The following passage from Crime and Punishment. In your blog this week, explain how the author's use of imagery, and figurative language characterize the two characters: Raskolnikov and the Pawn Broker. Remember to explain why it matters!
"The old woman was as always bareheaded. Her thin, light hair, streaked with grey, thickly smeared with grease, was plaited in a rat’s tail and fastened by a broken horn comb which stood out on the nape of her neck. As she was so short, the blow fell on the very top of her skull. She cried out, but very faintly, and suddenly sank all of a heap on the floor, raising her hands to her head. In one hand she still held ‘the pledge.’ Then he dealt her another and another blow with the blunt side and on the same spot. The blood gushed as from an overturned glass, the body fell back. He stepped back, let it fall, and at once bent over her face; she was dead. Her eyes seemed to be starting out of their sockets, the brow and the whole face were drawn and contorted convulsively" (1.7. 16).
As with many novels by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment has the use of imagery and figurative language sprinkled throughout the text. These give way for the reader to imagine the world that each character is living in and what the character’s appearance/demeanor is. Imagery and figurative language are both used when describing Raskolnikov and the pawn broker, especially during the scene where Raskolnikov kills her. The pawn broker woman and Raskolnikov are almost complete opposites in how they are described in Crime and Punishment. Raskolnikov is described as a handsome man with a pleasant and trustworthy face, while the pawn broker woman is described as old, decrepit, and deceitful. In the excerpt provided, even in her death the pawn broker woman is described as having a face that is drawn (or in a frown) and is contorted convulsively. Even in death the pawn broker woman has not found the beauty that Raskolnikov is able to convey. The words describing the pawn broker’s dead body as an “overturned glass” can be considered a metaphor for the fact that she was always described as being a pessimist or a person whose glass is half empty. These things make for a significant plot line that seems to be overlooked as readers quickly dismiss the idea of her because she is already gone before the novel is even ¼ finished. The pawn broker woman is somebody that Raskolnikov sees in himself and cannot stand the thought of turning into her. She represents aging, and maturing which is something that Raskolnikov fears. He loves living in the moment and being one step ahead of the game, which is shown when he mocks the officers and almost confessing to the truth of the murder. Raskolnikov had recently quit his job as a student, was having significant money troubles and was looked down upon in society by the majority of the population because of how cynical he was becoming. Raskolnikov kills that part of himself when he kills the pawn broker woman because readers are shown a change throughout the rest of the book. He progresses from resenting everyone and everything in life to realizing with Sonia that the only person that will be able to make him happy is himself and in order to do so he must give himself up. Overall, the pawn broker woman is what gives Raskolnikov’s character an aspect of dynamism that is not viewed so intensely in other characters.
ReplyDelete- Bolger, J. 2
This passage from Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment is a chief example of how the use of imagery and figurative language can impact the reader’s viewpoint on the characters and how descriptions can be directly related to the characteristics of those characters. When reading this passage, it is quite entertaining because each piece of imagery presented is very easily traced back to the individualities of both the Pawn Broker and Raskolnikov.
ReplyDeleteThe old pawnbroker is characterized as very greasy, disgusting, and cynical: “Her thin, light hair, streaked with grey, thickly smeared with grease, was plaited in a rat’s tail and fastened by a broken horn comb with stood out on the nape of her neck” (1.7.16). The way that Dostoevsky describes the old women makes her seem extremely unlikeable, and almost allows the reader to understand why Raskolnikov despises her so much. She is characterized as a very loathe-worthy woman who deserves to be killed because of how awful she is to everyone around her, including her own sister, Lizaveta. Dostoevsky’s purpose in describing her in such a way can almost be seen as a way to justify his protagonists, Raskolnikov’s, murder. In describing her like this, he allows the reader a little bit of leeway to be able to sympathize with Raskolnikov’s actions and understand how he could have committed a murder. This is important because if the reader is able to somewhat sympathize with him, then they are also able to find traces of humanity within him at certain instances in the novel. These traces of humanity, even though they may be small, cause the reader to want to keep reading because they are not completely turned off by Raskolnikov’s repulsiveness.
Dostoevsky metaphorically describes the blood gushing out of the woman’s head as an, “overturned glass,” which allows the reader to fully understand that the scene is not just a little bit bloody, but is instead filled with extreme gore and disgust. This is important because although the reader may be able to feel some sympathy for Raskolnikov, it also allows them to understand what he is capable of doing. Raskolnikov is characterized as a very negative, angered man who is always one step ahead of the game. Throughout the novel, Raskolnikov likes to be in control; he always needs to be on top of everything, and if he is not, he gets paranoid. This trait of his is shown in this passage. Everything that he does is very precise: “… the blow fell on the very top of her skull… Then he dealt her another and another blow with the blunt side and on the same spot” (1.7.16). This just adds to Raskolnikov’s paranoia and his overall crazed character. He must feel in control of things because if he is not, his paranoia is worsened even further. This makes his actions, once again, able to be sympathized with. This continuation of sympathy that the reader is able to feel for him then allows them to see somewhat of a change in Raskolnikov because of Sonia at the end of the novel and realize that even the worst of people can be changed by someone that they care about.
Shaniuk, B 7/8
Through the use of figurative language and imagery the author is able to characterize Raskolnikov and the pawnbroker. Through the imagery readers come to see the pawnbroker as dirty and despised. The imagery that the readers are presented with shows the woman with greasy hair and it is held back by a broken comb. The description shows how poor and dirty she is, and it represents her as the slimy character that she is. We come to see the reasons that the woman is despised, and it makes it easier to understand why Raskolnikov killed her. It is easier to understand the murder of a poor and disgusting character then if the character were considered gorgeous and well maintained. The description of the woman continues even after she is killed. When it says that her eyes were basically bugging out and her face was contorted we again see the woman as a gross person worth killing. As for Raskolnikov we see his character as very controlled and precise. He made sure to strike her in the same place every time for a guaranteed kill. After the body falls he immediately checks to make sure that the woman is in fact dead and no longer a problem for him or anyone else she would have to deal with. We also see Raskolnikov as insensitive almost. However this is done through the authors language/ imagery. By the use of a metaphor and saying that the womans blood spilling can be compared to an overturned glass we see how cynical Raskolnikov is, and how turned off from feelings and thoughts he is at the moment. Through the imagery and language we get a true feeling of the characters and how the author wants them to be portrayed.
ReplyDeleteBunting, A 2nd
In this passage in Crime and Punishment, Dostoyevsky uses imagery in a unique way. He uses it to help the readers picture what is actually going on in the eyes of the main character, Raskolnikov. This method adds a different dimension to the novel and helps build a stronger bond between the reader and author.
