Svidrigailov and Raskolnikov: Men of Differences and Similarities.

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Svidrigailov and Raskolnikov: Men of Differences and Similarities

Svidrigailov and Raskolnikov are they really that different from each other? In the novel Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky these two men live lives that seem to parallel. Raskolnikov used to be an impoverished law student who wrote a thesis on the role of "the extraordinary man," which he believed to be above the law since they have a greater calling that would benefit society. He attempts to prove his theory by murdering two women, but instead he ends up disproving his theory since he fails to commit the perfect crime. He is not an extraordinary man because he cannot mentally handle what he has done. Svidrigailov is the former employer of Raskolnikov's sister, Dunia. He killed his wife and went out to seek Dunia, the woman he truly seems to love and tried to seduce. Both Svidrigailov and Raskolnikov committed murders; as a result they were faced with a long, mentally agonizing journey in order to seek redemption.  Svidrigailov and Raskolnikov both had to deal with being murders and seeking redemption, they however ended up drastically differently because they had completely different perspectives on life.

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Raskolnikov was besotted with his “extraordinary man theory”.  Raskolnikov was constantly trying to prove to him and to the world that he was part of those few extraordinary people in the world.  He went as far as to compare himself to the great Napoleon stating that he could too be above the law and do as he pleased. He believed that if he were to co9mmitte a murder then that would make him part of this elite class. During the crime he mad mistakes that later helped him realized that that maybe he was an extraordinary man like he thought ...

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