Feodor Dostoevsky

1821 Feodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky born in Moscow in Hospital for the poor (2nd of 7 siblings)

1831-7 Attends boarding schools in Moscow

1837 Mother dies; sent to prep school in St.Petersburg

1838 Admitted to St. Petersburg’s Academy of Military Engineers

1839 Father murdered (possibly by his own serfs)

1843-4 Graduates from Academy as lieutenant. Translates Balzac, G.Sand

1846 Poor Folk; diagnosed w/nervous ailments

1849 Arrested and convicted for alleged political crimes. Setenced to death but sent to Siberia instead

1850-4 Penal labor in Omsk

1853 Epileptic seizures begin

1854-9 Compulsory military service in Sibera; Marries widow Marya Dmitrievna

1862 First trip abroad (England, France, Switzerland). Liaison w/Apollinaria (Polina) Suslova

1864 Notes from Underground. Death of his wife and brother

1866 Crime and Punishment

1867 Marries Anna Grigorievna Snitkina and lives abroad (Geneva, Florence, Vienna, Prague, Dresden)

1871-2 Moves back to Russia

1874 Arrested and imprisoned for censorship regulations

1879 The Brothers Karamazov

1881 Dies from lung hemorrhage in St. Petersburg.

Russian Empire and Europe in 1866

From Von Hebel, Gerard. "1866." Historical Atlas of Europe. Oct. 2001. http://home.zonnet.nl/gerardvonhebel/1866.htm Accessed Sept. 2004.

Realism and the Novel

- Realism (from the French school of Realismé, 1856 [see link for Zola, Balzac]) is opposed to idealism and the belief in universals.

- Modern realism = a rejection of universals and an emphasis on the development of the self, individuation

- Philosophical realism: study of the particulars of experiences by the individual investigator, who is ideally divorced from traditional beliefs/past assumptions; focus on semantics (the problematic relation between words and reality)

- Unlike previous literature, "realistic" literature is not based on ancient or Classical myth

- Subordination of plot to autobiographical experience

- For references in Dostoevsky to Realism, see p. 9, 39

Cast of Characters by Family, Friends, and Profession

Social, Philosophical, and Political Context in Crime and Punishment--Debates

Social Realism in Crime and Punishment

- vs. feudalism, hierarchy imposed by the Czar and peasant-landlord inequities

- p. 10-12 ("the latest ideas"), 34 ("convictions of the younger generation"), 43, 94 ("the Movement"), 125-27 ("the common cause")

- cf. p. 572-73: Utopian Socialism (Marx and Engels, Fourier) and/vs. Nihilism

- Utopian Socialism (Marx and Engels, Fourier)—Improve society by changing economic conditions gradually (through education, philanthropy, government, political advocacy)

- Nihilism—Society is flawed but cannot be improved; the only good way to improve society is to destroy its power structures (through revolution, assassination, terrorism)

- The Woman Question (94-5, 164, 309-10)

• Are women human beings? What role should they play in society?
  
• What happens if women are given equal rights to men? Won't they lose their femininity?
  
• Victorian treatment of women: angel/mother/sister vs. whore
  

- Utilitarianism (11, J. S. Mill; Jeremy Bentham): the doctrine that the greatest happiness of the greatest number should be the guiding principle of conduct.
 

- Religion / Science (Darwin) -- Like the Utilitarians, Darwinists would maintain that environment causes crime.

"SOME FACTS THE ENGLISH READER SHOULD KNOW (http://www.middlebury.edu/~beyer/courses/previous/ru351/novels/cp/CPstudy.shtml)

1) Russian readers immediately understand the meanings behind these names:

Raskol’nik = schismatic

Luzha = puddle

Razum = reason, intelligence

Zametit = to notice

Marmelad = sort of sweet candy

Svidrigailov = name from medieval Russian history, Lithuanian prince

2) Russian word for “crime” is “prestuplenie” which in direct translation means “stepping over” (i.e., ‘stepping over the line’).

3) The murder weapon in the novel is an axe, a tool often associated with Russian peasantry. It also carries the connotations of peasant unrest. 

4) CLARIFICATION

Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov = Raskolnikov, Rodya, Rodenka, Rodka

Avdotya Romanovna Raskolnikov = Rodya’s sister, alternately called Dunya, Dunechka"

Vocabulary:

- copeck: Russian copper coin; 100 kopecks equal 1 ruble

- poppet (17): darling

- rouble (22): basic unit of money in Russia

- monomaniac (23): Someone afflicted with monomania (intent concentration on or exaggerated enthusiasm for a single subject or idea)

- dandy (40): A man who affects extreme elegance in clothes and manners; a fop.