ReplyDeleteFrom the beginning, Raskolnikov describes the Pawn Broker in a negative way. By stating, “The old woman was as always bareheaded. Her thin, light hair streaked with grey, thickly smeared with grease,” Dostoevsky is able to explain how the broker looks. She is very old and her hair is greying. Usually, people who are older are considered wise and smart, which deserves everyone’s respect. Raskolnikov doesn’t see this in the Pawn Broker, and uses it as negative notion when murdering her. Raskolnikov then talks about her size stating, “As she was so short, the blow fell on the very top of her skull. She cried out, but very faintly, and suddenly sank all of a heap on the floor, raising her hands to her head.” By bringing up that the Pawn Broker was short, Dostoevsky was able to describe the magnitude of the murder. If Raskolnikov was able to hit anywhere else on the body, it would not of hurt her as much. Due to the fact that he hit the head explains the gravity of the injury. The blow instantly killed the Pawn Broker, giving her no chance to live.
Towards the end of the passage, it states, “The he dealt her another and another blow with the blunt side of the and on the same spot. The blood gushed as from an overturned glass. The body fell back.” By bringing this point up, Dostoevsky gives the readers a chance to actually see what went on during the murder. They see how Raskolniokv strikes the lady with the blunt side of the axe, not the sharp side. This shows the parallel between the two sides of Raskolnikov. When he plans something out, Raskolnikov tends to not be as drastic as if he does something with little notice. This point is supported through another murder and various events he takes part in. By using the imagery of the “overturned glass”, it shows how hard Raskolnikov hit the lady and the severity of the injury. He did not just knock her out, he actually murder you. By mentioning the fact that he hit her many times explains Raskolnikovs insanity and shows how crazy he is.
This section matters because it gives an inside look about the make up of Raskolnikov, and his motives of doing certain things. This passage demonstrates his violent make up and motive to kill the Pawn Lady. Although its short, this passage explains the make up of Raskolnikov and gives insight towards the rest of the novel.
Wasylko, G 2
The descriptions and language that Dostoyevsky uses characterize Raskolnikov and the old Pawnbroker. Dostoyevsky says “The old woman was as always bareheaded. Her thin, light hair, streaked with grey, thickly smeared with grease, was plaited in a rat’s tail and fastened by a broken horn comb which stood out on the nape of her neck,” and this description does not make her sound as though she is much above Raskolnikov as far as her poverty level goes. Her comb, after all, a menial and cheap item is broken, indicating that perhaps she isn’t quite living large. The description of her is quite disgusting really, with the “rat’s tail” bit being especially gross. Dostoyevsky goes on to say “She cried out, but very faintly, and suddenly sank all of a heap on the floor, raising her hands to her head. In one hand she still held ‘the pledge.’” Now this passage makes her sound like the sort of person that Raskolnikov would want to kill. She died weakly and with barely a sound, leaving the world like the louse he saw her as, and on top of that, she was holding an item that was to be pawned in her hand, showing that she really valued the material side of the world, something that Raskolnikov does not seem to care for. As far as Raskolnikov goes, the line “Then he dealt her another and another blow with the blunt side and on the same spot. The blood gushed as from an overturned glass,” is rather telling about Raskolnikov’s personality. The animosity and brutality of the killing is evidenced here, with the gorey imagery of the overturned glass and the additional blow when she was already dead. The previously mentioned brutality of Raskolnikov here is surprising; overall, he is not a violent character in the rest of the book, so this violent act is out of character so to speak, and that is perhaps why he ends up confessing at the end of the book, as he is not a truly violent man.
ReplyDeleteCrow 7/8
This passage works to make the pawnbroker inhuman through imagery that paints her as demonic. “The brow and the whole face were drawn and contorted convulsively” is a violent, almost satanic description that suggests the pawnbroker is evil. Dostoyevsky writes, “Her thin, light hair, streaked with grey, thickly smeared with grease, was plaited in a rat’s tail and fastened by a broken horn comb which stood out on the nape of her neck.” This weaves an implied metaphor between the pawnbroker and a rodent. Dostoyevsky plays on our assumptions of things that are old, ugly, and unclean to distance the pawnbroker from the reader and make her impossible to sympathize with. This distance is further enforced through the use of the impersonal pronoun “it.” Raskolnikov observes, “The body fell back. He stepped back, let it fall.” This language subtly suggests that the pawnbroker is more of an object or a beast than a human being. Dostoyevsky’s figurative language contributes to this idea as well. He observes that, “The blood gushed as from an overturned glass,” comparing her injuries to an inanimate object rather than providing a more realistic description of blood gushing from a human skull.
ReplyDeleteThis scene matters because it displaces Raskolnikov’s evil onto the old woman he is killing. Because we are fed language that pits us against the pawnbroker, we almost see her murder as a heroic act. Dostoyevsky deceives us into rooting for the murderer instead of sympathizing with the victim. The impersonal language along with the satanic imagery twists the murder into a situation of “slaughtering the beast” rather than slaughtering an innocent human being.
Keller N 7/8
Within the novel Crime and Punishment, without the use of Dostoevsky’s style of writing containing certain styles such as imagery and figurative language, it would be difficult to understand the characters of how they truly are. In the given passage between Raskolnikov and the killing of the Pawn Broker, as the readers we understand why he dislikes the Pawn Broker so much and the kind of person Raskolnikov is himself.
ReplyDelete"The old woman was as always bareheaded. Her thin, light hair, streaked with grey, thickly smeared with grease, was plaited in a rat’s tail and fastened by a broken horn comb which stood out on the nape of her neck,” (1. 7. 16) The way the Pawn Broker is described, we start to realize why Raskolnikov is not very fond of her and we can picture her as a greasy old and unattractive women and by portraying her in a dim light we can be persuaded to agree with him and that killing her wouldn’t be a bad idea. He manages to make the reader side with him in his actions.
Although he persuades the reader, it does not mean that he is not a malicious man. When doing the act of killing her, he seems that he kills her in one blow but he takes the time to hit her more times in the same spot to ensure her death. When looking at the body, we start to see he refers to the Pawn Broker as an “it”, showing the inhumane side of Raskolnikov. “The blood gushed as from an overturned glass, the body fell back. He stepped back, let it fall, and at once bent over her face; she was dead” (1.7.16). We see his true colors in this scene as he doesn’t refer to her as a person anymore but as “the body” and “it”, losing all humanity left for his victim. It solidified the fact that he does not care for the Pawn Broker whatsoever and even dehumanizes her after he kills her showing us the first events that further endure his negative connotation that he will soon fulfill throughout the rest of the novel.
S. Güt 7/8
It is figurative language that paints a rather unpleasant view of the pawnbroker. Dostoevsky uses imagery to describe the pawnbroker by telling the reader about her physical appearance. Her hair was described as “streaked with grey, thickly smeared with grease, [and] plaited in a rat’s tail,” which implies a rather unkept look, perhaps signifying that she doesn’t spend much of the money she makes. As the passage continues, Raskolnikov delivers a blow “on the very top of her skull.” It is her reaction that is particularly important: “She cried out, but very faintly, and suddenly sank all of a heap on the floor, raising her hands to her hand.” She makes little fight for her life, as her cry was merely faint. She seemed to almost just accept her defeat and welcome death with open arms. Dostoevsky implies here that the pawnbroker was frail and weak, which subtly hints that Raskolnikov felt he was justified in killing her because he was less weak than her. Overall, this is scene is important because although there is little insight from Dostoevsky and the passage is primarily only action, it enforces Raskolnikov’s “right” to kill this woman.
