Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment, Summary Commentary Can geniuses kill people?

ドストエフスキーの小説『罪と罰』は、19世紀を代表するロシア文学の最高傑作です。文章量、人物名の複雑さ、テーマの重さなどから、多くの人が挫折しがちな名作。今日は、あらすじを紹介した上で、物語の内容を考察しています。(English) Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment is one of the greatest works of Russian literature of the 19th century. A masterpiece that many people tend to get frustrated with because of the amount of text, the complexity of the characters' names, and the weight of the theme. After introducing the synopsis, this article considers the story's content.

Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment, Summary Commentary Can geniuses kill people?

//Summary - Level-C2//

In Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, impoverished intellectual Raskolnikov murders a moneylender to test his belief that exceptional people can transgress morality for the greater good. Consumed by guilt and pursued by a skilful investigator, Raskolnikov is ultimately redeemed through the love and Christian faith of Sonya, a self-sacrificing prostitute. The novel explores humanism, Christianity, and the consequences of intellectual arrogance, questioning whether genius grants one the right to kill and highlighting the danger of losing humanism in pursuing revolutionary ideals.

//Summary - Level-C1//

Crime and Punishment follow Raskolnikov, a young intellectual who murders a moneylender to test his theory that extraordinary individuals can transgress morality for the greater good. Plagued by guilt and pursued by an investigator, he eventually confesses and is sentenced to Siberian exile. The novel explores the dangers of intellectual arrogance, Christianity, and humanism, ultimately questioning whether genius justifies murder and highlighting the risk of losing humanity in pursuit of revolutionary change.

//Summary - Level-B2//

In Dostoyevsky's "Crime and Punishment," Raskolnikov, a brilliant but impoverished young man, develops a theory that extraordinary people can murder for the greater good. He kills a greedy moneylender but accidentally kills her sister, too, leading to a tormented mental state. Raskolnikov's encounters with the self-sacrificing prostitute Sonya and a series of psychological battles with the investigator Porfiry lead him to confess, accept his Punishment, and find redemption through love and Christianity.

//Summary -Level-B1//

"Crime and Punishment" by Dostoevsky explores moral dilemmas and the concept of crime. It follows Raskolnikov, a brilliant but impoverished university dropout who murders a greedy moneylender, believing his actions are justified for world progress. Despite evading law enforcement, he grapples with guilt and depression, influenced by Sonya, a self-sacrificing prostitute. He ultimately turns himself in, finding redemption through Sonya's Christian love. The novel reflects Dostoevsky's experiences, questioning societal and moral norms and critiquing socialist thought's contradictions.

//Summary -Level-A2//

"Crime and Punishment" by Dostoevsky explores themes of morality, societal norms, and human psychology. The protagonist, Raskolnikov, in financial despair, murders a greedy moneylender, justifying his actions by believing himself a 'genius' who can challenge societal norms for the greater good. Despite evading the law, he's tormented by guilt and ultimately confesses his crime. Influenced by Sonya's Christian love, he finds redemption in prison. The story contrasts Raskolnikov's path with Zvidrigailov's, who commits suicide after failing to win his love interest. The novel critiques socialist ideology and emphasizes Christian humanism.

//Summary -Level-A1//

"Crime and Punishment" by Dostoevsky explores morality, guilt, and the human condition. Raskolnikov, a poverty-stricken former student, theorizes that extraordinary people can defy social ethics for the world's progress. He tests his theory by killing a greedy moneylender, leading to intense guilt and eventual confession, influenced by Sonya, a selfless prostitute. Drawing from personal experiences and socio-political contexts, Dostoevsky critiques social inequality and revolutionary violence while promoting Christian humanism as a path to redemption.

 1)

Overview of Crime and Punishment

Author: Dostoevsky　　

Country: Russia

Announcement: 1866

Genre: Novels

Theme:

Is murder evil?

Logical contradiction and collapse

Christianity and humanism

2)

Crime and Punishment Summary.

Raskolnikov, a young man with a brilliant mind, was forced to drop out of university because of poverty and was in terrible need.

In his thesis, he developed his idea: "There are ordinary people and extraordinary people in the world, the majority of whom are obliged to be subservient to society, while a few extraordinary people have the right to overthrow social morality for the sake of the new growth of the world". When Raskolnikov's life gets out of hand, he takes up the cause, killing a greedy old moneylender and using the money to do good in the world. Unfortunately, however, he accidentally kills the younger woman's sister, who happens to be at the crime scene. From then on, Raskolnikov suffers from a feverish state of mind.

