Essay --

Katie Werner Mr. Oster AP Composition & Literature 12/13/13 Crime & Redemption Fyodor Dostoyevsky sets his classic romantic novel, Crime and Punishment, in 19th century Russia, and addresses the many psychological issues faced by lower class Russian citizens of the time, such as: morality, insanity, alienation, poverty, and religion. In the novel, Dostoyevsky presents his character, Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov (also referred to as Rodya,) as a non-typical criminal who murders Alyona, an unfair pawnbroker, simply to test his theory that exceptional men are exempt from the law. In doing this, Dostoyevsky creates a complex character, whom, because of his actions and apathetic nature, can easily be perceived as evil or immoral: â€Å"He pulled the axe quite out, swung it with both arms, scarcely conscious of himself, and almost without effort, almost mechanically, brought the blunt side down on her head† (Dostoyevsky 72). Raskolnikov commits this crime in such a cold, detached fashion, that based on this action and the additional murder of the pawnbroke r’s mentally disabled sister, Lizav...