ReplyDelete-Kett J 2
This piece of Crime and Punishment plays a pivotal role in understanding the character of Raskolnikov. As with most of Crime and Punishment and other pieces of Dostoevsky, he develops his central characters through their interactions with other, secondary characters in his works. The pawnbroker in this instance is no different. In an overview, the piece is an exchange between Raskolnikov and Atyona, the pawnbroker. Specifically, it is the part of the work where Raskolnikov goes Carry Nation or sticks an axe into the pawnbroker’s head. Overall, it is gruesome, paced work that is a pivotal turning point in the work. However, on closer examination, there is a lot more going on in this work than just the surface.
ReplyDeleteFor one, the use of diction is heavily prominent in this work, regardless of the size. The piece starts of with describing the woman. She is described as “bareheaded” right off the bat. Later, she is captured in imagery such as “grease”, a “broken hair comb”, a “rat’s tail” and “streaked gray hair”. This initial encounter and description makes the reader see her as dirty, low life and conniving. However, there is an interjection in the piece. It goes from the description and imagery of her appearance to “the blow fell”.
This is another one of the structural and literary choices Dostoevsky makes in his works. He goes from long and flowing descriptions, to a very short, blunt comment: “the axe went into her skull”. Then, he continues to use these short statements without with the literary device asyndeton. He uses these short, quick paced statements (lines 4-8) in order to make the piece or the moment feel rushed and fast. Then, in addition with these short lines, he creates a change in preposition. No longer is the pawnbroker referred to as she, but the focus becomes “the body”. It is this anonymity that allows Raskolnikov to become victorious. No longer is the pawnbroker the greasy, spawn of the earth; instead she becomes a body, a person, a victim of her power.
The piece ends with another prepositional shift, back to the use of “she” and “her”. Again in regards to the power dynamic, to refer to the dead corpse as her, allows us to see Raskolnikov’s power and dominance. By giving the body a face, and reminding us of the woman she used to be, it shows the power and triumph that Raskolnikov has gained.
Overall, this is yet another example of the power dynamic Dostoevsky uses in his piece. Like we talked about in class with the Napoleon complex, the book consists of the constant rollercoaster of Raskolnikov’s drive to be extraordinary and make his mark in the world.
Megan Lear 2nd
The passage is brutal in nature, concise in structure. Both these aspects can be summed by two sentences in the passage: “The blood gushed as from an overturned glass, the body fell back. He stepped back, let it fall, and at once bent over her face; she was dead” (6-8). Dostoevsky uses a simile to compare the pawnbroker to an “overturned glass”; blood spews uncontrollably from her body. The imagery that Dostoevsky uses engulfs the story in a mood of fear. The short clauses like, “the body fell back” and “she was dead” delivers a chilling feel to the reader. Raskolnikov is overcome with nothingness as he commits the murder. The passage presents minimal description of Raskolnikov’s reaction to the murder. “She was dead” to him and that is it. His Nihilism shows through the lack of reaction and quickness to the murder. The passage emphasizes Raskolnikov’s isolation from the world around him. This isolation carries on with him throughout the book and reflects his embodiment of Nihilism. For the Pawn Broker, the passage characterizes her with disgust: “Her thin, light hair, streaked with grey, thickly smeared with grease, was plaited in a rat’s tail” (1-2). Dostoevsky’s diction, which includes “grease” and “rat’s tail”, makes the Pawn Broker seem like a wild animal. She is presented as what Raskolnikov describes her before the murder: a burden to society. Presenting her as an abomination, the passage gives further justification to Raskolnikov’s “utilitarian” decision to kill her.
ReplyDeleteSrivastava R, 2
Throughout much of the novel, Dostoevsky uses figurative language and imagery to describe his characters. In this specific passage, Dostoevsky focuses in on both Raskolnikov and the Pawn Broker.
ReplyDeleteOpening the passage, Dostoevsky portrays the woman to have an unkept appearance stating that: “The old woman was always bareheaded. Her thin, light hair, streaked with grey, thickly smeared with grease, was plaited in a rat’s tail and fastened by a broken horn comb” (Lines 1-2). This imagery characterizes the woman to seem as though she does not show much effort in her appearance. The “broken horn comb” signifies that she does not spend much money on herself, but has no problem swindling it from her clients. Dostoevsky portrays the woman to look the way she does so she does not become a character the readers sympathize with. If she were to be a cute, old and petite woman, the audience would be more apt to feel bad about her death. Dostoevsky made her to be an older hag who is less appealing to show the lack of remorse for her death.
Raskolnikov was a character who felt little guilt about the murder of the Pawn Broker. She consistently was haggling him out of money and he had finally had it. The murder was gruesome and showed the audience how finished he was with her antics. Dostoevsky shows this when saying: “Then he dealt her another and another blow with the blunt side and on the same spot” (Lines 6-7). The blunt side of the axe is the dull, rounded side. Raskolnikov repeating the act of hitting her in the same spot showed that he needed to be released of his anger. He wanted to be sure that she was dead. Dostoevsky characterizes Raskolnikov to be filled with this anger to fuel the nest of the novel. He also shows that this was of free choice and goes with the idea that he was an existentialist. Dostoevsky wants the audience to understand that this was not a murder that was going to be filled with guilt and questioning and self-reflection. It was a murder of free will and done for the good of her clients as well as Raskolnikov. It is not till later in the novel where the readers start to see a shift in this idea.
Cika, M 2
ReplyDeleteThe imagery and figurative language were used throughout the novel in this instance and in others to convey depth in the piece, adding comparison, definition and details that paint pictures in the minds of the readers.
In terms of Raskolnikov, the imagery portrayed him as a somewhat careless main, with little to no resentment for his actions, as he could just so easily kill the Pawn Broker, with no guilt. “She cried out but very faintly, and suddenly sank all of a heap on the floor, raising her hands to her head…the blood gushed from an overturned glass, the body fell back…she was dead” (Dostoyevsky 1.7.16), said this segment of the novel where we can make it clear how he could brutally murder and innocent being who was distraught and helpless.
Being described as helpless as her murder, Dostoyevsky stated, "The old woman was as always bareheaded. Her thin, light hair, streaked with grey, thickly smeared with grease, was plaited in a rat’s tail and fastened by a broken horn comb which stood out on the nape of her neck” (Dostoyevsky 1.7.16), suggesting that in some way her appearance was so disturbing that it actually lessened her value of life. As cruel and belittling as this fact may seem, he seemed to try to justify her murder judging by her very descriptive, foul appearance. It was almost as though Raskolnikov was so bothered by her image that he decided she didn’t have the right to live. She was dehumanized because of her descriptive qualities, which enhance the true power of imagery in this text paired with figurative language.