3)

Raskolnikov repeatedly engaged in a war of nerves with the preliminary judge, Porfiry, and still could not be tried by the law for lack of conclusive evidence. Finally, however, he becomes severely depressed towards his mother, sister and friends and wanders around in an unstable state of mind. Then he meets Sonya, a prostitute whose life is worse than his own, and gradually becomes fascinated by her self-sacrificing way of life for her low-income family. Finally, he decides to turn himself in. Sentenced to eight years' exile in Siberia, Raskolnikov remained depressed during his imprisonment. Still, for the first time, he acknowledged his love for Sonya, who had followed him to Siberia, and finally began his journey back to humanity.

4)

"Crime and Punishment" Personal Considerations

Unravelling from Dostoevsky's Circumstances

To unravel this work, it is necessary to grasp the character of the author Dostoevsky.

Dostoevsky, who made a spectacular debut with his first work, Poor People, was highly praised as "the second Gogol", but since then, he has lived an unremarkable life as a writer.

5)

In addition, the socialist circles he belonged to were rounded up, and he was sentenced to death. Still, just before the execution, his sentence was commuted by a special pardon to exile in Siberia, thus narrowly escaping the crisis. (It is said that the authorities, frightened by the French February Revolution, staged the execution as an example).

After his release, Dostoyevsky was plagued by his wife's illness, mistresses, gambling, poverty and an unrewarding writing career. In addition, his wife and brother died quickly, forcing him to look after the finances of his brother's bereaved family. It was in these difficult circumstances that Dostoyevsky wrote Crime and Punishment.

6)

During his time in socialist circles, Dostoevsky was also an advocate of enlightenment for the emancipation of the serfs. He stated that he would be willing to do so if there were no other means left but violent insurrection. Although this was not carried out because of the Circle arrest, the idea that murder was unavoidable for the sake of revolution was present in Dostoevsky's thinking, which is linked to the work Crime and Punishment.

With this authorial background in mind, we will now proceed with our discussion of the main story.

7)

Why Raskolnikov committed murder

Raskolnikov distinguished two types of people in the world.

The first stratum refers to most ordinary people; they are subordinate to the status quo order and are productive beings through reproduction. They are ordinary citizens.

And the second layer refers to a few chosen geniuses, a race of people who are allowed to transgress the morality of the status quo for the sake of world development. Napoleon and Mohammed are cited as examples in the work, and it is said that they are the ones who will destroy the current order and lead humanity to a new development. And the chosen ones are willing to shed blood for the development of humankind. They are geniuses who have the right to kill.

8)

If an ordinary citizen commits murder, he is judged by the law. However, geniuses like Napoleon are ultimately hailed as heroes and not punished for their murders. War is the best example of this, and there is certainly a willingness to kill for the advancement of the state.

With these ideas, Raskolnikov sees himself as the chosen genius of the second class. His logic is that if he is forced to drop out of university because of poverty and goes on to do great deeds that contribute to the development of humanity, then killing an old moneylender to overcome his current poverty is not evil.

9)

Those strong in mind and spirit will be the rulers over them! He who dares to do many things is righteous among them". (Quoted in Crime and Punishment / Dostoyevsky)

The crucial flaw in this logic is the danger that the first layer, the ordinary man, will mistake himself for a genius and commit murder. For example, Raskolnikov murdered an older woman without any definitive proof that he was a genius and suffered a feverish state of mind afterwards.

10)

Why the genius Raskolnikov became ill

Raskolnikov was mentally ill but did not recognise his actions as evil until he surrendered and was sentenced to Siberian exile.

So what did he suffer from?

It was the very fact that he was suffering from the fact that he had committed murder. If he had been a genius like Napoleon, he would not have been troubled by the fact that he had committed murder but would have contributed to the development of humanity with a spirit of steel. But unlike Napoleon, Raskolnikov is mentally ill. He was so afraid of being discovered as the murderer that he hid the gold he had stolen in the ground and could not act as a hero. As a result, the fact that he may not be the chosen genius weighs heavily on him, something he refuses to admit.

11)

By this foolish act, I only wanted to put myself in a position of independence, to take the first step, to acquire the means, so that I would be compensated for everything by incomparable and immeasurable benefits... but I, I couldn't even take the first step, because I am a coward! (quoted in Crime and Punishment / Dostoyevsky)

During his many nervous struggles, Judge Porfiry had developed the theory that the murderer should not be caught quickly but should be made to swim deliberately so that he would suffer mental anguish and turn himself in, unable to bear it. Raskolnikov's feverish agony was unbearable, and the result was precise as Porfiri had predicted.

This unbearable act of surrender is meant by the phrase "he could not even take the first step".

12)

Furthermore, in prison, Raskolnikov was deeply disturbed by the fact that he had surrendered while Zvidrigailov had committed suicide. Even if his ideas had failed. As a result, he was left with a last resort. A means of escaping the crimes of the law and the punishment of those around him and himself. Yes, suicide.

