Psychological Alienation Throughout Crime and Punishment written by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky, he displays isolation and

psychology through Rodion Raskolnikov. The concept of isolation presented is throwing yourself away from the world. Crime and Punishment focuses on the dilemmas and mental pain of Rodion. He forms a plan to kill a pawnbroker for her money. He commits the murder to see if some people are capable of such things. Dostoevsky shows his readers the alienation of a criminal, whether or not to experience guilt, push people away or have pride. (Stowe) Once Raskolnikov realizes the crime he has committed, his guilt launches him into isolation. In his mind, murdering Alyona Ivanona is better for everyone. During Part 1, Chapter 1, Dostoevsky shows the internal battle Raskolnikov has while going to Ivanonas apartment. Throughout the situation, Raskolnikovs guilt continues to develop more and more. Dostoevsky uses Raskolnikov to show readers the inner guilt of a criminal is much worse than the actual punishment. Even though he feels no regret, Raskolnikov begins to feel something odd building up inside. And what was most agonising- it was more a sensation than a conception or idea, a direct sensation, the most agonising of all the sensations he had known in his in life (p 107). Raskolnikov felt a sense of guilt. All the mixed feelings he held inside began to consume his life. In attempt to escape the punishment, Raskolnikov causes himself internal torture. His thoughts and actions are to prevent the direct sensation from blurting out of his mouth. As a result, he chooses to keep clear of people, especially ones he feels anxious around. Raskolnikovs guilt keeps him from enjoying the people he encounters. In order to avoid nervous situations, Raskolnikov stays away. (Woolworth) He had become so completely absorbed in himself, and isolated from his fellows that he dreaded meeting, not only his landlady, but anyone at all (Dostoyevsky 9). In the novel, the readers see Raskolnikov have an inner conundrum with the own psychological effects he has from his crimes.

He questions whether he should or should not commit the crime, so we see that he is very unstable and unsure. With saying that, the effect of his inner problems is that Raskolnikov pushes himself away from everyone. Throughout the whole book he repeatedly pushes everyone away, even his own mother. He does not want the people he loved to see the criminal inside him. In his mind, committing the crime was the right thing, but he did not know how society would understand his mindset. (Thornsberry) "The old woman was only an illnessI didn't kill a human being, but a principle" (p 261). This theory illustrates Raskolnikov's belief that those surrounding him are only tools to be used toward his advantage. Throughout the novel, Raskolnikov is quite keen on referring to himself as superior to those around him. He does not consider his murders to be wrongly committed actions, but instead believes he is one of the few people given the right to act above the law. This egotism extends itself to his family and friends, and money. As his sister, Dounia, and friend, Razumihin, try lending a hand by giving him (much needed) spare change, Raskolnikov quickly refuses and runs away, believing himself too good for others' donations. (p) This pride, seen much throughout the novel, is one cause for Raskolnikov's alienation throughout the storyline. The excess amour-propre also helps compose the psychological state of this novel. Louis Breger writes of Dostoevsky as a psychoanalyst, demonstrating his beliefs that the abuse of young children, specifically sexual abuse of girls, strongly gripped Dostoevsky's imagination. "Dostoevsky was drawn to [the raping of a young girl] with fascination and horror, it represented the ultimate crime and source of guilt. [T]his was because it symbolized the most powerful source of rage and guilt in his own life: the wish to attack his own mother and the children who were rivals for her love" (Cantrell). This dramatic thought is illustrated through Raskolnikov's rage with Luzhin, which primarily rises through jealousy of Dunya's love. As well as Dostoevsky's "perhaps incestuous feelings," his pride also separates him from his family and

society. (Davenport) Dostoyevsky exemplifies his theme through alienation, guilt, and self-isolation. He shows us the theme through Raskolnikov, who becomes a criminal over the course of Crime and Punishment. The author shows how guilt is an emotion that a criminal carries around with him for a lifetime; because of this Raskolnikov pushes away the people he cares about, creating isolation. All of three of these examples add to Dostoyevskys theme of the novel. The book would not be understood without a look into the criminal mind. With that being said, Dostoyevsky has made Crime and Punishment successful. (Kok)