As children we were taught that our actions speak louder than our words. Throughout my life, I have discovered this lesson to be true; however, it is only now, as I read Crime and Punishment, that I have found a piece of literature that fully demonstrates this lesson.
Why is this important? And what’s the point?
This is a statement I am sure many of us state or think throughout our lifetime, but this is a particularly important issue in literature because it is important to discover the purpose underlying the author’s writing. While researching background information, I found a statement by Nikolay Strakhov that partially answers my question by recalling reviews of Crime and Punishment Strakohov stated, “[it] was the literary sensation of 1866.” Even today, Crime and Punishment is still considered a “sensation” being read by readers of all ages. But why does this novel attract a reader? Many characters lack morals –religious or social- in their actions. Drunkenness, prostitution, lies, and murder are significant to the plot of the novel. And it was written in another time and place, which many readers have never experienced. Yet, on many reputable lists of literature, Crime and Punishment it is a “must” read. So, what is the attraction?
With so many different meanings and implied messages, a reader can find different messages to take away from such a novel. In this novel, Dostoevsky writes of pure human emotion, actions, and the psychology of man when reacting to certain circumstances and the resulting demonstrations of good, bad, and ugly behavior and examples of mankind’s character. Raskolnikov, like many of his fellow Russian citizens, experiences poverty, “He was crushed by poverty, but the anxieties of his position had of late ceased to weigh upon him,” however, it was his actions not his position that leads him to his crime. In the mists of Raskolnikov’s problems, he is able to find truth within himself rather than the lies he previously told himself,“…all his old past, his old thoughts, his old problems and theories, his old impressions and that picture and himself…”and finding the meaning behind his actions that lead him down a dark path are relevant to determing what is important. Many of the characters find themselves acting not for themselves, but for others. Sonia, for example, becomes a prostitute in order to help her family survive and eat; but because her father wastes the money by drinking, all the good that could have come from such a degrading act is undone. Dostoevsky discusses the actions of man and why such actions are performed, “Actions are sometimes performed in a masterly and most cunning way, while the direction of the actions is deranged and dependent on various morbid impressions-it's like a dream.” Some actions are pre-planned and organized thoroughly, but yet, stray from the original intention and cause an unintended result.
When I was little, I was taught the lesson regarding the consequences of actions and words and this helped me create my moral compass. The consequences of the actions and words of the characters in Crime and Punishment helped further this lesson. Actions are within a person’s ability to decide what is right and what is wrong, and to act accordingly. Thus, a person can determine their future from past experiences and decisions they made.
