Now that we have taken a look at Sonya, let's turn our attention to the other women of Dostoevsky's first great novel:
- Raskolnikov's sister Avdotya and his mother Pulcheria
- Marmeladov's wife Katherina Ivanovna
- The little girl, Katherina's daughter Polina
- The two sisters: Alyona (the louse) & Lizaveta (the idiot*)
- Svidrigailov's deceased wife, Marfa Petrovna
- The woman who attempts suicide in the canal
- The Marmeladov's landlady
- Anyone else you believe may be significant (though this is a complete list as far as I know)
*I've deliberately used the word that became the title of Dostoevsky's follow-up novel. Why? Because Prince Myshkin, the Idiot, is a saintly man—not really an idiot at all except that he is ill-equipped for the world of duplicity, corruption and twisted motives that receives him. Lizaveta is a saintly idiot of another sort, but there's a connection there… and that's all I have to say for now.
What strands connect Sonya to Lizaveta and to Katherina?
Dostoevsky treats his brother-pair as temperamental, even spiritual twins. How does he make this explicit (since Dunya is a far less completely drawn character, much can be found in the narrative and dialogue)?
As you look at Lizaveta, whose importance is clear through numerous associations and allusions (please identify as many as you can for Monday) don't shortchange Alyona. After all, she is the sacrificial victim that Raskolnikov selects.
Why does Dostoevsky bother to include the incident of the woman who attempts to drown herself?
Pulcheria's letter makes up a key segment of Part 1. How does she become a secondary victim of the Crime?There are lots of other questions I could ask. Mainly I want you to think, read, and prepare. Once again we will discuss and "post our comments" aloud in class. To get to everyones, let's start our group discussion immediately upon arrival. Don't wait for me to sound the whistle: just get together with those you worked with on Thursday and get going right away.
I'm looking forward to this. I thought Thursday was a good day.
JD
1 comment:
Post by Jennifer N. and Keli Z. for missing the class discussion
The women in Crime and Punishment sometimes are overshadowed by the troubled men of the story, but have significance with their individual roles. In our first class blog we talked about the connection between Sonya and Lizaveta through the cross that they traded. Raskolnikov is in part drawn to Sonya because of this spiritual sisterly bond between the two women, because the second murder is the real tragedy, and in his view possible the “only” crime that was committed. When comparing the two murders, both Alyona and Lizaveta were struck with the butt end of the axe. With Alyona, Raskolnikov struggled, hitting her head various times before causing her death, but with Lizaveta, one slash and the deed was done. That little effort to kill someone who was at the wrong time and the wrong place haunts Raskolnikov and draws him to Sonya for repentance. Katherina is the stepmother to Sonya and has forced her into prostitution, but even though there is tension between the two, Katherina still stands up for Sonya when Luzhin accuses her for stealing rubles. Sonya is the one that provides for the family, and I guess Katherina has to be thankful for that.
Pulcheria is very similar to Katherina they both fell apart when their man of the house left them. Both women want to remember their men as virtuous, Katherina set up an elaborate funeral that few attended and Pulcheria had an inkling that her son did something wrong but told stories of him saving children from burning buildings. Pulcheria clearly loves her son and those who surround her, in her letter she uses the word “love” numerous times, probably the most used compared to anywhere else in the novel. Raskolnikov comes to her in the very end to tell her than he reciprocates her love, it marked a step toward acceptance of his fate.
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