Seeking Justice
Justice is a common theme in our lives. We strive to do the best and be faithful not only to others, but ourselves as well. However, this theme is best represented by the internal conflict with which Raskolnikov struggles with in Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment. While confronted with a desolate situation in his life, he comes to understand not only the definition of justice in society, but also how he is ineligible to determine the meaning of justice and carry it out himself. In the novel, Dostoevsky conveys Raskolnikov’s understanding of judgment by portraying what led to his sense of superiority, by illustrating how he is ineligible to deliver justice himself, and by depicting how Sonia helps him repent for his sins.
After dropping out of school and faced with a destitute and impoverished situation, Raskolnikov attempts to act on his ideas about a higher justice. He reiterates his belief that “whoever is strong…in mind…has power…and whoever dares has the most right” (398). The…show more content… Sonia, being even more impoverished than Raskolnikov, is ultimately able to cope with the bleakness of her situation through her unwavering faith and trust that “God will not permit [pain]” (306). This quote sums up Sonia’s eternal faith and “what [she] would be without God” (309). Raskolnikov confesses his crime to her and is slowly on the way to repenting for his sins. After this occurs, it is clear that a new Raskolnikov had resurrected as “life replaced logic, and…his consciousness, something quite different now had to…articulate itself” (522). This shift in Raskolnikov’s mood is a stark contrast to how he is previously described, reversing his idea of being “obliged to commit excesses” and enforcing justice (249). Yet, it is only through Sonia’s enduring love for Raskolnikov that he is essentially transformed to love God and realize that repentance is the only true