-Mewhinney M 2
Dostoyevsky uses incredible imagery in this selection that really characterizes the pawnbroker. It depicts her as very frail and old, as well as very dirty. He says that her hair was, “thickly smeared with grease,” which paints her as not only dirty physically, but also in personality. She was, for lack of a better word, scum. He also paints the image of her death very clearly, saying, “The blood gushed as from an overturned glass.” Using this simile allows the reader to really imagine the scene and the grotesque nature of it. Dostoyevsky also characterizes Raskolnikov in this scene by saying, “He stepped back, let it fall…” By describing the pawn broker’s body as “it,” Dostoyevsky was showing that Raskolnikov was already distancing himself from the woman and from the murder. Additionally, this passage shows that Raskolnikov had no hesitation about killing the old woman once he had dealt her the first blow because it states, “Then he dealt her another and another blow.” He had no hesitation and no immediate remorse after killing her, and the remorse he felt was only caused by his fear of being found out. This passage is important to understanding Raskolnikov’s guilt and why he felt guilty because, as we see from this passage, it was not directly due to the murder. However the selection also makes the woman seem older and more frail and almost “grandmotherly” because she was in distress, which makes the reader feel bad for her and dislike Raskolnikov. I think this was Dostoyevky’s intention because he wrote Raskolnikov as a Byronic hero so that the reader would never truly enjoy his character but did not necessarily hate him. This passage helps to build that image of him.
ReplyDelete-Dushek, K 2˚
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ReplyDeleteThroughout Crime and Punishment, Dostoyevsky is careful in his development of his characters. Rather than letting on details all at once, he slowly reveals pieces of information to readers that can be used to make sense of a situation. For example, readers do not even learn of Raskolnikov’s plans to murder the pawnbroker until a few chapters in the book. While careful reading would lead to this conclusion much earlier, Dostoyevsky waits to definitively tell readers the plan.
ReplyDeleteReaders see a similar pattern in this passage. Dostoyevsky writes, “Her thin, light hair, streaked with grey, thickly smeared with grease, was plated in a rat’s tail…” Through his use of imagery, readers come to clear understanding of the pawnbroker. Her thin, light hair reveals that she is an old woman. More importantly, however, the thinning of her hair tells readers that she is declining in health, as thin hair is typically associated with illness. The description of her hair as a “rat’s tail” reveals an abundance of information about the woman’s social status. By showing readers that the woman is unable to wash her hair regularly, we come to understand that she is not able to afford health care products. While she is a pawnbroker and can lend money to others, she struggles to make ends meet in her own home. This reveals that the woman tries hard to be an important business partner, but struggles to provide for her own basic needs.
While Dostoyevsky never discusses the psychology of Raskolnikov, careful reading of this passage reveals important details. The sudden transition between the description of the woman and her murder highlights the difference in personality between the two characters. While the woman is bitter, Raskolnikov is detached and emotionless. Dostoyevsky says, “he dealt her another and another blow with the blunt side and on the same spot.” The blunt side of the axe represents the detachment that Raskolnikov feels. Unlike the sharpened side of the axe, he is unclear of his intentions and acts “blunt” towards the woman. When he murder the sister later, readers see that he is certain of his actions. There is no hesitation, but rather an instinctual need to murder. When the pawnbroker falls, the first thing Raskolnikov does is look into her eyes. In literature, eyes have come to represent the window to a person’s soul. By looking ‘into’ the pawnbroker’s soul, readers see that Raskolnikov is still susceptible to feeling emotion towards the woman.
Dostoyevsky also makes use of alliteration and simile to develop the passage. Through use of alliteration, he adds flow to the passage. While one would expect a murder passage to be blunt and emotionless, Dostoyevsky draws attention to the passage by contrasting the idea of murder with the natural flow of the passage. When the woman is murdered, he says that her blood “gushed as from an overturned glass.” Like a glass, the woman has been emptied and has nothing left to give.
In this passage, Dostoyevsky makes careful use of imagery and figurative language in order to develop his characters. In this murder scene, readers come to a much better understanding about the character of Raskolnikov.
-Ryan M. 2
Imagery and figurative language play an impactful role in Crime and Punishment. They help the reader see not only what the characters look like and what they see, but it shows the reader also how the character thinks and who they truly are. The old woman sounds almost dirty as her hair is described as “thickly smeared with grease” and “plaited in a rat’s tail and fastened by a broken horn comb that stood out on the nape of her neck.” Raskolnikov describes her as a rat, disgusting vermin. The imagery used to describe her gives the reader a feeling of disgust towards her. This makes the murder less terrible for the reader. It does not exactly justify the actions of Raskolnikov, but it causes the reader not to care for the loss of the pawn broker’s life. After Raskolnikov repeatedly hits the pawn broker in the head with his ax, Dostoevsky writes, “The blood gushed as from an overturned glass, the body fell back. He stepped back, let it fall, and all at once bent over her face; she was dead.” Dostoevsky chooses not to say that she merely bled. He uses this figurative language to describe a more gruesome scene. By making the scene more vivid and gory, it greatly shows Raskolnikov’s character. At seeing a sight that would cause others to become sick, he merely steps back and looks at her, no feeling of regret or remorse being shown. The action and reaction show that Raskolnikov really does believe he is doing a service rather than committing a crime.
ReplyDeleteHornung, A. 7/8
In literature, authors use imagery and figurative language to help readers understand and visualize characters and events easier. This passage from Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment utilizes imagery, as well as figurative language to depict the physical characteristics of the old pawnbroker and Raskolnikov.
ReplyDeleteThis passage portrays Raskolnikov as a tall, powerful, and merciless man. Contrary to the pawn broker who was, “so short, the blow fell on the very top of her skull” (1. 7. 16). The fact that the pawn broker used a broken horn comb to fasten her hair show that she might not have been as well off financially as Raskolnikov and other assumed she was or that she was so frugal that she was not willing to spend money on a new horn comb. Raskolnikov’s ability to overpower the pawn broker is almost made obvious to readers through Dostoyevsky’s use of imagery. The old pawn broker is short and frail with thin light hair, while Raskolnikov is the very antithesis of these physical characteristics. She never anticipated that Raskolnikov would try to kill her nor did she try to do anything to stop him after her hit her the first time. This emphasizes Raskolnikov’s strength and stealth, while emphasizing the wealthy pawn broker’s loss of power. The pawn broker has always been portrayed in a negative light. The fact that Raskolnikov hit her in three head three times symbolizes his hatred of the pawn broker and his desire to kill her. Dostoyevsky states, “Her eyes seemed to be starting out of their sockets, the brow and the whole face were drawn and contorted convulsively" (1.7. 16). Even in death the pawn broker is described in a negative light; her face was “contorted convulsively,” almost making readers understand why she had to die.
Judele C, 2nd
ReplyDeleteMy initial reaction to the description of the pawn broker is to find her quite disgusting and grimy. Dostoevsky uses imagery to have the reader be just as judgmental of the pawn broker as the other characters. His negative tone and uneasy diction places the focus on Raskolnikov and his actions instead of having sympathy for the old woman. Phrases such as “thickly smeared with grease,” and “broken horn comb which stood out on the nape of her neck” are almost more disturbing than the description of the murder. By referring to her body as “a heap on the floor” both Dostoevsky and Raskolnikov dehumanize her and somewhat justify her killing; she was not useful in society and therefore her death has no substantial effect. The pawn broker is characterized by her appearance while Raskolnikov is characterized by his actions.
