Crime and Punishment.

I love this book. I mean, let's be honest. Its a dismal Russian novel with a very angsty and morally ambiguous protagonist with shining angels who are really prostitutes or beleaguered by a sadist. Oh and it centers around a murder. This is an exciting book. Very exciting! The happy ending is a bit of a bummer though.

Alright. Themes. Well, we got a few basic ones of redemption and consumption and fear and destiny and human nature. Some rough draft of them theses:

-In C&R, each of the characters question the source of redemption and who will save them from the sin and guilt that consumes their lives.

-Sins consume men's souls.

-Man cannot control his destiny without some sort of punishment or retribution.

-No one is alone (sorry. I just had to.)

-Raskolnikov and Svidrigailov prove that though men's nature can be both good and evil, salvation, as well as damnation are possible endings to a base crime.

As I said, rough drafts.

Alright, characters. There are many characters and they all have roughly 5 names each. Well, that's only a little bit of hyperbole. Hmmm. Let's see....

Rodion Romanovitch "Rodya" Raskolnikov - protagonist

Sonia (last name here) - Rodya's match/redeemer/local prostitute

Pyotor Luhzin Petrovitch - loser, government official, Dounia's fiance

Avdotya Romanova "Dounia" Raskolnikov - Rodya's sister, Svid's object, and a fiery lady

Pulcheria Alexandrovna Raskolnikov - dreamy mother of Rodya

Marmeledov - Father of Sonia and a drunk to boot

Dmitri Prokofitch Razumihin - Rodya's bestie and in luuuuv with Dounia

Katerina Ivanova - crazy, consumed mother of Sonia who married beneath herself

Alyona Ivanova - pawnbrowker, deceased

Arkady Ivanovitch Svidrigailov - resident sadist

Lizaveta - sister of Alyona, owned a cross

There are others. But I am weary of using the v key.

I have to go, but I intend on talking about quotes, dreams and symbols later. Especially blood. And then I might talk about how it relates to Frankenstein! And Macbeth!