But he chose the circumstances of sin and punishment without even overcoming the fear of death. It is the kindest of cases for ordinary people. Once he admits his guilt and accepts his sentence, he no longer has to suffer the agony of fever. Raskolnikov could not endure the horror of madness, which only a genius can persist.

12-2)

Raskolnikov thought that an ordinary person could not have the strength of a spirit of remorse (which, after all, caused Porfiry to notice.) when he committed a crime. And he thought that if he became such a person, he would not deserve to live, so he should kill himself.

On the other hand, he realises there is a way to completely deny his philosophy and turn himself in to serve the sentence. That's what he discovers after interacting with Sonya, and that's the path he ultimately chooses. In other words, Svidrigailov may have been Raskolnikov choosing the former course.

Svidrigailov did not commit any crime under the law. However, his character was severe at first. Later, he indulges in pleasure, spends all his money and power, and commits evil deeds to win a woman for Donya by force. Ultimately, he tries to win over Donya with his dastardly means. But right to the end, he can't take the plunge. Like Raskolnikov, his mind could not bear his philosophy and was frustrated.

In his case, he could not find salvation without a being like the holy whore Sonya. So he didn't have the concept of living with punishment, and in a sense, philosophically, as a natural end, he committed suicide.

13)

Sonya's Love and Christianity

Many of Dostoyevsky's works are ultimately about the spirit of Christianity. In this work, Crime and Punishment, Sonya's Christian love also led Raskolnikov to return to humanity.

For a long time, Raskolnikov was committed to the atheist position. If you translate Raskolnikov's official name into Russian, the initials are 'PPP'. However, turning them upside down turns them into '666'. In other words, messages such as "The Devil, the Antichrist" are hidden in the name.

14)

So why did Raskolnikov become an atheist?

Probably because of the unrewarding misery of his natural life. Sonya's situation is mainly symbolic. Raskolnikov appealed to the idea that if Christ existed, what use would God be in Sonya's miserable condition, where her parents died horribly? She had to support her remaining children through prostitution?

15)

Sonya, however, took up the biblical account of the 'resurrection of Lazarus' and urged Raskolnikov to rehabilitate himself. The miracle of Lazarus' resurrection by Christ was interpreted as a foreshadowing of Christ's atonement and return to life for the sins of the human race. In other words, she continued to appeal with deep love that even Raskolnikov's sins would be redeemed by faith, and he could return to human life.

Of course, Raskolnikov rejected Sonya's love. However, he was struck by the overwhelming charity with which she remained by his side throughout his imprisonment in Siberia, never abandoning him. In the end, he assimilated into the Christian spirit.

16)

The reason for Raskolnikov's pride in his genius can be attributed in part to the problem of loneliness. From his pre-criminal student days, he tended to shut himself away in his corner of the world. To confirm and maintain such mental solitude, he would have had to be an isolated genius, one of the chosen few. That is why he could not bear the sight of his mother and sister being overly attentive to him and deliberately keeping them away from him because to allow himself to be loved by them would be equivalent to renouncing his genius.

The key to a deeper interpretation of these issues of Raskolnikov's loneliness and the causes of his scepticism towards Christianity is Dostoevsky's transitional work, The Memoirs in the Cellar. It is highly recommended to read this work, as it is crucial to understand the famous long epic of his later period.

17)

Causes of Zvidrigailov's Suicide

I think Zvidrigailov is as essential in the play as Raskolnikov's conflicts.

His identity is a mystery, and it isn't easy to understand why he is in this story.

Zvidrigailov owns a wealthy family who once employed Raskolnikov's sister, Donya. However, he fell in love with Donya while he had a wife and child, which got him into trouble, and he is portrayed in the story as a stopgap man.

18)

He is one of the few characters who knows about Raskolnikov's crimes. At one point, it seemed as if he was going to approach Raskolnikov and use the secrecy of the crime to threaten him, but he had no intention of setting Raskolnikov up. On the contrary, he showed himself as an ally, suggesting to Raskolnikov that he should flee abroad, and his eeriness made him a less trustworthy figure.

He urged Raskolnikov to flee to get hold of his sister Donya. He is a man who will do anything for his desires. In other words, whether Raskolnikov committed murder or not, such humanitarian issues were of no concern to him. In other words, he, like Raskolnikov, was in a place that had strayed from the spirit of Christianity.

19)

However, when convinced that Donya was unavailable, he committed suicide by shooting himself.

This is the end of a man who took a different path from Raskolnikov. Having discovered Christian love through Sonya, Raskolnikov was able to embrace sin and punishment and set out on the path of human redemption. On the other hand, Zvidrigailov, unable to receive Donya's love, had to follow the path of destruction without encountering Christian love.

