Profane Challenge and Orthodox Response in Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment"Profane Challenge and Orthodox Response in Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment presents for the first time an examination of this great novel as a work aimed at winning back "target readers", young contemporary radicals, from Utilitarianism, nihilism, and Utopian Socialism. Dostoevsky framed the battle in the context of the Orthodox Church and oral tradition versus the West. He relied on knowledge of the Gospels as text received orally, forcing readers to react emotionally, not rationally, and thus undermining the very basis of his opponents' arguments. Dostoevsky saves Raskol'nikov, underscoring the inadequacy of rational thought and reminding his readers of a heritage discarded at their peril. This volume should be of special interest to secondary and university students, as well as to readers interested in literature, particularly, in Russian literature, and Dostoevsky. |
Contents
5 | |
9 | |
Dostoevsky CounterAttacks | 29 |
Chapter Two The Religious Symbolism of Cloth and Clothing in Crime and Punishment | 67 |
Russias Western Capital | 93 |
Chapter Four The Parable of the Prodigal Son in Crime and Punishment | 143 |
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appears associated attempt bathhouse beginning belief Brothers Cambridge central Chapter characters Christ Christian church clothing contemporary context course Crime and Punishment cross crucial death discussion divine Dostoevskogo Dostoevsky double dream earlier earth economic emphasis encounter epilogue especially essay eventually face faith Father figures final forces functions gives Gospels human icon identified important Irtysh issue ladder later Lazarus linked literature Lizaveta look Luzhin material Moscow Mother murder narrator never nightmare notes novel observes once oral original Orthodox Parable particularly peasant Perhaps person perspective Petersburg physical plays Polen’ka present Princeton Prodigal Raskol’nikov rational reader realized recalls reference religious reminds represents role Russian scene sense setting significant significantly Slavic social society song Sonia specifically story street Studies Svidrigailov symbol takes thought tradition University Press visual Western York young