Raskolnikov’s reaction to the now dead body is very interesting. While the murder is supported with his frantic thinking and adrenaline, the way “he stepped back, let it fall, and at once bent over her face” does not compare to the assumed characterizes of a murderer’s accomplishments. He seems overwhelmed now that this action has been completed; he actually went through with it. Together the descriptions of both characters combined lead to an overall sense of dread of reflection on the magnitude of the action and its aftermath.
-Grabowski, H. 7/8
This passage, taken from the actual murder of the pawnbroker in the beginning of the story, describes the woman herself concisely, yet with plenty of bias. The chosen imagery focuses mostly on her most disheveled and unattractive feature: her hair. This feature, we are told, is ratty, colorless, and arranged badly. From this, we can infer the rest of the women appears much the same, and would act just as shabbily and coarsely. The passage also tells us that as she held up hers hands to defend herself, she is still holding the pledge Raskolnikov gave her. This implies her greed; she may be about to die, but she’d be damned in life if she let them get her newest treasure. Even at the end of it all, when she is lying on the ground dead, she is still described as having an unpleasant look on her face; it was as if her whole person was just the most unattractive and callous being ever to walk the earth, and it leaves first-time readers with the impression that life will be better without her.
ReplyDeleteThis may, however, be exactly what the murderer wants us to feel. As we discussed in class, at this point Raskolinov still believes he is murdering this women for the good of all mankind. As his is the only description we get of her, it could be said it is biased; he is focusing on the woman’s worst features and traits in order to justify his crime. One of the lines shows this justification clearly: “The blood gushed as from an overturned glass” (1.7.16). This implies that the murder meant as little to him as a spilled glass of tea might at another time. He may think otherwise later, but for now , both he and the readers are calm and unconcerned about the whole ordeal, secure in the fact that they had just rid the world of a great and terrible evil. The calm before the storm, as it were.
Maslach, K 2
This imagery of the pawn broker and Raskolnikov is shown vividly in this passage. The reader learns of the way the murder occurred through Raskolnikovs actions, and can see how the pawn broker looks and felt at the moment of her death. Readers learn physical features along with exactly what Raskolnikov did to the woman. The way Raskolnikov describes how the woman looked when dead also shows his emotions because of how he saw her as contorted and how her eyes stared out of her sockets. This way of describing her shows his knowledge of her, knowing how contorted her face seemed. This also shows he has seen how he looked at her when alive because he describes the way she is looking when he is dead in a more negative light.
ReplyDeleteNow with the pawn broker, readers learn how she looks as well as her strength. She did not fight back or show courage in defending her death. We learn that she is old and unclean which helps readers envision her character and see the true imagery of the scene.
This all maters because as readers, one needs to be able to envision the scene to fully understand the scenario. This also shows the writing style of Dostoyevky and gives the reader the full effect of the characters in this part of the story.
Dostoevsky uses imagery and figurative language when describing the murder scene of the pawn broker. He uses such description very uniquely by giving us the full detail as if readers were the eyes of Raskolinkov himself. The first sentence describes that the pawn broker was still bare headed, indicating that she was of old age and nothing unusual was about her. For the first half of the paragraph readers see the pawn broker as a metaphor to a rat; the rat being smeared in grease with old gray and ugly hair, and very short. Dostoevsky uses his language and the implied metaphor to give a non-humanistic description of the pawn broker. His description makes it seem as if she wasn’t a human at all, thus enforcing the reasoning as to why Raskolinkov killed her without hesitancy when the moment arrived. When she cried out very faintly readers indicate that she didn’t want to make much noise, yet it is foolish of her to remain silent during her last seconds. By allowing her to cry faintly Dostoyevsky shows readers and enlightens them about the time; a time in which people’s dualities overcame their human instinct, especially women of the older generation at the time, who would preserve the peace of the town rather than live.
ReplyDeleteAs Dostoevsky describes how the blood flowed as if it came from a spilled glass he uses similes and describes the remaining scenes in a very broken down descriptive. He condenses the aftermath of the blows so tightly, he even uses a semi colon to confirm with the readers that she is dead. Often times when the character is pronounced dead, there is a sentence strictly devoted to those words, yet the death pronouncement is thrown into a sentence with many other unique topics. Dostoevsky didn’t even give the pawn broker a proper death pronouncement in the text. Because the author is using Raskolinkov’s eyes in this situation readers clearly see what the pawn broker is considered in his eyes, which is very antagonistic, it almost seems acceptable to kill people like her. Dostoyevsky uses all this imagery to shred a glimpse into the mind of the narrator; to see what he is like and his ultimate viewpoint towards the pawnbroker.
Turnea, D 2nd Period
This passage characterizes the pawnbroker as unattractive and sneaky. The word choice used to describe Aliona's appearance is very unappealing. Raskolnikov's description of her thin, gray hair as being covered in grease and put in a "rat's tail" makes the reader picture exactly that. The imagery of a rat also gives her an aura of untrustworthiness. The fact that she was "as always" bareheaded shows that she doesn't care much for her appearance and maybe even fears change. Her horn comb is also broken, showing that she is too cheap to buy a new one, since the readers are well aware that she has money to spare.
ReplyDeleteRaskolnikov can be characterized as ruthless and incapable of showing empathy in this passage. Not once does he mention the consequences of what he's doing or how his victim must feel. It is also evident that Raskolnikov intended to cause as much pain as possible by using the blunt side of the axe instead of killing her with one blow. He also seems pretty focused on outer appearances when referring to this particular woman; no other character is described as thoroughly as Aliona in this passage.
- S. Bahr, 7/8* (I'm posting this on a friend's computer, sorry that the account doesn't match)
The above passage describes in great detail the grisly murder of the pawnbroker. The passage uses imagery to describe the pawnbroker, focusing on her disheveled nature and disgusting appearance. For example, Dostoevsky focuses on her nasty hair, describing it as "colorless" and "Ratty". In addition to the disgusting physical nature of the pawnbroker, Doestovsky also implies her greed as in her final moments, she still clings to Raskolnikov's pledge. As she holds up her hands to protect herself from certain death, her final moments are spent clinging to the pledge, showing her greedy and frugal nature.
ReplyDeleteRaskolnikov is characterized as apathetic and inhuman in the passage as not once does he pause to consider the moral ramifications of his actions. He is methodical and calculated in the murder, unpausing in taking the life of another human being. The brutal nature of the murder also shows his lack of compassion. The pawnbroker's murder is as violent as possible; she literally has her head bashed in with an axe.
-Harris, S 2*
In the passage, Dostoyevsky can be observed to use imagery and figurative language to characterize both Raskolnikov and the Pawn Broker. Dostoyevsky's utilizes powerful imagery in his description of the Pawn Broker: "Her thin, light hair, streaked with grey, thickly smeared with grease, was plaited in a rat’s tail and fastened by a broken horn comb which stood out on the nape of her neck. As she was so short." The description of the Pawn Broker emphasizes her shrewd and disgusting nature.
ReplyDeleteWhen Raskolnikov finally does succeed in killing the Pawn Broker, the metaphor used to describe the blood gushing out of her head makes the situation more dramatic: "The blood gushed as from an overturned glass." This figurative language helps to describe the situation of the killing more effectively.