Thus, if the story is told in terms of the Christian spirit, Raskolnikov and Zvidrigailov can be seen as a pair. Zvidrigailov's presence was probably essential to show the different human endings depending on one's faith.

20)

Criticism of the Contradictions of socialist thought

What did Dostoevsky want to convey through these religious and philosophical themes?

Perhaps it was a criticism of socialist thought at the time.

The act of people in poor positions rising and pleading for a revolution will undoubtedly lead to sounding the alarm in a society that tolerates disparities. Also, people who enlighten socialist thought are educated and logical. Looking back on the history of Japan after the war, there was a trend of left-wing liberal arts.

21)

However, in the end, they lose their humanism, and terrorism causes an incident that shakes the world.

It is thought that Dostoevsky, who grasped this state of affairs, was concerned that humanism would be lost due to his efforts in the revolution.

If more people like Raskolnikov are willing to kill to move the world forward, will a truly peaceful society await after the revolution? This work approaches the problem through Christian good and evil and philanthropy, revealing the gap between reality and ideals and the contradiction and collapse of logic.

22)

It may be that Dostoevsky himself was in the circle of socialist thought, so it was a theme that he should have drawn as a former party.

In other words, this work is a story that uses Christian humanism to answer whether geniuses are allowed to kill.

However, it is common for them to lose their humanism and cause world-shaking events through terrorism eventually.

23)

It is thought that Dostoyevsky, who captured this kind of public mood, was concerned that humanism would be lost in the effort to revolutionise the world.

If more and more people like Raskolnikov are prepared to kill to move the world forward, will a peaceful society be waiting for the revolution? The story probably approached this question through Christian good and evil and benevolence, exposing the gap between reality and ideals and the contradictions and collapse of logic.

24)

Free screening of The Idiot.

Dostoyevsky's masterpiece Hakuchi (The Idiot, The White Devil) was adapted for the screen by master filmmaker Akira Kurosawa.

The original story, set in 19th-century Russia, is transposed to Hokkaido and portrayed with subtlety and gravity.

Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment, Summary Commentary Can geniuses kill people?

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Idiot [Trailer]

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"The Idiot" Akira Kurosawa Please enjoy Showa-era films.

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Mass shootings, hijackings, and international orders are still pending... So what is the "Japanese Red Army"?

https://withnews.jp/article/f0150311000qq000000000000000G0010401qq000011603A

In February 2015, Tsutomu Kinosaki, on the international wanted list, was arrested and sent back to Japan by the militant "Japanese Red Army." What kind of organization is it?

Tsutomu Kinosaki, on the international wanted list, was arrested in February and returned to Japan for the first time in about 37 years. He belonged to the extremist "Japanese Red Army". With Fusako Shigenobu as the leader, they have repeatedly carried out terrorist attacks overseas, and seven members are still on the run. What kind of organization is the Japanese Red Army?

The Japanese Red Army is one of the extremists derived from the student movement that spread in the 1960s against the increase in university tuition fees—mainly known for repeated terrorist attacks abroad in the 1970s.

Until the 1960s, students with communist ideas dissatisfied with the Japanese Communist Party were active at domestic universities. Then, it was mainly student movements such as campus occupation and the siege of the Diet. They were called the "New Left" to distinguish them from the Old Left.

"Communist revolution in the world"

However, when the student movement died, militarized extremists were born, advocating the "international bases theory" idea to set up bases in socialist and developing countries worldwide and cause simultaneous communist revolutions.

This group is called the "Red Army Faction" but is further divided into various groups due to conflicts. One of them was the "United Red Army," which took hostages at the corporate recreation facility "Asama Sanso" in Nagano Prefecture in 1972 and clashed with the police force after the gang violence among their friends.

"Mass shootings, hijackings...incidents around the world"

Derived from this Red Army faction, the Japanese Red Army was formed in Lebanon in 1971 by Shigenobu prisoners.

In 1972, suspects Kozo Okamoto and others opened fire at an Israeli airport, killing 24 people. In 1975, another member occupied the US Embassy in Malaysia, took hostages, and demanded the Japanese government release the detained members. This is the case in Kuala Lumpur.

The Japanese government released the five under special treatment as an "extrajudicial measure". However, the members who had been released at this time hijacked a JAL plane in 1977, took hostages, and demanded the release of the members again.

In this "Dhaka Incident", Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda said that "human life is more important than the earth" and released six suspects, including Kinosaki, who had been imprisoned for robbery and other crimes.

Kinosaki was sentenced to 30 years in prison in February 1998 by a US federal district court in connection with the bombing of the US embassy in Jakarta and imprisoned in a US prison. He was released on January 2015 and moved to a detention facility.