Mark Bao

Character Analysis: Svidrigailov

1. List the three most salient events in the life of your character.
1. Svidrigailov’s affair and prior relationship with Dunya, as described in Raskolnikov’s
mother’s letter. He is described as a strange personality, whose wife mostly caused hatred
against Dunya, but of which he was one of the perpetrators of, albeit trying to fix the
situation. From this, the reader does not have a good impression of his nature.
2. Svidrigailov reveals to Dunya that he overheard that Raskolnikov murdered Alyona
Ivanovna and Lizaveta, and blackmails Dunya into making her marry him. It is also
implied that he perhaps tries to rape her. He defends himself by reminding Dunya that if
she reports him, he can report Raskolnikov, taking advantage of the strong connection
between Dunya and her brother. (Part VI, Chapter V)
3. His suicide. Obviously, it is an important part, and it is in comparison to Raskolnikov.

2. List three key qualities and explain why you think these qualities are central to the
character.
1. cryptic – one does not find out all the facets of Svidrigailov’s nature. He depicts himself
in various ways throughout the novel, as he fluctuates between just and unjust acts. His
recurring perseverance to get what he wants, especially attempting force, define his bad
side; however, his generous nature at other times make his good side.
2. magnanimous (at times) – he shares his wealth by taking money from that which he was
to offer to Dunya, and intends to provide a funeral and necessities for the children of
Katarina Ivanovna, which not only made Sonya’s life much easier as she did not have to
have the obligation to take care of the orphaned children, but also that the children now
have a ways of living, with Svidrigailov as their benefactor. However, his magnanimity
has a darker side as well; his 10,000 ruble offer to Dunya as an apology to try to convince
her to marry him is his magnanimous nature with a twist or a catch: though he states that
the aforementioned money is no use to him, he wants to brownnose Dunya to marry him.
3. tactical – uses what he knows from eavesdropping into blackmailing Dunya. Through his
eavesdropping of the conversation between Raskolnikov and Sonya, in which he acquires
knowledge that Raskolnikov claims that he is the murderer, which after failing to win
Dunya over with cash, tries to trade his knowledge for Dunya. With this, he is seen as a
character who tries to force people to act as he wants.

3. Give three key quotations by or about your character.

1. “…if you still harbor your former intentions towards my sister, and if you think of using
some recent discovery for that end, I will kill you before you can put me in jail. My word
is good: you know I’m capable of keeping it.” (468, Part 6 Chapter III) Raskolnikov says
this to Svidrigailov in the tavern, as he harbors harbors suspicions against Svidrigailov.
Raskolnikov at this point knows that Svidrigailov knows about his crime, and sees his
using it against Dunya as a possibility.
2. “‘You didn’t load [the gun] properly. Never mind! You’ve got another cap left. Put it
right; I’ll wait.’ He stood in front of her, two steps away, waiting and looking at her with
wild determination, his grim eyes inflamed with passion. Dunya realized that he would
 rather die than let her go.” (496 Part 6 Chapter V) Demonstrated here is Svidrigailov’s
nature; he is tenacious towards what he wants, and he takes considerable measures to do
so.
3. “If they start asking you, just tell them he went to America. … He put the revolver to his
right temple … pulled the trigger.” (511 Part 6 Chapter VI) This seals Svidrigailov’s fate,
as he now has lost Dunya.

4. What is your character's function in the novel?

Svidrigailov acts, to a degree, as Raskolnikov's enemy, and the benefactor of Katerina
Ivanovna's children. He can be seen as a double of Raskolnikov; generous, yet malicious;
sometimes seen on the extreme of good, other times seen as on the extreme of bad. Like
Raskolnikov, he is a complex character that cannot be definitely defined, as, for example,
Dunya could be.
Like Raskolnikov, he is a cryptic yet rational figure; he has several modes of personality,
which each displays itself during the novel. However, he is, at times, rational in his thinking.
Albeit he is tenacious towards his desire for Dunya, Svidrigailov is able to let her go when
she tells him she can never love him. A fool such as Luzhin would try and try, blaming it on
some factor that he could change with another chance, but Svidrigailov displays rationality.
However, other times he is a foil of Raskolnikov. He is, like Raskolnikov, in a state of
difficulty. Raskolnikov decides to take blame for his actions and turn himself in at the police
station, while Svidrigailov decides to take matters into his own hands and commits suicide.
It is inconclusive whether Svidrigailov is either a double or a foil of Raskolnikov; what is
important, however, is that he represents both a double and a foil of Raskolnikov in the
novel. There are clear similarities and contrasts between the two, collectively too strong on
either side to define Svidrigailov as one or the other.

5. What is the nature of the relationship your character has to the main character, beyond
the obvious of friend, sister, mother, etc.?
He is Raskolnikov's enemy since he knows that he is the murderer; therefore, he can, and does,
use that information to his advantage. His unsuccessful desired relationship with Dunya ends
when Dunya says that she would never love him. He acts as the man watching from behind he
curtain in the beginning few parts of the novel,

6. Are there any unresolved issues around your character or is there any question you
would like to ask this character if you could?
How did you amass your wealth? Why are you intent on Dunya? Why did Dostoevsky decide
to include that Svidrigailov was a paedophile? Why is he adamant towards Dunya even to the
point of death?

7. What is your personal response to this character?

Svidrigailov displayed himself as a complex character who sometimes had a good side, but
was mostly portrayed with a bad light. Naturally, from his determined nature to acquire by any
means necessary, his apparent paedophilia, and the air that he is presented in, I would say that
I did not like Svidrigailov much. Although he had a good side, it is eclipsed by his bad.