CP+Discussion+Question+9

J Ernsberger, KPJones, J Kasper, A Capistran



//**Question:** Why does Raskolnikov reject his family's and Razumikhin's attempts at solace and comfort? Why, when they are at their most loving, does he have feelings of hatred for them? What is Dostoyevsky saying about guilt and conscience?//

Raskolnikov finds the consolation of his family to be pointless banter. He lives in the world of his own mind and all else is irrelevant to him. They cannot begin to understand the complexity of his inner conflict, and he knows this. Going back to the theory of “extraordinary” men, Raskolnikov seems to believe that he lives in a higher plane of existence than those around him. Ordinary people can’t understand his moral dilemma. The words of his family are nothing but society’s incessant drivel.

Guilt is not a feeling imposed by society but rather one which stems from the individual. The conscience is the source of this feeling and by enforcing it makes it impossible to escape.

“The old woman was a mistake perhaps, but she is not what matters! The old woman was only an illness. . . I was in a hurry to overstep. . . I didn't kill a human being, but a principle! I killed the principle, but I didn’t overstep, I stopped on this side. . . I was only capable of killing. And it seems I wasn't even capable of that. . ." (Pg. 323)

This quote implies guilt because Raskolnikov is getting caught up in a long-winded justification. It explains the theory of "extraordinary men" and particularly how Raskolnikov applies the theory to himself. This theory is largely responsible for his perceived lack of consolation.