ABSTRACT
Existentialism is a modern philosophical movement. It asserts that
humans are free and responsible agents who, by an act of free will, determine
their own creation. The aim of this paper is to look at Crime and Punishment
through the lens of Existentialism. The novel Crime and Punishment by Fyodor
Dostoevsky exemplifies Existential thought. The characters and their dialogues
in the novel reflect an existential way of thinking. This paper would be
beneficial for the reader because, after reading this paper, he/she will be
familiar with the term existentialism and its major themes. This paper would
use textual evidence to analyze the text in light of Existentialism theory. The
information has been arranged qualitatively, and the inference has
been reached by data collection.
Keywords: Existentialism, Themes
in Existentialism, Existentialism in Crime and Punishment.
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RESEARCH QUESTIONS
- What
is Existentialism?
- Does
the crime and punishment explore Existential philosophy?
- Do
the characters and their dialogues in crime and punishment novel represent
the Existential thought?
- What
is the concept of ‘ordinary and extraordinary man’?
- What
is the concept of ‘essence precedes existence’ and ‘existence precedes
essence’?
1. INTRODUCTION
Fyodor’s crime and punishment is a masterpiece in the history of
world literature. It was published in 1866. It tells us the story of
Raskolnikov, who is a former student at St Petersburg. He enters the school to
find within himself the following things: meaning, purpose, and essence. He is a
poor boy who wants to get money. He is living in a pawnbroker’s apartment. He
sells his watch to a pawnbroker lady, receives the money, and then goes to the
tavern. In that tavern; he drinks alcohol and meets a man whose name is
Marmeladove. Marmeladove is also drunk; his daughter Sonya became a prostitute
because of poverty. Raskolnikov murders the pawnbroker lady and her sister
too. He steals the expensive things from her house and goes away. At the end of
the novel, upon Sonya’s instruction, he surrenders himself to the police.
Characters in crime and punishment reflect an existential way of
thinking. Characters like Raskolnikov, Sonya, Razumkhin, Svidgrilove, and their
dialogues represent existential thoughts. Fyodor Dostoyevsky is also in favor
of the Existential way of thought. There is a quote attributed to him that
"without God, everything is permitted". It means if there is no God,
then everything is permitted because, without God, there will be no morality,
laws, religion, and social principles like norms, customs. The individual will
be free to act at his own will and will not be punished.
2. EXISTENTIALISM
Existentialism is modern philosophy. It asserts that humans are
free and responsible agents, determining their own development through an act
of free will. Soren Kierkegaard argued, "each individual, not society or
religion, is solely responsible for giving meaning to life and living it
passionately and sincerely, or authentically." Existentialism is a way of
thinking that focuses on individual existence, choice, and freedom. It asserts
that humans define their own meaning in life and they try to make rational
decisions despite living in an irrational and unreasonable universe. It focuses
on human existence and the feeling that there is no purpose for life at the
core of existence. It states that, if there is no God or any other transcendent
force, then the only way to counter this nothingness is by accepting existence
and the absurd life.
It asserts that existence is before essence. Jean-Paul Sartre
asserts that a central proposition of existentialism is that existence precedes
essence, which means that the individual is free and independent; Human beings
through their own consciousness create their own values and meanings in their
life (existence) rather than what labels, roles, stereotypes, and other
preconceived categories the individuals fit (essence). On the other hand,
essence precedes existence, implies that the world is not meaningless, but
rather full of meaning, and it also implies that there is a God who governs the universe and that individuals must obey his commands. Human beings have no need
to determine their values and meaning to their life themselves.
Existentialism describes people who refuse to belong to any school
of thought, and belief systems, claiming them to be remote from life. They
claim that they are superficial. Existentialism is a reaction to philosophies,
such as Empiricism, Rationalism, and Positivism. It seeks to discover an
ultimate order and universal meaning in metaphysical principles or in the
structure of the observed world. It states that people actually make decisions
based on what has meaning to them, rather than what is rational and reasonable.
It rejects determinism.
Existential philosophy was originated in the 19th Century by philosophers
like Friedrich Nietzsche and Søren Kierkegaard, although they did not use the
term in their writing. French existentialists such as Albert Camus, Jean-Paul
Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir wrote scholarly and fictional works in the 1940s
and 1950. Boredom, dread, alienation, the absurd, freedom, nothingness, and
commitment are among the well-known Existential themes in their works.
