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Crime and Punishment, a la Shmoop: AKA Law and Order: St. Petersburg

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In case you haven't noticed, we're obsessed with crime.

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We want to know who did it . . . . . . how they did it . . .

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. . . and why they did it. Maybe that's why Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment

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. . . . . . is still relevant today.

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Raskolnikov, a poor, young student in 19th Century Russia . . .

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. . . commits a double murder . . . . . . but isn't particularly sorry about it.

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Was he right to feel the way that he did? Can killing another human being ever be justified?

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Raskolnikov killed Alyona because she was a mean, old cheat . . .

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. . . without whom the world would be a better place.

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He also thinks that he can use the money he steals from her . . .

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. . . to do good things. So, is that it?

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Is it justifiable to whack someone . . . . . . as long as they're a despicable excuse

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for a human being . . . . . . or if something good could come out

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of it? But who really gets to decide who's evil . . .

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. . . and what happens when someone innocent like Lizaveta gets in the way?

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Maybe it's easier to take the stance that killing can never be justified . . .

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. . . that taking a life for any reason is wrong.

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Our anti-hero clearly didn't agree . . . . . . though he did end up spending quite

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a bit of time in Siberia. So, where do you stand?

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Do you agree with Raskolnikov that evil people deserve to die? That good can come from their

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demise? Or do you think that killing another human

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being can never be justified? In a world full of wars . . .

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. . . and quite a few despicable people . . . We've got to admit this is a tough one.

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Shmoop amongst yourselves.

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