Monday, November 1, 2010
Privjet, Classmates
This discussion board was conceived because Raskolnikov is bipolar and the lovely members of my AP Lit class need a place to talk about it. No, seriously, this board is for educational purposes only. Remember, kids, this is the internet. You can never un-see something. Let's keep all content posted here clean. Please and thank you!
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First.
ReplyDeleteIt turns out that Dostoevsky is a nihilist, according to a teacher I talked to. I believe his experience as a nihilist gives the background of Raskolnikov. I thought that it was interesting.
ReplyDeleteHerro.
ReplyDelete... he used to be a nihilist, but he turned Christian, so i guess thats why he has a theme of redemption so strongly.
ReplyDeletehey guys:)
ReplyDeleteHi Hi! I'm excited.
ReplyDelete:) Thanks for commenting and following, kids.
ReplyDeletethis is SO exciting!
ReplyDeleteAwesome!
ReplyDeleteMy internets are down.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile in Soviet Russia, they have no internets.
Brianna, i am extremely offended by you calling us kids. I feel as if you think you're some superior being that just looks down upon us, and it really hurts me, and my ego. So, would you be so kin das to call us peers instead.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that he professed himself a christian considering that so far ( I have read through part two) the vast majority of his portrayals of God have been far more based upon the opinions of society at large rather than the bible...I like your hair John...and your jacket.
ReplyDeleteSCHISM
ReplyDeleteI am pretty sure everyone knows this, but the term 'Raskol' means schism. The schism may be a physical schism between his self and normal people in the world. The schism may be a mental schism within himself -- his pride against his humanistic ideas. The schism also can be emotional, which explains his bipolar background. I'm pretty sure that there are more forms of schism out there... It would be great if people added on more ideas about schism.
I support Kyle's comment but would prefer the term "fellow contemporaries"
ReplyDeleteHi Saraaaah! Posting is fun! Yay.
ReplyDeleteHELLO.
ReplyDeleteHi! Tessa
ReplyDeleteHi Megan!
ReplyDeleteSCHISM
I also noticed the concept of schisms; it made me think of how Rask seems to categorize his life into two sections: before the murder, and after. The concept of schisms also draws attention to the two sides of Raskolnikov's personality, which both Raz and Dounia refer to: his self-imporant, proud side, and his sympathetic, generous side.
ISOLATION
ReplyDeleteIts hard to pin point where Rasko's isolation stems from. Is he isolated because of his poverty? Or is he in poverty because he isolates himself? It seems to be a very cyclical.
Paulina, i'm sending you spam now!
ReplyDeleteYELLOW -
ReplyDeleteLets talk about Yellow. The yellow that is so common within Crime and Punishment is not the usual bright and vibrant color that yellow represents in our society, but instead a "dirty" "Wasted" and "pale" yellow. One that symbolizes shame and impurity. As Kayla so insightfully pointed out the yellow in the novel mroe closely resembles tainted white than faded brightness. Wow me with your insight.
Eric1Timothy2.3.7@gmail.com
INSANITY
ReplyDeleteIs Raskolnikov really insane or does he just convince himself that he is to justify the mistakes he has made. Raskolnikov may or may not have physcological damage but in this story its really difficult to tell. At times it seems like he may be insane and off the wall as he commits a brutal murder. Then on the other hand he has compassion for a young girl who has been "deceived". The last time I checked a serial killer doesnt have compassion at all. Im not sure if he is insane or not, but id like to know so.
Is raskolnikov insane?
Is raskolnikov psychologically damaged?
BLACK
ReplyDeleteLets talk about Black. The Black that is so common withing Crime and Punishment is not the usual dark and depressing color that black represents in our society, but instead a "clean" "wasted" and "bright" black. One that symbolizes shame and impurity. As Kayla so insightfully pointed out the black in the novel mroe closely resembles tainted yellow than faded darkness. Woah me with your insight.
acharlesworth22@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteISOLATION-
So, Ras. enables his thoughts to control his emotions and his physical state. He is so weird. Why the heck would he want to kill people, and know it's wrong? He has all of these provoking and distgusting thoughts, and it kills him inside to know that he's having these revoking thoughts. I feel bad for him, because he doesn't seem like a bad guy. After reading the letter his mommy wrote to him makes me sad. Because you can tell he misses her so much, yet at the same time she is basically throwing how great her daughter, his sister, is to his face (low blow). His aggravation towards to the family he has left is depressing. He needs to have those people in his life to help him get through his hardship. If he doens't have those love ones, then he won't have motivation to live, which sends him into poverty, which makes him drink, which isolates himself, which leads him to insanity. This is a cyclical effect. Poor guy:( I want to hug him. Yet Dos. manages to make you hate him at the same time because he is killing these girls, and having these inhumane thoughts.
