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This 3 page paper discusses the way in which Dostoevsky uses the cross to symbolize both love and an unbearable emotional burden in Crime and Punishment. Bibliography lists 1 source.
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3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: KV32_HV678415RV.rtf
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it is used in the novel. Discussion Crime and Punishment is unusual in that the murder occurs early in the book and there is no mystery at all about who
the murderer is. But because Raskolnikov isnt found out, he has to live with the knowledge that he has committed the worst of all crimes, and that knowledge becomes a
sort of cross which he must bear. The cross is itself the symbol of the Christian religion and the self-sacrifice Christ made to save mankind; Christianity teaches that Christ
died so that mankind could have eternal life. The cross is also the symbol of all the beliefs of that faith, including the commandment not to kill. Raskolnikov has violated
one of the most important of all Christian tenets, and that weighs on him as heavily as a real cross would. But in a more general sense, the term refers
to any burden, emotional or spiritual, that one has to live with. Religious symbolism is common in English; we speak of someone being a "martyr" to an illness; or bearing
the cross of caring for an aged relative; or undertaking a "crusade" against some sort of injustice. Here, one can argue that Raskolnikovs entire character development is based on the
idea that he is crucifying himself through the device of his mental anguish. He has no peace of mind after committing the crime; he is constantly nervous, upset, ill and
suspicious; he cant find anywhere to rest; he is fearful of everyone. The constant pressure of uncertainty, of whether or not he will be caught and executed, is fully as
agonizing as anything Christ suffered. Therefore, taken in that sense, the entire novel is about the agony of the cross that Raskolnikov now bears. There is a real cross in
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