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Susie Davenport 3 February 2014 Whedon 5 Symbolism Essay Great Love and edemption !"#nd$$$ do you believe in God% E&'use my 'uriosity$( ") do$( repeated as*olni*ov+ raisin, his eyes to -or.iry$/ Crime and Punishment+ 0ritten by Fyodor Dostoevs*y+ is an emotional novel+ 1uietly 'entered around the po0er o. God$ 2he main 'hara'ter+ as*olni*ov+ believes himsel. to be superior to most other humans+ and there.ore believes himsel. to be entitled to murder$ #.ter murderin, a 0ealthy 0oman and her sister+ as*olni*ov(s ,uilt separates him .rom his .amily and so'iety$ 2hrou,hout the novel+ he learns the po0er.ul .or'e o. .or,iveness and redemption$ 2o illustrate his God(s ama3in, love and .or,iveness+ Dostoevs*y utili3es many symbols and allusions throu,hout his pie'e4 three o. 0hi'h in'lude money+ the 'ross+ and allusions to La3arus$ #side .rom Lu3hin+ Svidri,ailov+ and the poli'e o..i'ials+ the 'hara'ters in this novel live in ,reat poverty$ 2his pau'ity o. 'oina,e leads many to idoli3e the small amount o. money in their lives$ Su'h idoli3ation is illustrated throu,h 5atrina+ 0ho spends the ma6ority o. her .amily7s measly .ortune on her late husband7s .uneral+ yet only s'oundrels pay their respe'ts$ 8p 3529 :any 'hara'ters also 'ommit vile and appallin, a'tions to a'1uire any money they 'an$ 2his is e&empli.ied throu,h as*olni*ov+ 0ho .eels redu'ed to murder be'ause o. his .ello0 'iti3ens7 poverty 8p ;294 Sonya+ 0ho sells hersel. into prostitution to help support her .amily 8p 5194 and Dounia+ 0ho plans to marry Lu3hin almost entirely be'ause o. his 0ealth and her .amily7s poor state 8p 3<9$ Dostoevs*y in'ludes this ,reat amount o. poverty in his novel to illuminate ho0 many use money as their o0n savior$ #s lon, as these 'hara'ters 'an 'ontinue to

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a''umulate money or sho0 their 0orld 0hat .inan'es they do have+ they believe they 0ill su''eed$ Le,al tender is 0orshiped throu,h the abominable+ atro'ious a'tions 'ommitted .or its 'apture4 all morals are set aside to attain this 'ash$ Dostoevs*y uses this money to sho0 ho0 it 'ompletely blinds humans .rom their true savior+ his God$ )t also utili3es the .i,urative lan,ua,e+ irony+ be'ause to a''umulate this earthly =savior+= these humans must steal .rom nei,hbors+ de,rade their bodies+ and murder their .riends$ >et+ to ,ain their true savior+ one must only as* .or .or,iveness and a'1uire a 0ant to be 'leansed 0ith the ?oly Spirit$ #.ter doin, su'h thin,s+ any human is .or,iven and .ree .rom all sins+ in'ludin, those as si'*enin, as murder$ Dostoevs*y illustrates his God7s ,reat love throu,h his ironi' use o. money throu,hout his novel$ =2he 'ross is a symbol o. our evil$ >et throu,h it+ @hrist over'ame sin+ death+ and the devil= 8=What Does the @ross Symboli3e%=9$ 2hrou,hout the novel+ Li3aveta and Sonya illustrate the @hristAli*e .i,ure$ Li3aveta+ the mentallyA'hallen,ed+ murdered sister o. an abusive pa0nbro*er+ bears mu'h su..erin, throu,h her tireless 0or* .or those around her$ Sonya is bound to prostitution to support her siblin,s and dyin, mother$ Despite these 'hara'ters( trials+ they love and 'arry their 'rosses and .aith ea'h day$ Sonya 'ontinuously prays .or those around her and en'oura,es as*olni*ov to .ollo0 her .aith$ #s as*olni*ov de'ides to 'on.ess his sins and endure prison+ Sonya ,ives him a 'ross to *eep$ !She made the si,n o. the 'ross over hersel. and over him+ and put the 0ooden 'ross on his ne'*/ 8p 4<B9$ 2hrou,h Sonya(s ,i.t+ Dostoevs*y demonstrates God(s yearnin, .or ea'h o. his 'hildren+ even those 0ho murder$ 2his s'ene also displays Dostoevs*y(s belie. that su..erin, is essential .or redemption and salvation throu,h God$ !25 Cesus said to her+ ") am the resurre'tion and the li.e$ 2he one 0ho believes in me 0ill live+ even thou,h they die4 26 and 0hoever lives by believin, in me 0ill never die$ Do you believe this%(/ 8De0 )nternational Eersion+ Cohn 11$25+2B9$ )n Cohn 11+ the Fible tells o. Cesus raisin,

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La3arus .rom the dead$ Dostoevs*y 0rites 0ith this in mind+ mu'h throu,hout Crime and Punishment$ Sonya(s e&treme poverty and prostitution+ as 0ell as as*olni*ov7s alienation .rom so'iety+ are both used to ma*e evident the idea o. a spiritual death$ #.ter 'ommittin, his 'rimes and su..erin, .rom ,uilt+ as*olni*ov spends .our days un'ons'ious$ 8p 1219 2his 'orresponds pre'isely 0ith the story o. La3arus+ .or he spends .our days dead$ 8De0 )nternational Eersion+ Cohn 119 #s Sonya and as*olni*ov read the story o. La3arus to,ether+ they are ea'h provided 0ith a ne0 sense o. hope$ 2his hope helps them believe that one day+ they 0ill be risen .rom their spiritual death+ throu,h .or,iveness and redemption$ Dostoevs*y uses these allusions .rom the Fible to portray his o0n belie.s o. redemption$ ?e 0rites this to reveal to his readers that every human bein, is livin, their o0n spiritual death+ but be'ause o. God(s ,reat love .or his 'hildren+ he raises ea'h one .rom the dead$ Dostoevs*y(s utili3ation o. money+ the 'ross+ and allusions to La3arus+ assist his pie'e+ @rime and -unishment+ to 'enter around his God(s love and .or,iveness .or all o. humanity$ #s as*olni*ov ,ro0s in his ne0 .aith+ the reader learns o. God(s desire to brin, ea'h o. his 'hildren home$ 2hose as sin.ul as murderers are still 0el'omed4 God yearns .or ea'h human to be spiritually risen throu,h ?im+ and ?is endless redemption$

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