Ch. 1-3 Blog Entry #2

As indicated in my previous review regarding the opening pages of Crime and Punishment, I agree with Madie that the author made it easier to focus on particular characteristics of Raskolnikov’s life by withholding information such as his name until later in the story. She and I also agree that Marmeladov, a drunk and retired government official that Raskolnikov meets in a bar, has a very intriguing life story. Despite his good intentions, I did not find myself sympathizing with Marmeladov’s character. Even though Marmeladov acknowledges that his family’s problems directly result from his inappropriate behavior, he continues to use the family money to satisfy his alcohol addiction. Furthermore, his wife Katerina Ivanovna, who married Marmeladov out of desperation, forces Marmeladov’s daughter, Sonya into prostitution in order to generate more income for the family. Unfortunately, Marmeladov commits the selfish act of using this money on alcohol. At this point in the story, I agree with Gabe’s opinion that Marmeladov serves as a terrible example and father to his children for allowing his daughter to register as a legal prostitute in order to provide money for the family. If Marmeladov were really that desperate, he would stop spending Sonya’s earnings on alcohol, find himself well-paying job, and use the money to support his family. Marmeladov’s life story gave me insight into Saint Petersburg and Russian culture during the nineteenth century. This was extremely fascinating for me due to the fact that I visited Saint Petersburg over the summer, and found it quite enthralling to see how much has changed since the 1800’s. In response to the letter Raskolnikov receives from his mother, I agree with Gabe and Madie’s hypothesis’ that Raskolnikov will not allow his sister to marry Pyotr Petrovich Luzhin and their will be conflict between the protagonist and the groom. Not only is the marriage between Pyotr and Raskolnikov’s sister insulting to Raskolnikov’s pride, but Raskolnikov also wants the best for his sister and does not want her marrying a man who proposed for the sole reason of boosting his reputation.



Alex Balogh