larryusa Posted March 22, 2020 Share Posted March 22, 2020 Hello everyone, After reading Dostojevski's Crime and Punishment a question has been "haunting" me. I have been asking whether this question was even relevant to the understanding of the book. But I am a criminology student and asking questions is often the first thing I do when reading books. I don't think anyone but Dostojevski could give me the right answer, but unfortunately he is not among us anymore.. So I am asking you, fellow readers, what your answer is to the question I am about to ask. Spoiler When Raskolnikov commits the first murder, the second woman (the sister if I remember well) enters the house and Raskolnikov killed her too. So my question is: what if the second woman hadn't interrupted? Would Raskolnikov have had the same "mental breakdown" after he only committed the first murder? I agree that on the one hand this question is irrelevant, because it's just the way it happend and the way it could happen to anyone committing a murder, but on the other hand I think it is a very relevant question. I will try to give you my answer. Raskolnikov felt repulsion and hatred towards the old lady, he thought she was a useless, less of a human being. So maybe, if he only killed her, he wouldn't feel any guilt or regret. Of course, I am not saying that this perspective is true, but it is plausible. And by writing this I feel like I answered my own question.. Because if Raskolnikov didn't regret his crime, they're wouldn't be a 1000 pages book.. What do you think? Would Raskolnikov react the same way if he had only killed the old lady? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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