Crime and Punishment free essay sample

The Significance of Lazarus’s Resurrection In the Russian novel Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, the main character, Raskalnikov goes through a vast time period of great psychological turmoil. When comparing and contrasting this death and reincarnation of his consciousness and mind to the biblical tale of Lazarus’s resurrection, the author not only highlights the extremeness of the crimes he has committed, but also touches on the importance of recognizing one’s guilt. This theme of reconciliation and religion becomes one of the central themes of the novel. Raskalnikov’s personality and behavior significantly changes right after he kills Alyona Ivanovna and her sister, Lizaveta. This event took place in total madness because the thoughts and sincerity that Raskalnikov held on to were murdered along with the woman. â€Å"But a sort of absentmindedness, even something live reverie, began gradually to take possession of him: as if he forgot himself at moments or, better, forgot the main thing and clung to trifles† (80). We will write a custom essay sample on Crime and Punishment or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page As Raskalnikov begins to lose more and more of his mind, the story of Lazarus’s resurrection comes into play. In theory, this is a symbol for Raskalnikov’s mind. This comparison is significant because it provides an idea of the foreshadowing involving a reincarnation of morals and convictions. This also ties into another one of the novel’s themes which is the various versions of reality. Lazarus was dying of a disease on the border between death and life, whereas Raskalnikov was balancing on the border of madness and sanity. When Lazarus physically dies, Raskalnikov’s sanity also dies; the death of his mind. In part IV, chapter IV, Raskalnikov goes to Sonya’s room and demands her to read him the passage in the bible about Lazarus. â€Å"Raskalnikov partly understood why Sonya was hesitant to read to him, and the more he understood it, the more rudely and irritably he insisted on her reading† (326). As the reading goes on, he begins to understand how this is truly making Sonya feel inside. â€Å"He read it in her eyes, understood it from her rapturous excitement†¦ She mastered herself, suppressed the spasm verse, and continued her reading of the eleventh chapter of John’s Gospel† (327). Just as Jesus resurrected Lazarus from the grave, Sonya is Raskalnikov’s Christ-like figure who attempts to pull him back into reality. She offers him the moral thoughts and sincerities that he lost after he murdered the two sisters. No matter how severe Raskalnikov’s words or actions may be, Sonya always accepts him and turns to her religion and God to save and forgive him from an eternity in Hell. She is the base for the theme of religion throughout the novel. Eventually, Raskalnivov sees that he in fact he committed a crime and the only way to be reconciled is to â€Å"seek atonement†. The central theme of religion is very present in his realization that first he must be forgiven by God, before he can be forgiven by others. By accepting his guilt, Raskalnikov can again be compared to Lazarus who accepts Christ as his redeemer. Raskalnikov’s mind is reborn once he accepts his remorse for the crime he committed just as Lazarus accepts his new life through his resurrection. Both men accept Jesus as their savior, only Raskalnikov does this through Sonya. The themes of religion and love can be tied together as Raskalnikov realizes his deep love for Sonya, his savior. This last realization confirms that eternal life comes with the love of Christ. The story ends leaving the reader unsure of the destination of Raskalnikov’s life after his confession. â€Å"It was I who killed the official’s old widow and her sister Lizaveta with an axe and robbed them† (531). However, the theme is still prevalent through the end and Dostoevsky lets it sink in until both the audience and Raskalnikov can accept all of the consequences.