3. FYODOR DOSTOYEVSKY AND HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO LITERATURE
Fyodor Dostoevsky was born in the Russian capital of Moscow in the year 1821. He was a
Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist, and journalist. He is regarded
as the finest novelist in the history of world literature. Literary criticism,
Existentialism, literary Modernism, psychology, and theology are profoundly
shaped by his ideas. He is regarded as one of the finest psychological novelists of all time by literary critics. In 1864, he published the novella "Notes from Underground," which is regarded as one of the earliest works of Existential literature.
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MAJOR WORKS
- Notes
from underground (1864)
- Crime
and punishment (1866)
- The
Idiot (1869)
- Demons
(1871)
- The
brother of Karamazov (1880)
4. EXISTENTIALISM IN
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
The novel Crime and Punishment is concerned with the eternal
Existential questions of the value of life, its meaning, and society's moral
code. What about morality? Are morals just a social construct? What
consequences can there be if a man kills another man and will not be punished? Raskolnikov
wants to answer these questions for him. He represents a cynical attitude
towards them. When he sees his own conscience as weakness, he starts fighting
with it and feels guilty about what he has done. He despises Sonya, who became
a prostitute to support her family. He also despises his own sister, Dunya, who
is ready to marry a rich man. The entire novel shows his long path back to his
humanity and scanning for the appropriate responses once more and grappling
with his soul, God, and his affection for Sonia.
Man is nothing more than the person he imagines himself to be. It is the first principle of Existentialism and it is called "subjectivity".
The Existential truth represents what is matchless in a particular man's
existence. Raskolnikov is in the clash with individual freedom and social
conformity. He has the feeling of the "lonely crowd". Therefore, he
enters a school to find within himself, purpose, meaning, and essence.
Moreover, Raskolnikov is so obsessed with the theme of superiority
and he is a victim of the superiority complex. "I simply hinted
that an extraordinary man has the right, that is not an official right, but an
inner right to decide in his own conscience to overstep… certain
obstacles" (Part 3 Chapter 5). He believes that some people
are "extraordinary men" free from the laws and torments of their
conscience and they have the natural right to do what they want. In the novel,
Porfiry states that all men are divided into ‘ordinary’ and ‘extraordinary’. Ordinary men must live in submission and respect the law because they are ordinary, but extraordinary men have the freedom to commit any crime and violate the law. Raskolnikov believes in the
extraordinary because they have the authority to commit a crime. But he feels
bad after murdering Alyona, so he may not belong to the "Extraordinary
men". These torments make him a danger and raise the stakes. He is
actually presenting his motifs of murder to the detective who investigates it.
He feels the need to say, though metaphorically, that it was he who did that.
Razumikhin talks about the same thing and he says that man is
extraordinary, because he can try and make mistakes. He encourages Raskolnikov
to try on his own, even if it means making fourteen mistakes. "You
never reach any truth without making fourteen mistakes and very likely a
hundred and fourteen" (Part 3 Chapter 1). This idea reinforces
Raskolnikov’s self-esteem. He again starts the chains of thoughts about his own
value in his head.
Raskolnikov made a mistake, indeed, but it was his own mistake.
Characters in the book seem to be fond of superiority. The strange thing is
that every one of them thinks that they belong to the superior group and no one
wants to be inferior. Praising one’s mistakes as a sign of their humanity and
unconventional thinking is a good way to vindicate oneself in one’s own
eyes. But the rules of society exist for a purpose, so Razumikhin is
proven wrong very soon.
Everyone has the right to make mistakes. But we should be aware
that mistakes have consequences and no one is going to be pardoned just for
"being a human". Thoughtless obedience is not a good thing and
seeking one’s own way not because it is possibly better, but just to break the
rules and prove that one is above them isn’t wise at all. These actions will
face a great and justified reaction from society. One should have a solid
reason for going against society to do so and this reason can be proven and
explained to others.
Raskolnikov is not the only one who seeks to reveal and punish.