- Canaille: The lowest class of people; the rabble; the vulgar.

L. 2: Close Literary Analysis

The basis of all literary criticism is the analysis of data, in our case the literary text. Your first essay topic will ask you to present a close reading of a passage from Crime and Punishment and to outline the themes, motifs, symbols, and philosophical issues this passage embodies. To this end, we are going to practice closely analyzing a literary passage.

Take one passage (3-5 sentences, find from reading notes), read it together as a group, and analyze the images it brings forth, the choice of words, repetitions, characterization, themes, motifs, symbols, perspective, etc.

1.    9-10: Raskolnikov meets Marmeladov (“My dear sir . . . the Neva,” 9-10)

2.    27: Letter from his mother (“The dénouement came unexpectedly . . . an open cart,” 27)

3.    49: Raskolnikov’s dream (“The boy ran towards the horse . . . kicking again,” 49)

4.    64: Raskolnikov at the door (“He purposely shifted . . . bolt being lifted,” 64)

L. 3: Why does Raskolnikov murder the pawnbroker and her sister?

FAMILIAL

• First born; treated especially well (see mother’s doting letter)

• Pawns sister’s ring and sister’s watch

 ECONOMIC

• Murders a usurer
  

• Weapon (axe) evokes peasants, and the lower classes
  

PHILOSOPHICAL

• Follows ideas of scientific rationalism

• Scene w/students in the tavern: "Kill her, take her money, on condition that you dedicate yourself with its help to the service of humanity and the common good" (Dostoevsky 56); influence of Engl. Utilitarianism and French Utopianism (see p.572)

• Later: Napoleon / Extraordinary Man theory

PSYCHOLOGICAL

• His name means schism, and he has "two separate personalities" (182); one side is ruthless (Nihilistic), while the other is more philanthropic (Utopian Socialist).

• Lives in his own moral universe
• "monomania" (175)
  

Close Textual Analysis and Interpretation (10 min.)

Take one passage (3-5 sentences) from one of the following selections and analyze the images it brings forth, the choice of words, repetitions, characterization, themes, motifs, symbols, perspective, etc. Write about one page and identify your passage at the top of the page. Consider the importance of this passage; what themes, structures, motifs, and ideas from Crime and Punishment it embodies; and how a literary critic like yourself might understand it. You might begin by summarizing the content of the passage in your own words and then considering the words of the author (e.g., the way Dostoevsky expresses himself).

1. “He clasped the money . . . as if with a knife” (96-7).

2. “Raskolnikov himself was still lying on his back . . . the younger generation” (122-25).

3. “’Where was it . . . looking at one another without moving” (135-37).

4. “At this moment Polenka . . . ‘Listen ! Listen !’” (157-60).

5. Any rich passage of your choice

L. 5

Group discussion (10 min.)

Pose your best question to the group and write down the answers (hopefully with specific reference to the text), preparing to report to the class as a whole.

L. 6

Party Game—

Play 20 questions to find out which character you are (yes or no answers only). You are only allowed to ask point-blank if you are a certain character 3 times. Sit down when you find out your identity and prepare to tell the class 3 important facts about your character and ways to identify this character in the text. The purpose of this exercise is to help familiarize you with different names and stories in the novel.

Sample Questions:
-    Was I involved in a murder?
-    Am I still alive?
-    Do I work for the police?
-    Was I married to X?
-    Is my nickname X?

There may be more than one of these characters on the floor at the same time:

Rodión Romanovich Raskolnikov
Pulkhéria Alexándrovna Raskolnikov

Avdótya Románovna (Dúnya, Dúnechka) Raskolnikov

Dmítri Prokófich Razumíkhin
Peter Petrovich Luzhin
Semën Zakhárovich Marmeladov
Katerina Ivanovna Marmeladov

Sófya (Sonya) Semënovna
Amalia Ivanovna/Ludwigovna Lippewechsel
Alëna Ivánovna
Lizavéta Ivanovna
Porfiry (Ilya) Petrovich
Zametov
Zosimov
Marfa Petrovna Svidrigaylov

Arkady Ivanovich Svidrigaylov
Nastasya

Interpretive Questions (have more than one possible ‘answer’ and need close reading[s] to support these analyses) 

2. Sonya’s name stems from Sofya, meaning ‘wise.’ In what ways might she be more wise than Raskolnikov (or seem to lead him to wisdom)? (157, 193, 197, 201-03, 234, 269, 272)