It can be seen in this passage that both figurative language and imagery are used to enhance the description of the two characters and their interaction.
Bruggeman, Jacob 7/8th
In this passage the reader is finally exposed to the crime. What the readers think should be a glorious moment for the main character is actually very dull and real, not glorified at all. This perhaps speaks to the fact that throughout the rest of the novel the murder is not what is important and what is important is how he hands this. The imagery that Dostoevsky uses when he is saying that he “at once ben over her face” shows the readers an almost innocence to Raskolnikov because as a kid if you think that you broke something you would always check it immediately. That is how Raskolnikov feel as he is looking over his victim to see if she has truly died or not. Going back to the Pawn Broker, she is described as having hair that is “thickly smeared with grease” with a “rat’s tail” as her hair style. When people think of the homeless, this may very well be what they think. This might also be interesting because Raskolnikov portrays himself as someone who is superior, yet he has no better living conditions than she does. The idea of superiority seems moot when no one can truly be superior to another. There is no true extraordinary person, and this is what he struggles with throughout the book, because he may think that even though he has power over her he goes back home to his “cupboard” of a room like the “spider” he is.
ReplyDeleteDame, E 2
The imagery used to describe the Pawnbroker woman makes the reader imagine a disgusting, horrible human. Through Dostoyevsky’s word choice the reader makes negative assumptions about the Pawnbroker. The imagery used to describe the woman’s hair “thickly smeared with grease, was plaited in a rat’s tail” influences the reader’s overall perception of the Pawnbroker woman. The way she is described makes the reader unable to relate or sympathize with the woman as she is being murdered. The almost creature-like description of the Pawnbroker dehumanizes her. As Raskolnikov kills the woman, Dostoyevsky uses the simile “the blood gushed as from an overturned glass” to describe the scene. This simile also makes the murder seem less brutal, by comparing it to a common everyday accident. Because of these descriptions the reader begins to not view the murder of the Pawnbroker as the murder of a human.
ReplyDeleteFlorek, E 7/8
This passage from Dostoyevsky’s “Crime and Punishment” portrays the pawn broker in a negative light through the description of her appearance. Describing her as having “thin, light hair, streaked with grey, thickly smeared with grease, was plaited in rat’s tail and fastened by a broken horn comb which stood out on the nape of her neck” characterizes her as disgusting and unworthy. This passage leads up to the moment before Raskolnikov kills the pawn broker and during the actual act. Through descriptions of the pawn brokers declining health, grimy appearance, and low social status, Dostoyevsky reveals Raskolnikov’s mental state of being. His actions and behavior show that he is emotionless and detached from reality. By hitting the pawn broker with the blunt side of the axe when killing the pawn broker, this shows how emotionless and ruthless Raskolnikov is in his actions. Dostoyevsky uses alliteration to add flow to the passage and the quicken the pace of the scene. To characterize Raskolnikov and the pawn broker, Dostoyevsky uses imagery and figurative language to move the plot along. All in all, Dostoyevsky uses imagery and descriptions of other characters to reveal Raskolnikov's mental state.
ReplyDeleteAguinaga, C 7/8*
Dostoevsky uses unattractive imagery and figurative language to describe Raskolnikov and the pawn broker. He is describing the pawn broker in her moment of death as someone unappealing and weak. Dostoevsky wrote, “suddenly sank all of a heap on the floor, raising her hands to her head.” He introduces the reader to the woman the Raskolnikov wanted to kill. She is also described as someone who looks dead even before the final blow, “Her thin light hair, streaked with grey, thickly smeared with grease.” Raskolnikove is also described as ruthless and apathetic. He beats the pawn broker without mentioning any remorse for what he is doing or even considering the consequences. Dostoevsky wrote, “Then he dealt her another and another blow with the blunt side and on the same spot.” Raskolnikov is continuing with his actions like it is a normal everyday action. Dostoevsky describes both the pawn broker and Raskolnikov as horrible people. This will make the reader question every action and decision the Raskolnikov makes for the rest of the book, making them consider why Raskolnikov is making that decision.
ReplyDeleteLoDolce, A 7/8
Imagery and figurative language play a large role in Crime and Punishment, particularly with the development of characters. Dostoyevsky largely utilizes imagery and figurative language so that the reader is better able to obtain a grasp as to who the characters really are. Dostoyevsky allows the reader to interpret each character on his or her own, with the help of strategic literary elements and without merely telling the reader who a character is and what he or she represents.
ReplyDeleteIn the scene when Roskolnikov murders the pawnbroker, the reader learns a lot about the characters of Roskolnikov and the pawnbroker through the use of imagery and figurative language. In regard to Roskolnikov, Dostoyevsky wrote, “Then he dealt her another and another blow with the blunt side and on the same spot,” (1.7.16). Just in this one sentence, we see the brutality and brash nature of Roskolnikov. Right away, the reader associates Roskolnikov with someone who partakes in bad deeds. Through the use of imagery, the reader is able to vividly see Roskolnikov repeatedly raising and lowering the ax onto the old woman’s ¸head. The alliteration of the s sound at the end of the sentence emphasizes and dramatizes the cruelty of Roskolnikov’s actions. This shows just how crazy Raskolnikov actually is. His insanity is shown by how forceful and brash his blows to the pawnbroker were.
Although the pawnbroker did not engage in any actions during the course of this quote, the pawnbroker is still heavily characterized. From the first sentence of the quote, the pawnbroker was described in a negative way. The old woman is described as “always bareheaded. Her thin, light hair, streaked with grey, thickly smeared with grease, was plaited in a rat’s tail and fastened by a broken horn comb which stood out on the nape of her neck,” (1.7.16). Dostoyevsky uses a metaphor to compare the pawnbroker’s hair to a rat, which emphasizes the disgusting appearance of the old lady. Through the quote, it is obvious that Roskolnikov does not respect nor like the old lady. Furthermore, Dostoyevsky uses a simile to compare the blood gushing out of the old woman to an overturned glass. The simile shows the extent of Roskolnikov’s damage to the old woman. Furthermore, the simile shows the lack of remorse that Roskolnikov has towards his actions to the old woman.
The imagery and figurative language in the quote play an important role in helping the reader understand the text better. Through the description, similies, and metaphors of the old woman, Dostoyevsky creates an illusion of the pawnbroker that forces the reader to dislike the pawnbroker. Furthermore, the imagery and figurative language were important in the quote because it taught the reader a lot abut the character of Roskolnikov. Roskolnikov is not simply the handsome, quiet yet good with people character that he was made out to be in the early part of the book, Roskolnikov is actually an insane and brash character, as described by the quote. The imagery and figurative language in the quote are important in developing character and allowing the reader to discover and make their own assumptions about various characters.
