Dreams are considered a link with the unconscious, capable of offering explanations that "...the dreamer could not invent himself in his state of watch" (46). Sigmund Freud made revolutionary advances in the area of ​​the psychological implications of dreams in the late 19th century. But before Freud, Fyodor Dostoyevsky used dreams as a powerful psychological tool in his novel Crime and Punishment. Dostoevsky manipulates his protagonist, Raskolnikov's (Rodion), dream of a dying horse to indicate to the reader the source of his isolation and also comments on Raskolnikov's later theories. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why should violent video games not be banned"? Get an original essay In order to demonstrate a marked change in Raskolnikov's nature between before and after the event, Dostoyevsky presents a very young Raskolnikov exhibiting traits which are visibly absent from the adult version. At the beginning of the dream sequence, Dostoyevsky describes Rodion's love for the church "with the green dome" (47). Rodion's spirituality is emphasized when he kisses the grave of his deceased brother, whom he never met. The fact that Rodion shows great respect and affection for a person he never knew (let alone loved) stands in profound contrast to the older Raskolnikov, who is so disgusted with the whole humanity that he is rude and biting even towards his best friend. There is also an important connection between young Rodion's homage to his brother and his subsequent kiss on the market land; Just as he shows his respect to all through his reverence towards his brother, he later atones for his crimes against humanity by performing the same act on a St. Petersburg street. The important point is that he already possesses this respect as a child, indicating that an event must change his state of mind, forcing him to regain it later in the novel. Additionally, Rodion's reaction to the animal's beating is incredibly moving, as he cries and desperately tries to intervene, indicating that he is emotional, a quality that is also missing in the older version. Rodion's innocence is emphasized by his being called "the child" (48). He is also described as clinging to his father, who makes his only appearance in this dream as he tries to protect his son. In this way, his father seems to offer young Rodion a kind of shield or security that he will lack later in life. It is logical to assume that Dostoyevsky presents this dream to the reader in order to give an explanation for Raskolnikov's schizophrenic personality. Vyacheslav Ivanov suggests that Raskolnikov (whose name is derived from the word "Raskol", meaning "split" or "schism") renounces humanity and "separates", "...and thus he himself divides: the intellectual and criminal Raskolnikov...or, on the other hand, the martyr of faith in humanity as a spiritual whole..." (Ivanov, 584). This image of Raskolnikov contrasts sharply with the young Raskolnikov who is presented as a spiritual, emotional and healthy child. Through the dream, Dostoyevsky indicates that Raskolnikov experienced a major event that produced the cold, the nihilist Raskolnikov experienced in the rest of the novel. In addition to producing a realistic portrayal of cruelty, Dostoyevsky creates significant connections to later events in the novel via his use of imagery and symbolism. The fact that the victim is an animal provides the drunken mob with justification for their malicious beatings, as they believe themselves to be inherently superior. Interestingly, this mentality is similar to Raskolnikov's superman ideas later in the novel, adding irony to the event;Rodion becomes what he hates after meeting him. In his essay "Raskolnikov's World", Joseph Frank further refutes Raskolnikov's "superman" theory on the grounds that...the feelings which inspired his altruistic love of humanity cannot coexist in the same sensitivity with those necessary to be a Napoleon, a Solon or a Lycurgus. For the truly great man, possessed by his sense of mission, can have no thought to devote to the sufferings of humanity which he tramples on for his own future happiness. (Frank, 577) Dostoyevsky adds further irony to the dream by describing the horse's crying eyes. This imagery is revisited during the murder scene where the eyes of Raskolnikov's victim, Lizavetta, are depicted just before he axes her. Dostoyevsky's injection of irony into the dream shows his criticism of Rodion's superior attitude; Rodion is no better than cruel drunkards in his mentality and actions although these qualities result from his exposure to such evil. To reinforce the link between the horse and the other victims of the novel, Dostoyevsky invokes the images of Sonya, the "eternal victim" (Rahv, 565), since he describes the horse as "small, thin, decrepit" (47) and carrying the weight of others (48). Most importantly, however, is the fact that this event significantly changed Rodion's view of humanity. Dostoevsky allows us to see this event as powerful and healing through his presentation of the horse and the drunkards. The horse's death is long and painful, and we see the child Rodion running helplessly to try to end his suffering. One of the most heartbreaking images is of Rodion kissing the horse's crying eye. It shows us a child with more compassion than a whole crowd of adults. Dostoyevsky characterizes drunkards by painting their faces, clothes and eyes with the color red; "They took with them a fat peasant woman with a red face and red cotton... young men, as drunk and red in the face as [Mikolka]... who, with bloodshot eyes, stood with his foot -de-biche..." (48-50). Dostoyevsky uses red to indicate excess, in this case alcohol. This is an important point that young Rodion naturally seems to miss; the crowd is made up of drunks. The child does not understand that this horrible cruelty comes from a relatively small group of drunken tavern-goers, who are in no way representative of the world's population, and, therefore, he carries this childish idea that all humanity is cruel until adulthood. While this point gives us insight into Dostoyevsky's beliefs regarding the influence of childhood experiences, it also shows us how sinister this group of people must have seemed to young Raskolnikov. If we choose to attribute this effect to Rodion's age, we can also note that his father found the event sufficiently atrocious to try to protect his boy from it since he probably guessed the effects of a such brutality. In conclusion, Dostoyevsky's descriptions illustrate that the event was violent enough to cause a great emotional outburst in Raskolnikov and therefore can be considered striking and significant. Dostoyevsky's placement of the dream sequence adds to its significance in the novel. In his essay, Frank expresses his admiration for Dostoyevsky's craftsmanship in explaining why Dostoyevsky chose to enter the tavern scene (where Raskolnikov overhears a young officer and a student discussing the motivations for the old pawnbroker's murder) immediately before the murder sequence. Frank explains: "The purpose of Dostoyevsky's juxtaposition and telescoping of the temporal sequence is obviously for the reader to undermine the motivation..." (46).