In Dante’s "Divine Comedy", almost every sinner in the novel feels
that he needs divine justice to purify their souls and make amends or
reparation for their deeds through suffering. Marmeladov has the same way of
thinking, though in a narcissistic manner in a way, demanding cruel and unusual
punishment for him.
We see that Marmeladov compares himself to Christ. He thinks that
sacrifice will clear his soul of all the sins. He blatantly demands punishment. He is asking the
judge to crucify him not to pity him. He feels like pity diminishes the weight
of his torment, making his suffering insignificant and unimportant. In the next
phrase, he breaks down, turning from the martyr to the ordinary human, and the
perfectly human wish to be understood. He wishes to be forgiven.
In part 2, Chapter 1 of crime and punishment, we can see the beginning
of Raskolnikov’s change. Finally, he comes closer to understanding the meaning
of the true value of life. Raskolnikov, with all his intelligence, compares his
possible fate. He is ready to trade his execution for. The old Greek Hades or
Dante’s Inferno, the everlasting tempest was the punishment
for the sin of Lust. Raskolnikov is a victim of his passion when standing in a
cramped place is also used in Greek mythology.
Raskolnikov is still ready to bear any punishment just to live. He
finally understands that death ends everything. Raskolnikov calls a man a vile
creature in his despair. "Man is a vile creature! And vile is he who
calls him vile for that, "Part 2 Chapter 1. After that, he admits
that he couldn’t resist his temptations and also has the right to be
understood, no matter how awful his deed was.
We are almost sure that Raskolnikov is exaggerating just to show
how much he wants to live and it seems that such a life would be horrible, much
worse than death. When we see Raskolnikov sent to Syberia, with Soniya to
the land of everlasting darkness and everlasting
tempest, to live in a cramped place with other convicted men. He is still
able to find peace and live a happy life with her there. They are both cured
of their traumas and sufferings and support each other. It would obviously be
impossible if Raskolnikove chose death.
Svidrigalov in Crime and Punishment explores Existentialism.
Svidrigalov, similar to Raskolnikov, chooses to act freely. He is
exploring the idea that "Man is condemned to be
free". Svidrigalove's actions, such as attempting to rape
Dunya, cheating on his wife, and attempting suicide, are a direct reflection of
his actions.
Sonya delves into Existentialism through Kierkegaard’s
interpretation. Kierkegaard asserts that man finds meaning and motivation in
subjective forces such as feeling and religion and these are uncontrolled by
reason. For Sonya, her meaning, despite all the hardships she has encountered
and her sacrificial nature is a life lived for Christ. She urges Raskolnikov to
adopt a similar approach and meaning.
CONCLUSION
The most important aspect of interpretation in Dostoyevsky’s
philosophy is that humans are free to choose and act according to their own
will. They have both a predisposition and a duty to act irrationally to preserve their freedom and choice. They are totally free and responsible
agents. Predispositions cannot constrain our actions; we are entirely defined
by the choices we make. These choices are only meaningful if they result in
action and, therefore, those who choose not to act, in effect, do not exist.
Moreover, characters in crime and punishment represent all the essential themes
of Existentialism and Existential thought. Therefore, the novel represents the
Existentialism philosophy.
REFERENCES:
- Dostoyevsky,
Fyodor (1866). Crime and Punishment.Translated in English
by Constance Garnett.
- Christopher
Panza & Gregory Gale. (2008). Existentialism For DUMMIES. Canada:
Wiley publishing. Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana. pg. 12
- Robert
C. Solomon. (2005).Existentialism. (2nd). New York, Oxford:
Oxford University Press.
- Flynn,
T. (2006). Existentialism: A very short introduction. Oxford, United
Kingdom. Oxford University Press
- https://www.philosophybasics.com/branch_existentialism.html
- (2018,
May, 10). Existentialism in Dostoevsky’s novel Crime and Punishment.
Retrieved April 22, 2020,
from https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/discovery-of-existentialism-in-crime-and-punishment
- Kaim,
Arielle. (2015, April, 9). Existentialism in crime and punishment.
Retrieved April 18, 2020, from https://prezi.com/1qrj4c-aevj4/existentialism-in-crime-punishment/
- https://www.aresearchguide.com/the-existentialism-in-crime-and-punishment.html
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