Dostoevsky uses description to create the image of the scene where Raskolnikov kills the Pawn Broker. For example he writes, “As she was so short, the blow fell on the very top of her skull. She cried out, but very faintly, and suddenly sank all of a heap on the floor, raising her hands to her head.” This quote shows the gross nature of the Pawn Broker and the general feeling of the woman, which is a feeling of disgust. By saying that Pawn Broker cried out it shows that she was strong however, by saying that it was faint we are able to see in the end it was Raskolnikov that overpowered her. This is also a great example of the imagery that Dostoyevsky consistently uses throughout the text. Following the killing, the description of the Pawn Broker, and her following death, the description of the actual death also characterizes the woman: “He stepped back, let it fall, and at once bent over her face; she was dead. Her eyes seemed to be starting out of their sockets, the brow and the whole face were drawn and contorted convulsively." This account of the woman’s death just goes to reinforce the pity that is supposed to be shed on the woman. Both these accounts go to show the power that Dostoyevsky’s descriptive language has.
ReplyDeleteSansone, A 2nd
Dostoyevsky uses imagery in this selection to characterize the pawnbroker as old, extremely dirty, frugal and frail. In doing so he allows Raskolikov to justify the murder of the old woman. This passage shows that Raskolnikov had no hesitation about killing the old woman once he had dealt her the first blow because he saw her as almost less than a real human being. “He stepped back, let it fall…” By describing the pawn broker’s body as “it,” Dostoyevsky was showing that Raskolnikov was already distancing himself from the ‘woman’ and from the murder if he could even call it that. Once he started his rampage against her, he could not stop, “Then he dealt her another and another blow.” He had no hesitation and no remorse in this passage after killing her. This passage is important to understanding Raskolnikov’s guilt and the relationship between Raskolikov and the pawn broker. The passage focuses mostly on the old woman and how others viewed her which ultimately justifies his actions. He says that her hair was, “smeared with grease,” which shows her a physically unclean which can be assumed to be carried into her personality as well. However the selection also makes the woman seem older and more frail. She is described as crying our “very faintly” as if her body was capable of no more than that. This makes her less physically dirt and seem more helpless, creating a sense of empathy in the reader This passage helps to build that image of Raskolinkov as a both a her and a villain; doing both a service and committing a crime.
ReplyDeleteMcGregor M. 2nd
Dostoevsky’s use of imagery helps the reader visualize the scene and the actions of the characters vividly. Without this, the reader would not be able to understand everything as clearly, and some messages would be lost. Dostoevsky describes the old woman as: bareheaded, with thin, greasy light grey hair. Her hair is described in great detail, to help the reader visualize her. When Dostoevsky describes, “As she was so short, the blow fell on the very top of her skull.” This one sentence delivers a lot of imagery; the reader can picture a helpless old lady, and kind of feel bad for her. When she falls to the ground, she raises her hands to protect herself. Dostoevsky’s syntax consists of long, complex sentences. His diction uses words such as “convulsively,” “overturned,” and “blunt.” This diction and syntax contributes to Dostoevsky’s imagery. Dostoevsky also uses a simile when he writes, “The blood gushed as from an overturned glass.” In this sentence, Dostoevsky is comparing the blood of the old woman to filled glass that has been knocked over. He ends this paragraph with alliteration (“contorted convulsively”), enhancing the smooth flow of it all.
ReplyDeletePatel 2
Dostoyevsky incorporates the uses of imagery and figurative language throughout his texts. In Crime and Punishment, it is often used to bring light to the intentions and personality traits of the characters within the novel. This passage, in particular, brings readers to a new understanding of both the pawn broker and Raskolnikov.
ReplyDeleteThe pawn broker in Crime and Punishment is thought of as an impure character. She is described as "greasy," and “grey,” and even the braid of her hair is a “rat’s tail”--all things that give a negative connotation to the reader. She is, in general, dirty; even in death her face is “contored convulsively.” This brings the audience to hate her, and even sympathize with Raskolnikov in killing her. Her character is simply existing to be disliked, physical description aiding in the overall feeling of a putrid character.
However, whereas the woman is meant to be hated, Raskolnikov is also seen to be a character who shouldn’t be thought of as only a hero. When the pawn broker dies, it’s said the blood “gushed as from an overturned glass,” and yet Raskolnikov does not seemed phased. He leans over to make sure she is dead, instead. Where before, during the description of the pawnbroker, the reader is left to almost agree with Raskolnikov’s actions and sympathize with him, he is shown here to have a cold side and no remorse for what he has done. This is important to his character because it continues on throughout the story, with his power complex and the little development in his remorse. Even when he confesses in the end, it is more for his own benefit than for the good of others, showing a side of him that is little thought of.
Avery, A 2
This passage focuses heavily on the description of the Pawnbroker with less emphasis on Raskolnikov; although, some subtle hints of his character shine through. Examining one sentence of Dostoyevsky’s description highlights much of the Pawnbroker’s character through her looks: “Her thin, light hair, streaked with grey, thickly smeared with grease, was plaited in a rat’s tail and fastened by a broken horn comb which stood out on the nape of her neck.” Her hair is described as “thin, light, [and] streaked with grey.” These words each represent the weakness of her character. The grey symbolizes that she is growing old, but only streaked, so she still contains some of the willpower of her youth, though it is fading. The thin and light nature of her hair translates to how easily she was killed by Raskolnikov. He uses the blunt side of the axe and easily kills her with only three blows. She is thin in her strength and she is light in the way that she is easily manipulated. Her dirty head, described as “thickly smeared with grease,” shows the shadiness of her character. There is a reason that she is being killed, and that reason is represented through the filth of her physical description. Her filthy character is also relayed by comparing her braid to a rat’s tail. A rat is often seen as a horrible creature and is used to symbolize criminal behavior. This also adds to reason why the woman’s death was necessary in the story.
ReplyDeleteRaskolnikov is depicted through the biblical allusion. The woman is hit three times, relating to the three days after Jesus’ death. He is, in a sense, related to God in this section. Now, I am not saying that God caused Jesus’ death, but He let it happen. Dostoyevsky said that Raskolnikov “let it fall,” “it” being the woman’s body, before he examined it and determined she was dead. Raskolnikov believed that he was killing the woman for the good of all, and God knew that by letting His son die He would save all as well. Dostoyevsky writes, “blood gushed as from an overturned glass” right before the statement made about her body falling. This is related to the allusion of Jesus’ death: the cup, which in the Bible, symbolized the sacrifice Jesus was making. It is important to note that the blood of the woman is described as coming “from an overturned glass” because it shows that, unlike Jesus, some of the contents of the cup are lost. Jesus prayedthe night before his death that the cup be taken from him, only if it is God’s will, but it remain with Him. The spilled cup in Crime and Punishment shows how the sacrifice is not one that is done willfully, but is one that is forced. This now shows Raskolnikov is separated in the comparison from God.
Woods, L 2*
By artfully using figurative language and imagery, Dostoyevsky is able to paint a rather detailed portrait of his characters. Such can be seen in his novel, Crime and Punishment, in a quote from part one, chapter seven, and paragraph sixteen when Dostoyevsky employs the use of imagery and figurative language to depict the characters of Raskolnikov and the Pawn Broker.
