Makenzie Vogt

7 January 2015
AP English
Whedon 5
Crime and Punishment Character Analysis
Sarah Vowell once said, We are flawed creatures, all of us. Some of us think that means
that we should fix our flaws. But get rid of flaws and there would be no one left. As a reader of
Fyodor Dostoyevskys novel, Crime and Punishment, through the characters development we see
this idea come to life. The novel focuses on Raskolnikov, a man who takes the lives of two
women in an effort to eliminate the flaws of one, and follows him, while touching on others, as
he struggles with his personal flaw. Over the course of the novel, Dostoyevsky remarkably
develops the flaws in each of his characters, either repelling or enticing these characters to have a
relationship.
It is within Raskolnikov, that Dostoyevsky instills the greatest flaw, a flaw that carries the
novel and affects the relationships in it. Soon after having committed the murder of Alyona and
Lizaveta, Raskolnikov realized that in doing so he had completely isolated himself from all of
society, including his family. ... it was no longer possible for him to address these people in the
police station and had they been his own brothers and sisters, and not police lieutenants, there
would still have been no point in this addressing them, in whatever circumstances of life. In
including this realization, Dostoyevsky sheds a light on Raskolnikovs flaw of believing that he
is more flawed than all others in the world around him. As a result, Raskolnikov tries to separate
himself from his sister and Sonia. Dostoyevsky writes the novel in this way to suggest to his

reader that, because Raskolnikov is able to see this flaw in himself, he choses to close off
relationships and repel their love and affection for fear of tainting or flawing them.
Regardless of Raskolnikovs efforts to repel love and affection from her, Dounia worked
to keep open her relationship with her brother. After having learned from Razumihin of
Raskolnikovs prosecution, Dounia went to see her brother despite being instructed not to.
Dont be angry brother, Ive only come for a minute I fully understand how indignant you
must be, and that that indignation may have a permanent effect on you. Thats what Im afraid of.
As for your cutting yourself off from us, I dont judge you I have come simply to say that if
you should need me or should need all my life or anything call me and Ill come (Dostoyevsky
753-754). By including this scene, Dostoyevsky made it clear that Dounia was well aware of her
brothers flaws. In making her aware, Dostoyevsky put Dounias flaw of trying to fix the flaws in
people on display for his reader. Consequently, a conflict arose between the siblings.
Raskolnikovs attempts to repel Dounia, in order to keep his flaws from infecting her, were the
same flaws that enticed Dounia to seek a better relationship with him.
Despite Raskolnikovs efforts to repel a relationship and distance himself from her, Sonia,
maintained a love for him and made it known. They sat together in silence for a moment after his
admittance to his crime and, He looked at Sonia and felt how great was her love for him, and
strange to say he felt it suddenly burdensome and painful to be so loved when all her heart
turned towards him, he suddenly felt that he was immeasurably unhappier than before
(Dostoyevsky 492). With this narration, Dostoyevsky perfectly showcased the beautiful struggle
in Sonia and Raskolnikovs relationship. Although she was flawed in many different ways,
Sonias major flaw was seeking comfort in those more flawed than her. Sonia was able to find
this comfort in Raskolnikov and as a result, she fell in love with him. To Raskolnikovs dismay,

it was her love that enticed her to seek a relationship with him. Oppositely, it was Raskolnikovs
love for her that caused him to repel the relationship, for he knew he was no good for her. In
creating this struggle in their relationship, Dostoyevsky exposed what he believed was the truth
about flaws and how they affect relationships. That truth, as displayed in the novel, is that there
are flaws that bring people together, but there are also flaws that keep people apart.