...At the close of Crime and Punishment, Raskolinkov is convicted of Murder and sentenced to seven years in Siberian prison. Yet even before the character was conceived, Fyodor Dostoevsky had already convicted Raskolinkov in his mind (Frank, Dostoevsky 101). Crime and Punishment is the final chapter in Dostoevsky's journey toward understanding the forces that drive man to sin, suffering, and grace. Using ideas developed in Notes from Underground and episodes of his life recorded in Memoirs of the House of the Dead, Dostoevsky puts forth in Crime in Punishment a stern defense of natural law and an irrefutable volume of evidence condemning Raskolnikov's actions (Bloom, Notes 25). Central to the prosecution of any crime, murder in particular, is the idea of motive. Not only must the prosecutor prove the actus rectus or "guilty act," but also that the criminal possessed the mens rea or "guilty mind" (Schmalleger 77). The pages of Crime and Punishment and the philosophies of Dostoevsky provide ample proof of both. The first is easy; Dostoevsky forces the reader to watch firsthand as Raskolnikov "took the axe all the way out, swung it with both hands, scarcely aware of himself, and almost without effort, almost mechanically, brought the butt-end down on her head" (Crime and Punishment 76). There is no doubt Raskolnikov caused the death of Alena Ivanovna and, later, Lizaveta, but whether he possessed the mens rea is another matter entirely. By emphasizing the depersonalization...
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...English comp 4CW Spencer Jackson May 14, 2014 Dostoevsky: Rationality and Reason Many philosophers believed that reason could provide critical, informed solutions to social issues and in turn improve the human condition. Fyodor Dostoevsky conducts an assault against this notion in Notes From the Underground, making this work one of the most famous anti-enlightenment novels. Through this novel he showed what he believed were gaps in the idea that the mind could be freed from ignorance through the application of reason, and the rejection of the idea that humankind could achieve a utopian existence as a result. The narrator in this novel also known as the underground man is a pessimistic man who symbolizes what could happen to mankind should endless application of reason take over. Without any care for his health or well being out of spite, he becomes a perfect character for Dostoevsky to illustrate his argument against the enlightenment ideas. The narrator decides upon actions that oppose his interests for the sole reason of proving that he is an unpredictable man who enjoys his own free will and ability to make voluntary decisions of his own, without being restrained by the ideas of rationality and reason. Dostoevsky seems to be making the statement that rationality is indeed useful for analyzing situations but is ultimately damaging if focused on constantly. Reason does not, as many Enlightenment thinkers believed, free man but reduces us to something that can...
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...Edith Wharton’s novel, Ethan Frome, tells the depressing and bleak story of a New England native living with unfulfilled dreams and desires. The title character of Ethan Frome is very similar to the Underground Man in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s 1864 existentialist novel, Notes From Underground as both of them contain similar characteristics. Delving deeper into these comparisons of the two characters, it becomes clear that these two pieces of literature share a similar theme. This shared theme was the suppression of the individual and their emotions. Clear examples that help to suppress the emotions of the characters in these novels are the depressing settings and the relationships they form with other characters in the story. In Ethan Frome, Ethan lives in the dreary New England town of Starkfield, caring for his sickly and abusive wife, Zeena, all while developing feelings for her newly arrived cousin, Mattie. Throughout the novel, Ethan expresses his love for Mattie to himself, never to her or anyone else directly until the end of the story. This has lead Ethan to become a shell of a...
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...How St. Petersburg represents Raskolinkov’s State of Mind Devvyn E. Rhodes I.B. English, P.2 Woodrow Wilson High School Woodrow Wilson High School Abstract In the book Crime and Punishment the author, Feodor Dostoevsky tells a story about a man named Raskolinkov that struggles with an internal and external decision making that leads him to committing a murder. Changing his state of mind as he dwells in the city of St. Petersburg, the author provides the reader with a suggestion of representation between the main character, Raskolinkov and the city of St. Petersburg. The representation of the city being a ruin, and as well Raskolinkovs mind. I found how his mind struggles, as well the city of St. Petersburg struggles on a loose foundation of poverty, moral decay, and chaos. How St. Petersburg represents Raskolinkov’s State of Mind In the first page Feodore Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment”, the city of St. Petersburg is resembled as a low down, dirty, and stifling place to be where men squander around bars blatantly drunk, where women sell themselves on corners for a cheap price; where children have looks of despair written across their faces, as they beg on the streets, digging through the trash cans for a chance of finding some food to stay alive (1). This is an example of a city that is falling to its ruins. Ruins are the leftovers of what there once was, and signifies as the situation that had once occurred...
