Fyodor Dostoyevsky uses Crime and Punishment as a vehicle for his critique of the moral deterioration of society brought about by the pervasive poisonous and impersonal rationalism of modernity. He focuses his criticism using a defining element of 19th century Russia: Orthodox Christianity. Drawing on his trauma and personal experience, Dostoyevsky uses the relationship between Sonya and Raskolnikov to place traditional values ​​of morality, sacrifice, and redemption on a pedestal, while working to denounce the rise of social science and utilitarianism as emotional and spiritual prisons. to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The novel is replete with a steady stream of characters who typify the redemptive aspects of salvation and redemption through suffering. Sonya, with a complex purity, emerges from the multitude of characters. Although there is an argument for depicting Raskolnikov as a Christ-like figure, Sonya's influence on those around her most closely mimics the model of deliverance and suffering that Jesus Christ embodied. Sonya does not suffer to achieve an ideal of self-possession, but rather sacrifices. his desires and dreams for the chance to maintain a level of hope and existence for his family. After meeting with Marmelodov in the tavern, Raskolnikov says: "Well done, Sonya!... They really use it! And they got used to it. They cried a little and got used to it" (27). He recognizes the futility of his situation due to the burden of being the responsible family member. While she is enslaved to a profession that is among the drags of society, her morality is continually purified by the motivation of her actions, in direct opposition to Raskolnikov's utilitarian desire. In a conversation about his article "On Crime," he said, "I simply suggested that an 'extraordinary' man has the right... that is, not an official right, but his own right, to allow his conscience to... overcome certain obstacles” (259). He considers himself enlightened and sees this status of knowledge as a viable excuse to compromise any vestige. of morality and conscience The irony of her thinking is amplified by the fact that it is Sonya, a person lacking any formal education and suffering for others rather than herself, who is portrayed as the truly enlightened person. Dostoyevsky's Hope for Modernity's Possible Deference to the Traditional Christian Russian values ​​are personified by Raskolnikov's own submission to Sonya. Playing off remarkable scenes from the New Testament, Dostoyevsky shapes Raskolnikov's burgeoning status consciousness. of Sonya as savior and redeemer. Raskolnikov addresses Sonya, saying: "I did not bow to you, I bowed to all human suffering... I told a delinquent today that he is not worth your little finger ...and that I had done my sister an honor by sitting her next to you" (322). He now looks beyond its surface and sees the high ideal it symbolizes. This directly correlates with the biblical story of Jesus cleaning the feet of a maidservant with oil. Both are examples of humility to serve others fully and wholeheartedly. Dostoyevsky also plays with religious allusion in Raskolnikov's plea to Sonya. Raskolnikov, approaching his confession, said: "I chose you... I chose you a long time ago to say it, back when your father spoke about you and Lizavetta was still alive , Ithought then" (330). Raskolnikov makes Sonya "the Chosen One" and alludes to the Christian notion of Christ as the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy by adding that he had previously entrusted Sonya with the responsibility of bearing the truth of his sin He attributes to her the burden of his transgressions, just as Jesus Christ was assigned the burden of the transgressions of all humanity. Raskolnikov cedes his previous self-proclaimed position as a high figure by admitting his need to confess to him. ends with a glimpse of Raskolnikov's future together and Sonya Dostoyevsky comments on Raskolnikov's reformed life by saying: "He did not know that a new life would not be given to him for nothing, that he still needed it. buy dearly, pay for it with a great future act..." (551). It was not the corporal punishments inflicted on Raskolnikov in the labor camp that ultimately redeemed him. which was the root of his happiness. Dostoyevsky uses this situation as a critique of society's growing dependence on logic and rationalism. It is neither the justice system nor the theories of a criminal mind that help reform Raskolnikov. It is the purity of love and faith that draws him from his deceptive web of sin, guilt and illusion. The inept criminal punishment given to Raskolnikov by society suggests the idea that the worldly ideas of sociology and modernity ultimately fail to measure up to the power of humanity. religion and belief. All the traps and lessons of society failed to reform Raskolnikov. In many ways, it was the baseness of society that led him to his ideals and unfortunate motivations. This is a danger of modernity that Dostoyevsky strives to convey. When we lose sight of an inner moral compass, we lose sight of the goodness of life. As Raskolnikov described it, modernity reduces existence to impersonal theories that become dangerous when these theories replace emotion, faith, and consciousness. Sonya, however, appears as a light to Raskolnikov and society. His entire existence, from his profession to his fervent belief in God, is a complete refutation of utilitarianism and other advanced schools of thought. She is the moral conscience of the novel and embodies the citizen that Dostoyevsky implores his reader to be. Through it, he challenges a rising tide of individualism with the idealism of redemption through selfless sacrifice. Dostoyevsky personally understands the power of this ideal. His “greatest comfort during these dark years was his copy of the New Testament” (xiii). During his imprisonment, he found comfort in the scriptures. Likewise, Raskolnikov finds refuge from his heartbreaking inner turmoil with the quintessence of the novel's Christian message: Sonya. Sonya herself finds refuge from the grim existence of her reality in her unshakable belief in God. Dostoyevsky clearly equivocates his preference for Sonya's beliefs over Raskolnikov's in the scene in which Sonya questions Raskolnikov about his beliefs. When he challenges the fundamental existence of God, "Sonya's face changes terribly... looks at him with inexpressible reproach..." (321). The horror expressed by Sonya echoes the horror that Dostoyevsky harbors when he observes the path taken by Russian society. He views the “forward” movement of ideas as a digression into a savage society of immorality and inhumanity. By stepping back from these interpretations of Dostoyevsky's theme and purpose, one can understand the author's intention by observing the novel's protagonist on a fundamental level. level. The name Raskolnikov “comes from raskolnik, a schismatic, from raskol, schism…”.