*Important Note/Disclaimer: Some of the examples and information below I have researched and read from other websites, and these websites will be linked at the bottom.
Dostoevsky's writing style is definitely one of the most important aspects of Crime and Punishment. The writing style is the way an author tells a story, and Dostoevsky uses writing style to support the psychological aspects of the story by really getting inside Raskolnikov's mind. The book is written in third person narrative with the focus on Raskolnikov, however, this focus sometimes shifts to focus on another character or event, only for a second, to set up the coming plot. An example of this is when the narrative shifts for a moment to Svidrigailov, who was following Sonia and was described as an unknown man, as to prepare to introduce his character later in the story. Dostoevsky also often uses ellipses and repetitive/circular talk to portray Raskolnikov's lack of mental sanity along with his desperation and uncertainty.
Another important aspect to note about Dostoevsky's style, specifically in writing Crime and Punishment, is that the main character, Raskolnikov, can be seen as a slightly unreliable narrator. We watch events play out from Raskolnikov's view, and that is how we watch the whole story unfold. The unreliability can be observed in a couple different ways: his concept of time, his concept of the events and objects around him, and his internal monologues and dialogues. Each of these concepts I will focus on to analyze and give examples because they are, in my opinion, the most distinctive part of Dostoevsky's writing style that are really able to give the story a unique feel.
Raskolnikov's concept of time is deterred by the fact that he is sick for most of the book. He often passes out either in his room or just on the street, and when he wakes up he almost always thinks that less time has passed than the amount of time that actually passed. The only way we the readers and Raskolnikov are able to learn about how much time has passed is through other characters informing us. Besides Raskolnikov being sick, there are a couple of other examples that show Raskolnikov not comprehending time. While Raskolnikov is preparing to murder the old woman, times seems to not exist as we the readers know that he has a deadline, yet Raskolnikov seems completely unconcerned. The only thing that makes Raskolnikov aware of time again is when he sees a clock chime, and that is when he begins to rush. After Raskolnikov murdered the two women, he kept thinking that someone was going to show up because he felt like he was taking forever. In reality, however, we know through other characters' accounts that he only took a few minutes. Another example is Raskolnikov's time spent in prison in Siberia at the end of the book. Time is so nonexistent to Raskolnikov the we the readers become completely unsure of how much time has passed since he confessed, how much time has passed since he was put in prison, and also how time passes during his time there. His physical trials in prison like the terrible food, bedding, and forced labor all mixed together to make his days spent there mix together and become one.
Raskolnikov's concept of the objects surrounding him and the events happening around him is incredibly exaggerated and misunderstood. As I stated before, Raskolnikov is sick and generally unwell for most of the book. This explains some of the exaggeration and misunderstandings. An example of this exaggeration and misunderstanding happens when Raskolnikov describes his room as 'more like a cupboard than a room' along with often calling it suffocating, yet later on in the story Raskolnikov has four people not besides himself come into his room to visit him. They all fit into the room without a hassle since the book didn't specify them having any issues.
The last aspect of Raskolnikov's unreliability shows in his internal monologues and dialogues. An important note for these internal thoughts are that they are biased, and they are biased in such a way that the reader may be left concerned. Raskolnikov's internal thoughts lack a lot of morality and virtue. Do not misunderstand me, Raskolnikov still has his own values and ethics, but they do not match up with what the majority of people would call 'normal' or 'right'. An example of this idea is in the last quote of my Quotes With Analysis post. One of the things Raskolnikov thinks in that quote is 'My conscience is at rest' when he is thinking about his crime. The only area in which he recognizes his crime is in his philosophy of ordinary and extraordinary people. He recognizes that he didn't succeed in his crime because he confessed it, therefore he is not extraordinary. That is the only way he recognizes his crime. He doesn't ever show any remorse or guilt over the murder. While you could argue that Raskolnikov's constant sickness is proof of his remorse and guilt, I personally chose to believe that this was mostly due to a fear of being caught by the authorities. Evidence for this is in Raskolnikov's fear of going to the police station later in the book as well as talking to the detective Porfiry. This is all important to remember when considering Raskolnikov's internal monologues and dialogues. Examples of these internal thoughts are littered everywhere throughout the story. In fact, they practically make up the entire book. Raskolnikov is so involved in his thoughts that it becomes hard to distinguish what's actually happening around him at any given point in time. So, what are some examples of these monologues and dialogues. Raskolnikov much more often monologues, and some examples of this are found in him considering murder, in him preparing to talk to the detective Porfiry, in any psychological and philosophical debate he has with anyone, and much more. These monologues are characterized by Raskolnikov essentially just rambling inside his head for paragraphs, and he often is debating a question of morality. As for dialogues, there are only a handful of examples. One of these examples is when Raskolnikov receives a letter from his mother. After reading the letter, he becomes very angry and goes on a rant in his head. The distinguishing factor of this rant is that it is structured like a debate with his mother, Pulcheria; his sister, Dounia; and a girl he hadn't even met yet and had only heard her name, Sonia. He acts as if they are in the room listening to him.
The images you see above are some of Dostoevsky's drafts. Looking at these images, we notice that they are incredibly messy and unorganized, however, they are also beautiful works of art that showcase the talent and penmanship of Dostoevsky. Since this was a time before typewriters and computers, Dostoevsky had to write everything by hand meaning that we can see all of his mistakes but also creativity as seen in the drawings dotting the page. I think knowing what Dostoevsky's writing process looks like will help you better understand how his writing style connects to the psychology of his characters and story and also Dostoevsky's own personal experiences in life. I would recommend reading my Psychological Genre and Philosophy post along with my Connecting Dostoevsky's Life to the Story post and Instagram first before reading this to be able to fully understand what I mean here.
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