Crime And Punishment’S Ordinary & Extraordinary

In the book “Crime and Punishment”, Dostoevsky explores the path of Raskolnikov who has faced many difficulties and obstacles throughout his life. He commits murder and is faced with the long and extremely painful journey of seeking redemption. Raskolnikov believes that by the law of nature, men have been divided into two groups of “ordinary” and “extraordinary”.

Raskolnikov believes that “ordinary” people’s purpose is to just exist, in order to form the world and the society. The second group is those who are “extraordinary” and a step above those who are simply ordinary. Raskolnikov cites such “extraordinary men” as Newton, Mahomet, and Napoleon. He tells us that Newton had the right to kill hundreds of men in order to bring to the world knowledge of his findings and to create a new world. They overturned laws and created new ones. They had the right to uphold their new ideals, even if it meant killing innocent men. Therefore Raskolnikov believes that some “extraordinary” humans like him have the right to oppose ordinary social laws in order to create a new social order. Raskolnikov believed that “the first preserve and world and people it, the second move the world and lead it to its goal” (Dostoevsky 227). Raskolnikov also believes that both classes have an equal right to exist. Without “extraordinary” people the human race would be stuck and without the “ordinary” men the efforts and ideas of “extraordinary” men would be nonexistent.

Raskolnikov is obsessed with his “superman theory”. He is constantly trying

to prove that he is part of the “extraordinary” people in the world. He wants to become an important figure such as Napoleon. He believes that certain superior people in a society stand above the ordinary human and moral law. Based on his theory the murders he commits would make him a part of this high class. To test his theory, he murders Alyona Ivanovna who is a greedy moneylender. He feels her death is not a great loss to society because she preys upon the misery and poverty of her fellow humans. Next, Raskolnikov overhears a man at the bar, “I could kill that damned old woman and make off with her money, I assure you, without the faintest conscience-prick” (Dostoevsky 58) Raskolnikov had the very same idea. It provides another good reason for the murder, as Raskolnikov believes the crime will benefit others. However, once he realized that he had made mistakes, he began to question his theory. He comes to realize that he wasn’t part of this class, he suffered a mental breakdown.

Raskolnikov’s suffering has a direct relationship with his guilt over his crimes. It is also due to his recognition