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...Azaria Antoine Mrs. Swan AP English Literature and Composition 4/14/15 Throughout the ages people have wondered what the truth behind dreams are. Questions like, why do we dream? And what is the purpose and meaning of dreams? have often crossed people’s minds. Some psychologists believe that dreams allow us to be what we cannot be, and to say what we do not say, in our more repressed daily lives; others believe they are just ones imagination at work. Such ideas can be used to explain the dreams of Raskolnikov in Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s novel, Crime and Punishment. Dostoyevsky’s use of imagery, symbolism and foreshadowing, in each Aspect of the dream reflect facets of Raskolnikov's complex personality and his attitude toward the crime he intends to commit. In his dream, Raskolnikov imagines himself as a young boy with his father. As they were walking, they noticed a drunken man, Mikolka, and a group of his drunk friends beating his horse to death for failing to walk while pulling an overloaded cart. Many aspects of the dream served as a symbol. The beaten horse in the dream, symbolizes Alyona, who Raskolnikov had planned to murder, while the young boy, Raskolnikov, and Mikolka together symbolize both sides of Raskolnikov’s conflicting conscience. While the young raskolnikov was pained by the brutal treatment shown to the horse, Mikolka felt as if the horse was useless to him and that she wasn’t doing any good for society and the people around her, and therefore deserved to...
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...Nietzsche would find the underground man as relatable but misguided. The underground man is not concerned with morals and reason as much as he is concerned with autonomy. Likewise, Nietzsche felt that we should not look to morals and ethics when we make decisions. However, Nietzsche did believe that should affirm life with their actions. The underground man felt that when presented a situation where one should act in a specific way, that individual should occasionally act in a different way to exercise one’s autonomy. Throughout Notes from the Underground, the underground man demonstrates self-spite and an inability to act. For instance, the underground man starts his writing with, “I believe my liver is diseased,” and continues with,...
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...that he must not sin and following through on this knowledge are far from the same. He describes the sickness that is the fallen human nature. The Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky also wrote about this condition in his novella entitled Notes from Underground. In it, he invents a tale of a man who has fallen victim to the human paradox. Through his novella, Dostoyevsky illustrates a concept that finds itself in alignment with the Biblical perspective of sin. While Notes from Underground as a whole reflects this perspective, the protagonist of the story, The Underground Man, shows little comprehension of it. In 1 John 1:9-10, the apostle John depicts the ubiquitous nature of sin and the necessity of...
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...attention following his years of prison and exile was Notes from the House of the Dead (1860), an account of his experience in prison, told in the form of a collection of biographical and psychological sketches of his fellow inmates. The book was especially welcomed by liberal critics because of its sympathetic approach to the subject and its realistic portrayal of the sufferings of the convicts. In 1861, Dostoyevsky published his first long novel, The Insulted and the Injured, also to critical acclaim. It is the story of a young student of middle-class origins, a person of sensibility and talent, whose life is ruined by the ill will of a cynical aristocrat. The novel features a complicated plot with many separate lines and many characters. This book inspired the leftist critic N. A. Dobroliubov to epitomize Dostoyevsky's leading quality as his "pain for man, his impassioned defense of the moral and human worth of downtrodden people." In 1863 Dostoyevsky promptly disillusioned his supporters in the liberal camp with his next work, "Winter Notes on Summer Impressions," an essay concerning his tour of Europe. In this essay, he attacked the west European dream of the triumph of reason. He resisted the idea...
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...complete installation of an automatic fire sprinkler system throughout the entire proposed new 89,500 sq.ft distribution center and 11,700 sq.ft shop building adjacent to the main distribution center. Our recommendation would be to have your site utility contractor extend an 8 inch underground supply in to the mechanical room of the 8,000 sq.ft office space. This 8 inch underground supply would be connected to the city water supply and extended in to this building. At this location would furnish an 8 inch reduced pressure backflow preventer, install a dry-pipe sprinkler system riser and a wet-pipe sprinkler riser in this room. Your site utility contractor would then need to extend this underground line from the mechanical room of the office building out to a looped main that would extend around the entire perimeter of the property. This 8 inch underground main would need to have (3) separate 6 inch underground lead-ins in to each of the (2) break rooms and the (1) dispatch pod. These 6 inch underground lead-ins would serve sprinkler system risers for our systems. In addition, a 6 inch underground lead-in would need to be extended in to the outside shop building. Please note, all exterior underground fire line piping and fire hydrants would need to be furnished and installed by others. Our work would start in the interior of the building at these flanged outlets. 2. We have figured schedule 10 piping throughout on the wet and dry systems. Threaded piping on sizes 1...
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...or ridicule, Nicolai Gogol’s Nevsky Avenue was redesigned and repurposed by Fyodor Dostoyevsky in his work Notes from Underground. Analogous plot structures and characters are developed by these authors to portray parallel observations and viewpoints regarding the corrupting influence of civilized conformity and the heartless, materialistic nature of society. Gogol’s...
