to help Raskolnikov against his will, even dressing him as he fights tears to make them go away. Rodya's paranoia that he might get caught causes his mind to keep thinking about the details and evidence against him which, if anyone were near him or overcame his rationality to become emotional, would surely imply his guilt . His reason and will fear his uncontrolled emotional side, wishing not to repeat scenes like the one at the police station where he makes himself emotionally vulnerable to strangers. By the middle of the section, it seems that Razumikhin and Zossimov are close enough to understanding Rodya's behavior. entire murder as Razumikhin accurately portrays Rodya's clumsy and sloppy murder scene. "But it's not, that's exactly the point!" Razumikhin interrupted. "This is what shocks you. I say he wasn't smart, he wasn't experienced, and that was it.