ISANITY
ReplyDeleteI honestly do not believe that Raskolnikov is insane. I think that Raskolnikov is looking for an excuse to justify the murders he has committed and for the personality that he personifies. By persuading himself that he is mentally insane, it serves as a reason for killing the two women, and for putting himself in isolation from the rest of society.
SCHISM-
ReplyDeleteUndoubtedly "schism" is indicative of Raskolnikov's character. However there seems to be a general support of the idea that Raskolnikov is bipolar. I don't see it. Bipolar disorder is the alternation between euphoric and depressed states. If we're staying in the realm of mental illness, then I kindly proffer Dissociative Identity (Multiple Personality) Disorder as the condition which has befallen Rodya. This disorder better explains the complex and diamterically opposed differences that Rodya exhibits at the drop of a hat. However I am not so much a proponent of mental illness as a deeper spiritual battle, which seems to be in accordance with the general themes of religion and existentialism within the book. I would even go so far as to say that Raskolnikov is the subject of demonic attack and that the extremes to which we see his personality swing, in addition to the bizarre dreams he has, are simple physical manafestations of the battle between Good and Evil that is raging within him.
ARE THERE ANY GOOD ONES LEFT?
ReplyDeleteDetermining who is "bad" and who is "good" in the novel is not a black and white task. Some argue that Sonia is noble for being a prostitute because she is doing it to support her poor family, but how does one really rank a persons goodness, and, are we born good? All it takes is five minutes with a young child to known that we our all naturally bad... you never have to teach a kid to lie; they come up with that idea on their own to protect themselves. What is interesting is how we judge people's motives. Sonia seems noble because her motive was noble, whereas Rasko seems to have no motive whatsoever (although he'd like to think his motive was noble he really has no idea what he is doing). This idea leads to redemption; if we are all born bad, how do we redemn ourselves? Rasko seems to search for his redemption by punishing himself with isolation but redemption is not found in self-torture.... so, does anyone think Rasko will find redemption and if so, how?
Nice Kyle...nice.
ReplyDeleteLETS
ReplyDeleteLets talk about Lets. The Lets that is so common withing Crime and Punishment is not the usual dark and depressing color that lets represents in our society, but instead a "clean" "wasted" and "bright" lets. One that symbolizes shame and impurity. As Kayla so insightfully pointed out the lets in the novel mroe closely resembles tainted black than faded darkness. Woah me with your insight.
btw, StevenGr123@Gmail.com
MARMELADOV
ReplyDeleteI really don't like this guy, just saying. He is a drunk and has no regard for the welfare of his family. He finally gets his job back and within a week he robs his family of any money earned and blows all the money at the bar. Then he has the nerve to take more money from his daughter, whose prostution is a direct result of his failures. I feel that Marmeladov is incredibly selfish and though at times express some level of concern for his family, really only cares about himself.
ARE THERE ANY GOOD ONE'S LEFT?
ReplyDeleteWhat determines if a person is bad or if they are good? What gives us the right to determine who is bad and who is good? It is simply human to make mistakes and to even make poor decisions. But do the decisions that we make determine who we are as people? For example, because Sonia becomes a prostitute to make money for her impoverished family, does that mean that she is now personified as a bad person?
ARE THERE ANY GOOD ONES LEFT?
ReplyDeleteThis question was brought up in our discussion yesturday. We had come to the conclusion that their are no bad people just people that make bad choices. There were other questions brought up during this discussion such as Is everyone born good? Due to nathan we had come to the conclusion that our mistakes dont define us as good or bad human beings. Ellie also stated that Sounia isnt necessarily bad. That she is doing something she thinks is right to benefit others. Wich in fact brought up a good point. Is someone necessarily bad if they make a bad choice conviniced that it is bettering the people around them. sounia does it out of the good of her heart beleiveing it will help.So, Is sounia a bad person because of the things shes done? Raskolnikov then brings for the idea that " If one looks at men in all ways are there any good ones left? If you look at a man in all ways. I took that more of if you put a man in this position, wich such poverty, depression and confusion do you beleive that this man would not do what i did?
