Effect of Suffering in Crime and Punishment.
Fyodor Dostoevsky utilizes the concept of suffering in his novel, Crime and Punishment to develop plot and advance the complexity of his characters. Characters respond differently to the effects of suffering in his novel. Only through major complications and unwise decisions does Dostoevsky illuminate the protagonist, Raskolnikov, which suffering has the greatest effect upon.
The effect of suffering can be seen through all major characters throughout the novel. These characters react to this unwanted emotion very differently. The protagonist, Rodia, attempts to resolve the cause of his own suffering, without accomplishing much until the end of the novel. The majority of his actions leading up to his imprisonment reflect his feeble attempts at achieving inner peace within himself. This emotion drives his every action from the time when he commits the heinous crime until he finally comes as close to peace as he will ever be in the novel by confessing. Other characters do not react so well to suffering in the novel. Svidrigailov suffers emotionally in the novel and decides that self-termination is his best option. While Rodya decides to work his problems out in hopes of one day ending his suffering, Svidrigailov decides to take action against his emotions by committing suicide, thereby ending his own suffering and also the suffering of others. Luzhin attempts to manipulate those around him in order achieve self- happiness. He plants money in Sonia's jacket in order to portray her as a thief with the intention of weakening the party that threatens his marriage to Dounia. Sonia resorts to prostitution in order to keep her family alive through their ill-fated experiences. As one can see, afflictions cause these characters to behave outside of the expected realm of normalcy thereby changing the lives of themselves and the lives of those around them.
