Raskolinikov -- The protaginist of
Crime and Punishment -- a victim of circumstance? thoughtless murderer? forgivable?
Russian society of 19th century is portrayed as stuffy and claustrophobic, Raskolnikov kills a pawn broker, Alyona (premeditated) and her sister, Lizaveta (circumstantial) within the first few pages, and spends the rest of the book recieving mental punishment - from himself and other characters; notably Porfiry, a magistrate who suspects him. Meanwhile he enters into a relationship with a young prostitute, Sonya. She is in effect, his opposite; meek, self-sacrificing and religious --only prostituting herself in order to help have family who are living in poverty (her father is a drunk). Raskolnikov has a sister, whom he loves in a fashion, she shares some of his characteristics - she is intelligent and beautiful, however she is also decisive, brave and self sacrificing - willing to a marry a man she does not love in order to help her mother and brother. Her ending is a happy one, Svidrigailov, who tries to rape her, kills himself, Luzhin, who only wants to marry her in order to fulfil his own ambitions of helping a poor person in order for them to be indebtted to him, is banished, and she marries Raskolnikov's only friend, Razumikhin, who is a 'good' character.
Dostoevsky shows a world of inequalities and alienation. Whereas in
Madame Bovary Flaubert shows Emma as a victim of circumstance, Raskolnikov is not, as his friend Razumikhin is able to better himself through trying.
