Gabriel's term paper part 3

        In addition to Raskolnikov’s intentional alienation, he constantly pushes away the people that love him and that are trying to help him through his random illnesses. After he committed the murders and suffers from fainting, fevers, and irrational behavior, people become worried and are willing to help him. However, he disrespects them and is ungrateful of their efforts. He frequently argues with his best friend, Razumikhin, and loses his trust. Sonya, who becomes his lover toward the end of the novel, dedicates her life to attempting to save Raskolnikov and lead him toward the right path. However, Raskolnikov takes her for granted and dehumanizes her, despite her efforts to gain his love, affection, and trust.

            Sonya serves as possibly the most influential character in Raskolnikov’s life. As mentioned previously, she is the reason why Raskolnikov followed through with the confession. She presented a cross to him as a gift for his decision to confess. However, this cross was not simply a gift to protect Raskolnikov. The cross was symbolic for Raskolnikov’s path to salvation, forgiveness, and a new beginning. This was meaningful as Raskolnikov played the role of an immoral, tormented, lost cause throughout the novel. However, the idea that he is opening his soul to accept the presence of God in his life and that he is willing to work on himself and accept responsibility for his crimes illustrates a new Raskolnikov; one that will accept help from others, embrace his loved ones, and live a morally acceptable life.

            Dostoyevsky further emphasizes the severity of the psychological punishment through the structure that the novel is written in. He organizes the novel so that the beginning focuses on the anxiety that Raskolinkov faces while planning the murder, and then follows with the effect that his guilty conscience leaves him for the rest of the novel. Finally, the author decides to address the legal punishment, his eight-year sentence, in the epilogue of the novel. By choosing this specific layout, it is evident that the author was attempting to imply to the reader that the true punishment was the internal struggle that Raskolnikov faced daily. The fact that the psychological trauma that Raskolnikov faces is discussed for practically the entire story suggests that Dostoyevsky’s intentions were to convey to the reader that although Raskolnikov is eventually sentenced to eight years of hard labor, his constant paranoia is more torturous and detrimental to his health and sanity. As a result, Raskolnikov eventually confesses in order to ease his mindset initiate his journey to redemption.