Freedom And Law In Crime And Punishment
Added on 2022-07-28
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Running head: FREEDOM AND LAW IN ‘CRIME AND PUNISHMENT’
FREEDOM AND LAW IN ‘CRIME AND PUNISHMENT’
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FREEDOM AND LAW IN ‘CRIME AND PUNISHMENT’
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author note
1FREEDOM AND LAW IN ‘CRIME AND PUNISHMENT’
Introduction
Fyodor Dostoevsky is one of the most widely recognized Russian novelists who
explored the themes of human psyche within the scope of the spiritual, political and social
atmospheres during the 19th century. Crime and Punishment is one of the most notable works
of the novelist, in which Dostoevsky highlighted the spiritual and moral dilemma, anguish
and consequent paranoia of the protagonist Rodion Raskolnikov. The story of Raskolnikov
involves his plan to murder an unscrupulous pawnbroker to steal her money and free himself
from the shackles of poverty (Wellek 26). However, such freedom is aspired by the
protagonist at the cost of committing a grave and heinous crime of killing another individual
and robbing her of her wealth. The essay will further focus on the juxtaposition of freedom
and law as depicted in Dostoevsky’s ‘Crime and Punishment’ and how the true view of
freedom cannot be measured on legal terms but depends on the morality of the individual
himself.
Discussion
According to the opinion of V. V. Zenkovsky, “the theme of freedom, as man’s
ultimate essence, attains equal acuteness and unsurpassed profundity of expression in
Dostoevsky” (Knight 40). In this regard, it may be said that the two major themes that have
been explored by Dostoevsky in his novel ‘Crime and Punishment’ is that of the relation
among crime, punishment, freedom and law. The relationship among crime punishment and
the legal framework of societies is clearly visible and realized by individuals. However,
freedom consists of different kinds of notions on the basis of the individual notions of
morality, thereby taking a subjective form. Dostoevsky himself has portrayed his notions
about the concept of freedom by mentioning that if the freedom of an individual is dependent
on his requirements and the following of habits and customs, then “instead of freedom, they
Introduction
Fyodor Dostoevsky is one of the most widely recognized Russian novelists who
explored the themes of human psyche within the scope of the spiritual, political and social
atmospheres during the 19th century. Crime and Punishment is one of the most notable works
of the novelist, in which Dostoevsky highlighted the spiritual and moral dilemma, anguish
and consequent paranoia of the protagonist Rodion Raskolnikov. The story of Raskolnikov
involves his plan to murder an unscrupulous pawnbroker to steal her money and free himself
from the shackles of poverty (Wellek 26). However, such freedom is aspired by the
protagonist at the cost of committing a grave and heinous crime of killing another individual
and robbing her of her wealth. The essay will further focus on the juxtaposition of freedom
and law as depicted in Dostoevsky’s ‘Crime and Punishment’ and how the true view of
freedom cannot be measured on legal terms but depends on the morality of the individual
himself.
Discussion
According to the opinion of V. V. Zenkovsky, “the theme of freedom, as man’s
ultimate essence, attains equal acuteness and unsurpassed profundity of expression in
Dostoevsky” (Knight 40). In this regard, it may be said that the two major themes that have
been explored by Dostoevsky in his novel ‘Crime and Punishment’ is that of the relation
among crime, punishment, freedom and law. The relationship among crime punishment and
the legal framework of societies is clearly visible and realized by individuals. However,
freedom consists of different kinds of notions on the basis of the individual notions of
morality, thereby taking a subjective form. Dostoevsky himself has portrayed his notions
about the concept of freedom by mentioning that if the freedom of an individual is dependent
on his requirements and the following of habits and customs, then “instead of freedom, they
2FREEDOM AND LAW IN ‘CRIME AND PUNISHMENT’
lapse into slavery” (Kaufmann 54). His novel ‘Crime and Punishment reiterates this ideology
of freedom has being subjective to an individual’s understanding and belief system rather
than being characterized by specific societal roles and customs.
The concept of freedom as applied to the society pertains to the rights that are granted
to individuals to act, think, speak and believe according to their will. However, such freedom
is also restricted to the bounds of the laws and regulations that govern the society. in other
words, willful behavior, action and speech is considered to be freedom as long as it does not
violate the laws and regulations that are established as being normative and constitutional to
the society (Aizikova and Matveenko 575). In this regard, it may be mentioned that the
protagonist of ‘Crime and Punishment’, Raskolnikov, acts upon a desire of attaining freedom
from the social structures that restrict his life into poverty. However, from the perspective of
the legal structures prevalent in the society, this desire for freedom as depicted by
Raskolnikov is dangerous, as it is not bound by normative societal or spiritual values. As a
matter of fact, this desire of freedom in Raskolnikov takes the shape of a revolt against the
society and its political, legal and even spiritual standards of justice and morality.
In the opinion of Thomas Aquinas “we are free to act because we are free to reason
and understand the good” (Dilman 90). This conception about freedom, therefore, posits that
freedom lies in the individual ability to determine whether an action or behavior is good or
not. This good, in turn depends upon the capacity of the action of behavior to bring about
nourishment for the human kind. In this regard, it may be mentioned that Dostoevsky’s
character Raskolnikov suffers from a duality of freedom, one that is mandated by law and the
other, which is mandated by individual sense of morality. It is the dilemma and confusion of
the individual’s perception of freedom and morality that accounts for the central theme of the
novel, thereby providing a social commentary on the 19th century society. in the opinion of
Mark Knight, “in Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov believes that he is free to operate
lapse into slavery” (Kaufmann 54). His novel ‘Crime and Punishment reiterates this ideology
of freedom has being subjective to an individual’s understanding and belief system rather
than being characterized by specific societal roles and customs.
The concept of freedom as applied to the society pertains to the rights that are granted
to individuals to act, think, speak and believe according to their will. However, such freedom
is also restricted to the bounds of the laws and regulations that govern the society. in other
words, willful behavior, action and speech is considered to be freedom as long as it does not
violate the laws and regulations that are established as being normative and constitutional to
the society (Aizikova and Matveenko 575). In this regard, it may be mentioned that the
protagonist of ‘Crime and Punishment’, Raskolnikov, acts upon a desire of attaining freedom
from the social structures that restrict his life into poverty. However, from the perspective of
the legal structures prevalent in the society, this desire for freedom as depicted by
Raskolnikov is dangerous, as it is not bound by normative societal or spiritual values. As a
matter of fact, this desire of freedom in Raskolnikov takes the shape of a revolt against the
society and its political, legal and even spiritual standards of justice and morality.
In the opinion of Thomas Aquinas “we are free to act because we are free to reason
and understand the good” (Dilman 90). This conception about freedom, therefore, posits that
freedom lies in the individual ability to determine whether an action or behavior is good or
not. This good, in turn depends upon the capacity of the action of behavior to bring about
nourishment for the human kind. In this regard, it may be mentioned that Dostoevsky’s
character Raskolnikov suffers from a duality of freedom, one that is mandated by law and the
other, which is mandated by individual sense of morality. It is the dilemma and confusion of
the individual’s perception of freedom and morality that accounts for the central theme of the
novel, thereby providing a social commentary on the 19th century society. in the opinion of
Mark Knight, “in Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov believes that he is free to operate
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