3. How is Svidrigaylov similar to Raskolnikov? (234-48)

4. What does the Lazarus motif mean? (cf. p. 208, 216, 221, 275-78)

5.    Who is the man with the long robe? (148, 230-31)

Crime and Punishment (1866)

I. Self Will (super- or extraordinary man vs. the rules of society)

Dostoevsky "set himself the task of exposing the evils of rationalism by presenting a laboratory case of an individual who followed its precepts and pushed them to their logical conclusion."--George Gibian, p. 526 ("Traditional Symbolism in Crime and Punishment")

"That was what interested Dostoevsky: what happens to man when, having liberty, he must needs turn aside to arbitrary self-will." --Nicholas Berdyaev, p. 548 ("Dostoevsky, the Nature of Man, and Evil")

2. Divided Consciousness (body vs. mind)

"The overwhelming and immediate impression made by Dostoevsky's works on first reading is that of a passionate exploration of abnormal states of divided consciousness."--Joseph Frank, p. 567 ("The World of Raskolnikov")

"This struggle between the conscience protesting against the bloodshed and reason justifying the bloodshed is what constitutes the spiritual drama of Raskolnikov."--Sergei V. Belov, p. 491 ("The History of the Writing of the Novel")

Dostoevsky as Drama--Adapt a 2 - 5 min. scene from Crime and Punishment for the audience of your favorite television show.

Keywords in Crime and Punishment:

1.    Dualism: What is each character's binary self? How does Dostoevsky portray characters' dual sides? What does having a second self mean in Crime and Punishment? Why do characters need to fashion dual personalities? Is there anything peculiarly modern about split personalities? Pages worth consulting: 143, 171, 348, 352, 362, and 385-86

2.    Crime / Sin: What constitutes crime in Crime and Punishment, and in what ways is it distinguished from sin? How is crime legislated and punished in Dostoevsky's world, and is it handled differently than so-called sin? Interesting scenes around this motif occur on pages 216-19, 339, 353-57, 384, and 388

3.    Death / Mortality: What other keywords, events, and symbols are associated with death and mortality in Crime and Punishment? What happens when people die? Who all has died so far? 135, 159-60, 371, and 388

4.    Suffering / Punishment: What causes suffering in Crime and Punishment? Is suffering distinct from forms of legal punishment? In other words, do people suffer because they are guilty of some crime? 122, 272, 279, 350, 353-57, 384

5. Dream / hallucination: What makes the dream world different than the waking one? What is modern about Raskolnikov's hallucinations, or Dostoevsky's use of them to frame his narrative? 46-50, 58, 64, 98-9, 191

Raskolnikov on Trial

Put Raskolnikov on trial not for the murder itself, but according to whether he actually atones for his crimes when he is banished to Siberia for 8 years. Use evidence and dialogue from the novel as you see fit, particularly from his trial (452-53) and the epilogue.
 
2 Judges

Court Recorders: #1 (Makes note for Defense Team); #2 (Makes notes for Prosecution); #3 (Makes notes for Jury)

The Defendant: Raskolnikov the Philanthropist; Raskolnikov the Extraordinary Man/Murderer

The Defense Team: Razumikhin; Court-appointed Defense Lawyer

The Prosecution: Porfiry; DA

Witnesses: Zosimov; Zametov; Luzhin; The Man in the Long Robe/from under ground (148-49); Nikolay the painter (232); Svidrigaylov; Sonya; Natasya; Pulkhéria Alexándrovna; Dunya

Jury: Jury member #1 (foreperson), jury members #2-5

Process:  1.    Witnesses are called; 2. The prosecution, and the the defense, examines them;
3.    Jury votes on judgment (does not have to be a unanimous result: majority rules)

Character Blog: Blog about your assigned character and contribute 5 things (at least 10 sentences, incl. supporting material cited acc. to MLA) to the class's knowledge about him or her, incl. but not limited to:

• KEY PASSAGES that illustrate some of the keywords that point to this character's symbolic meaning in the novel. How does Dostoevsky portray the character? Why might he be including this character?
  
• What's the character's profession?  class identity? class/family background? common habit? daily life like? educational background? family life like? relationship to the economy? relationship to the murder? to Raskolnikov? In what ways is his or her profession typical/atypical for their gender? 
• Which other characters does this one mirror? What two identities does he or she wrestle with?
• What crimes does he or she commit? What does he or she get away with?
• What would a just world look like for this character? What kind of justice does this character pursue?
  
• What does it mean to this character to be a responsible human being?
  
• What kind of power does this character have?
  
• What might the significance of his or her name be?
  
• What's the significance of the setting that this character often appears in?
• In what ways is this character unique (or not)? an extreme individual (or not)?
  
• your opinion about this character