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...begging for change. Homeless on the corner with a uniform on, George W. Bush you know you wrong. Dignity and Respect I fought for you, What good is a flag if they didn’t get through? Notes: 1. Dignity and Respect… paraphrase from “An Essay on Death and President Bush I serve my…paraphrase from “Over the Years” by Christine Gordon, p.326-321 of Operation Homecoming and from An Essay on Death and President Bush, web. by E.L. Doctorow, by Democratic Underground. I choose to use a paraphrase of both reading material to bring an emotional feeling about soldier. 2. They swore me… paraphrase from “Over the Years” by Christine Gordon, p.326-321 of Operation Homecoming and from An Essay on Death and President Bush, web. by E.L. Doctorow, by Democratic Underground. I choose to use a combine finish thought of both reading of the soldier emotions of President Bush of not caring about causalities of war. 3. They sent me… paraphrase from “Over the Years” by Christine Gordon, p.326-321 of Operation Homecoming and from An Essay on Death and President Bush, web. by E.L. Doctorow, by Democratic Underground. I choose to use this to show the courage of a soldier to serve and protect. 4. But I serve…paraphrase from “Over the Years” by Christine Gordon, p.326-321 of Operation Homecoming and from An Essay...
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...known as "Los 33" ("The 33"), were trapped 700 meters (2,300 ft) underground and about 5 kilometers (3 mi) from the mine's entrance via spiraling underground service ramps. The mixed crew of experienced miners and technical support personnel, with less experience working underground, survived for a record 69 days deep underground before their rescue.[2][3] Previous geological instability at the old mine and a long record of safety violations for the mine's owners had resulted in a series of fines and accidents, including eight deaths, during the dozen years leading up to this accident. [4][5][6] As a result of the mine's notorious history, it was originally thought that the workers had probably not survived the collapse or would starve to death before they were found, if ever. The country of Chile had just endured the 2010 Chile earthquake and its associated tsunami less than six months before the accident. The Chilean people's strong empathy for the workers and their grief-stricken families and the nation's tremendous outpouring of public concern led the national government to take over the faltering search and rescue operation from the mine's financially strapped owners, privately held San Esteban Mining Company. With the significant resources that the state-owned mining company, Codelco, was able to marshal, eight exploratory boreholes were hastily drilled. Seventeen days after the accident, on 22 August, a note written in bold red letters...
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...Timeline Part II NOTE: Before starting the Timeline project please refer to the "Example Timeline Matrix" document. Instructions: Complete the matrix by providing the Time Period/Date(s) in column B, and the Description and Significance of the People/Event(s) to American History in column C. See complete instructions in the Syllabus for the Module 3 assignment entitled. “Timeline Part II.” NOTE: The timeline project does not need to be submitted to turnitin. NOTE: Please write your answers in a clear and concise manner. Limit your submission of the Timeline Part II up to 250 words per topic/subtopic. For example, if a topic is divided into 3 subtopics, you may write a maximum of 250 per subtopic listed. Be sure to cite all sources. Major Event/Epoch in American History | Time Period/Date(s) | Description and Significance of the People/Event(s) to American History | 1) The evolution of the institution of slavery from the Colonial Period to the 1860s. | 16th Century – 19th Century | I found this excerpt from Robert Francis Engs from the Macmillan Information Now Encyclopedia: The history of African American slavery in the United States can be divided into two periods: the first coincided with the colonial years, about 1650 to 1790; the second lasted from American independence through the Civil War, 1790 to 1865. Prior to independence, slavery existed in all the American colonies and therefore was not an issue of sectional debate. With the arrival of independence...
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...get Calixta away from her family. He wanted to be with her forever. Alce’e knew in spite of everything Calixta was a devoted wife. Nevertheless in that moment of passion Alce’e knew he had a place in her heart. Suddenly Alce’e remembered an old woman near the country side. This woman was a magic maker. The woman was known for her mysterious magic. Nevertheless no one knew the mysterious woman’s name. She was known for her spells and premonitions. The nameless woman was like a fortune teller that knew many things. She lived deep in the French countryside. This was the only person that could bring Calixta to him. Alce’e decided to find the nameless woman. Alce’e reached the countryside and embraced the smell of fresh grass. The woman’s house appeared in the rear of the secluded countryside. He entered and seen some of the most extraordinary things. There were books on shelves form the ceiling to the floor. He even saw glasses and jars full of mysterious potions. The woman even had a curious looking black cat. The house was set up like a store yet a home. The woman came out of a room with a beaded entrance. She spoke in a rhapsody voice and said, “What’s your pleasure”. Alce’e told the woman his story. He couldn’t stop looking at her appearance. Her garments were made of silk scarves. She had long hair that was braided which stretched to her bottom. The woman’s face was wrinkled with piercing green eyes. The woman gave him a book from off of the shelf...
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...Introduction By the 19th century, slavery had become entrenched in the culture of the United States. Slaves toiled endlessly in the southern states and yearned for their freedom. They learned from various insurrections that violent resistance (such as Nat Turner’s rebellion in 1831 ) usually resulted in death. People needed to figure out more secretive, and thus, safer, ways to fight back against their white owners. However, without organization, it was impossible for larger numbers to escape. Abolitionists (people who believed slavery should be outlawed) in the North and South needed to work together to provide a way to move more slaves from plantations to free states. These people established a series of places and a system of codes designed...
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