DEPENDENCE
ReplyDeleteMarmeladov is ironic. His family depends on him as a father for money and such, but it is actually he that is the most dependent.
- Unable to support the family by himself, he relies on Sonia's prostitution to fill in. In the tavern, when he talks about Sonia, one guy said that he "asked Sonia for a pick-me-up!" Yet, Marmeladov does neither writhe in pain nor rise up in anger -- he just continues his mumbling, intoxicated and dejected.
- He is dependent on alcohol to soothe his soul.
- He is dependent on Christ. He talks about redemption and in effect asks Christ to come and take him and his family. Another irony here is that he is drunk while he is talking about Christ.
He ultimately fails to accomplish his role as a father, which is to look after the family. When he comes back, he is hammered down by his wife. So much for the phrase "man of the house." Marmeladov just accepts his punishment, calling it a consolation.
PITY
... Raskolnikov pities the family and leaves them with some money, but isn't Raskolnikov to be pitied as well? He is in a same bind... Just because of the current Marmeladov family's condition, he believes that their situation is worse than his is. But in the end, it is all the same... Perhaps this is why Raskolnikov regrets giving his money away. So when should someone pity? Is giving someone pity useful for a person? Raskolnikov shuts himself in, trying to isolate himself yet again in his ideas, that he is the one that needs money... The bell just rang. I hope someone continues my thoughts :D
I haven't finished reading Part I yet. And because I know what's going to happen since we listened to that lecture that gave us a summary of the novel, I'm just laying in wait to be shocked by the murder. It's rather annoying to be waiting for something that you already know is going to happen. Which makes it even more annoying that when I had anticipated for Dostoevsky to try and wheedle Raskolnikov into my heart, he didn't. He is making it so easy for me to hate all of the characters that have been introduced so far, except for maybe Katerina and Sonia and her siblings. I don't feel like there is anything more that I can say except for that fact that it disappoints me that in Dos's attempt to make me feel something for people who have been dealt a bad hand, he actually makes me pretty disappointed with humanity. We love people who are genuinely kind not necessarily because they are kind, but because it's rare. Isn't that sad? So I feel like I should be shocked by my disappointment by my realization that most of the world seems to be populated by not-so-kind people, but I'm just resigned. This is not exactly the route that Dos would want to go down if he is trying to make me feel for Ras. From what I understand, Dos is trying to say that suffering for a noble cause is some sort of beautiful thing, that it leads to truth, but what is Ras suffering for? Himself? I don't really think that the first plan that poor people come up with to get themselves out of destitution is murder. From what I've been told by other students, Ras picked up his idea to murder the landlady from a bar. And he's supposed to be very intelligent? And what is Dos thinking when Ras is "suffering" after he feels guilt for his murder? He deserves it! Sure, you could say that he wasn't in his right mind since he was driven by his isolation and sadness and depression, and in some ways that can account for people's craziness, but in the end it's all excuses. It kind of stinks that we've managed to diagnose and create all of these different diseases and all of these conditions that people can blame on. I understand that there are inescapable, completely indiscriminate circumstances in life. I do. But how could you take somebody's life away? That person might have meant something to someone, and people already have a short time here. Why would you rob them of that? And how can Dos make generalizations about humanity using Ras? Is every murderer intelligent? Does every criminal feel such extreme guilt for his crimes that he becomes physically ill? I don't believe so. But I can see how suffering might reveal truth, because it's always the hardest circumstances that reveal a person's true character. But what if you find out that you aren't a very good person? You're supposed to feel happy that at least you know that you're bad? Is that supposed to prevent you from doing bad things? What is truth? Why is it such a good thing? Truth is whatever you believe, there's never any truth, truth is what people tell you. Truth is faith.
ReplyDeleteWow, Kaylee, really?
ReplyDeleteARE THERE ANY GOOD ONES LEFT?
ReplyDeleteDoes accepting other people's imperfections make us naive?
In class post!
ReplyDelete