ReplyDeleteWhen describing the Pawn Broker, Dostoyevsky relied heavily on the use of imagery. The character of the Pawn Broker is being directly described in the passage to have “thin…hair, streaked with grey, thickly smeared with grease”. The description leads readers to being able to perfectly imagine what the Pawn Broker looked like. A reader can picture her and see her thin greasy hair and with just that small description any person can picture an old woman that would fit her description. However, his description of the Pawn Broker also helps us to see her as a frugal woman seeing as though she is someone that takes pledges in exchange money, she still uses a “broken horn comb”. She shows that she does not live a wealthy lifestyle. She is able to become an actual character with a tangible description and the characters can see. By employing other forms of figurative language such as, “The blood gushed as from an overturned glass,” the Pawn Broker becomes a hapless victim that was at the mercy of brutal and gory acts. She may come off as a disgusting old lady, but she is also depicted as a victim of circumstances that makes her the ‘good guy’ rather than the typical role of the creepy, evil, old hag that old women like her normally see.
On the flip side, though he is not described directly, the character of Raskolnikov is also described by this passage. Since the passage is given in a sort of third person limited, in which the readers get most of their story told by Raskolnikov, the reader gets a vibe about his character. He is the one who the description of the character of the Pawn Broker is coming from, so it is his own observations that are being shown. Thus, the passage shows that Raskolnikov is extremely observant. He notices everything about the Pawn Broker down to the broken comb. He also is depicted as a rather violent and merciless character in the passage when it says, “Then he dealt her another and another blow with the blunt side and on the same spot. The blood gushed as from an overturned glass, the body fell back.” It shows that he had not hesitation in killing the Pawn Broker, thus revealing his merciless and immoral ways in which he has no problem ending the life of what seems like a defenseless old woman.
This section of the book is important for the fact that is shows that Dostoyevsky can describe entire characters both directly and indirectly in only a few lines. It shows not only the physical characteristics, but also inner mind processing of the characters, and all it took was a bit of imagery. Because of this excerpt, one can see the inner mind workings of the main character of Raskolnikov and allows readers to gain a kind of pity for the character of the Pawn Broker, who most would not see as a character worth pitying.
~C. Lenhoff 2nd period
In the passage, Dostoyevsky uses imagery to describe the Pawnbroker as a nasty old woman. He describes her hair as: “thickly smeared with grease,” and after having fallen to her death, her eyes are “starting out of their sockets.” These unappealing depictions of the old woman make the reader feel unsympathetic toward her murder. The Pawnbroker is almost described to be an object rather than a human. Raskolnikov, throughout the entirety of this excerpt, comes off as impatient and anxious. After the woman fell dead to the floor, Raskolnikov didn’t hesitate to raid her for any precious treasures; “He stepped back, let it fall, and at once bent over her face.” In this quote, Dostoyevsky made Raskolnikov sound like a monster. Both the Pawnbroker and Raskolnikov seemed to have extreme qualities in this excerpt, which did not show anywhere near as much for the remainder of the novel. This is important because it creates a dramatic effect during the murder of the Pawnbroker.
ReplyDeleteCruse S, 2
When looking at the passage, the two characters, Raskolnikov and the pawnbroker are explained through the use of imagery and figurative language. The Pawnbroker is described as a small, elderly, unkempt woman. Her hair is thin, graying, and extremely messy. The Broken comb that is used to keep her hair somewhat tame and the grease that is smeared across her face characterizes her self-image and is conducive with the stereotypical idea of the lower class: filth and a low self image. She also holds true to the personality that is often associated with poverty: “the brow and the whole face were drawn and contorted convulsively ”. She is seen as a cynical, tricky old woman. Raskolnikov is seen through the text through his actions: “Then he dealt her another and another blow with the blunt side and on the same spot. The blood gushed as from an overturned glass, the body fell back. He stepped back, let it fall and at once bent over her face”. Since Raskolnikov is portrayed only through actions, the reader finds that the main character is detached from the act that is his doing. The old woman is simply viewed as a glass shell, one that could not keep her true intentions hidden. That is the reason why Raskolnikov chooses her to kill, because she is seen in his eyes as less then human. That is why she is compared to a glass after her fall, because she merely only looked human. The detachment allows Raskolnikov to feel little to no regret while completing the crime, because he feels that she is not an equal person, and isn’t very humane. His action was a single blow, repeated several times, to one spot of the head. Rather than take the opportunity to truly maim the only woman, he plants very specific, calculated blows that are aimed to kill. He does not show violent frenzy or anger, or remorse with his actions; instead it shows that he belived that he was to do a job. There was no remorse in his actions, and this is seen in the way he peers into her face after killing her. He views himself above her, and sees her merely as a casualty that must be taken in his quest to better society.
ReplyDeleteSupina, R 2
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ReplyDeleteThe author describes the womans head and her neck in the first sentence because it will soon be smashed by the hammer of Raskolnikov. Once the terrible act has been done, the reader can picture her the scene as she cries and collapses to the floor and puts her hands on her head. She is hit yet again and a metaphor is used of how "The blood gushed as from an overturned glass..."(6). The murderer then "bent over her face" (7) to see if the victim was dead. This is a grossly image of viewing a body that was now conformed into a sickly attacked old woman who was already not depicted as beautiful with hair "thickly smeared with grease"(1). The use of imagery and this language is so the reader can paint a picture in his or her head to the crime scene and connect even more to Raskolnikov and the Pawn Proker. Simply saying "He took a hammer to her head and she fell on the floor and was dead" does not portray the same feeling.
ReplyDeleteAsturi V 7/8
Dostoyevsky uses grotesque imagery and language to depict the murder scene in Crime and Punishment in order to characterize the players as vile and broken. Everything in the passage is either dark and grey or dirty and broken. For instance, the pawn broker's hair is compared to a rat's tail secured with a broken comb. Not only is this disgusting and does it put a vile image in the reader's mind, but it also is a rather violent image. The comb is described as made of "horn", which combines with the tough instruments mentioned in other parts of the scene- the axe, the metaphor of broken glass, to create an overall effect of very sharp objects. This overall makes both characters and the scene seem rather sharp and violent to the reader.
ReplyDeleteRoskonikov, in this scene, is depicted as messy and distant. The fact that he uses the blunt side of the axe could be seen as cruel and more grotesque than the sharp edge. The sharp edge could have ended things quickly, slaughtering the woman like the animals she is described with, but he instead smashes her skull ion wit the blunt end. This action alone tells the reader that Roskolnikov doesn't know what he is doing, is not right in his actions, and is just as disgusted as the reader. As the woman falls dead the pronouns shift from describing "her" face to "it" as the body falls to the ground and contorts. This shows both Roskonikov's confusion in the situation and his distance.
A. Jankovsky 7-8*
The imagery used to describe the Pawnbroker is a reflection of what kind of character she is in the novel. The words that are used to describe details about her such as, “rat’s tail fastened by a broken horn comb,” creates the filthy thought of the pawnbroker. Descriptions of the pawnbroker make it difficult for the reader to feel empathy for the character as Raskolnikov is strikes her with the axe. Dostoyevsky also said, “the blood gushed as from an overturned glass,” which shows a less intense way of describing her death. The descriptions make it hard for the reader to view the pawnbroker as an important individual in the novel making it easier for Dostoevsky’s crime and his own character to be tolerable.
ReplyDeleteRamsumair 7-8