Crime and Punishment short summary & analysis

Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoevsky

Crime and Punishment Analysis

Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment novel, which is one of the masterpieces of world literature history, is a novel that has influenced the world literature with its perfect language. It is a humble novel that must be found in the library of everyone and is one of the first books that people should read.

Dostoevsky's work, which he wrote in 1866, was inspired by the political and economic events in Russia. It was first published in a literature magazine called The Russian Messenger. The work that has received great acclaim has been made into a book and has been the subject of many books and cinema films since then. Crime and Punishment is considered a masterpiece of Dostoyevsky.

Crime and Punishment Short Summary

Raskolnikov is the protagonist of the book. He is a successful student studying at the Faculty of Law in St. Petersburg. Because he is poor, he has a hard time continuing his life and education and he had to leave law school. His life begins to cause permanent damage to his inner world and many contradictions within himself.

He came to study in St. Petersburg and he can't pay her rent. He goes to a pawnbroker who no one likes, sells his watch. He goes to the tavern with the money he receives in return. He drinks and also darkens the lives of people in the tavern too. He could not understand the brutal separation between the poor and the rich.

Raskolnikov cannot stand the conflict within him no more and listens to the devil in him, then he takes an ax, goes to the pawnbroker. He swings the ax on the woman's head and kills her there. In the meantime, the elder woman's sister comes and Raskolnikov kills her too. It doesn't matter if an innocent die with the evil pawnbroker. Not knowing what to do, Raskolnikov takes a few gold pieces and drives away.

After the murder, Raskolnikov's situation worsens. The demon, which once had caused him internal contradictions, disappeared, but the guilt is worse than that. Regrets and internal conflicts put Raskolnikov thoroughly exhausted and sick. His friend Razumikin comes to help. He supports him, finds a doctor, and does everything in his power.

Adds skepticism and fear to Raskolnikov's deteriorating condition, he always thinks that somebody is watching him. He thinks that someone saw the murder or at least know that he did it. This uneasiness worsens his condition. Raskolnikov cannot endure this and tells Sonya the murder he has committed. He then surrenders to the police and is sent to prison to serve his sentence.

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