What drives someone to kill in cold blood? What goes through the murderer’s mind? And what kind of a society breeds such people? Over 150 years ago Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky took these questions up in what would become one of the best-known works of Russian literature: "Crime and Punishment."
Šta navede nekoga da izvrši hladnokrvno ubistvo? Šta prolazi kroz um ubice? I kakvo društvo odgaja takve ljude? Pre više od 150 godina, Fjodor Mihajlovič Dostojevski se bavio ovim pitanjima u nečemu što će da postane najpoznatije delo ruske književnosti, roman „Zločin i kazna“.
First serialized in a literary magazine in 1866, the novel tells the story of Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, a young law student in Saint Petersburg. Raskolnikov lives in abject poverty, and at the start of the story has run out of funds to continue his studies. Letters from his rural home only add to his distress when he realizes how much his mother and sister have sacrificed for his success. Increasingly desperate after selling the last of his valuables to an elderly pawnbroker, he resolves on a plan to murder and rob her. But the impact of carrying out this unthinkable act proves to be more than he was prepared for.
Prvi put objavljen u nastavcima 1866. godine u književnom časopisu, roman pripoveda o Rodionu Romanoviču Raskoljnikovu, mladom studentu prava iz Sankt Peterburga. Raskoljnikov živi u krajnjoj bedi i na početku priče iscrpeo je sva sredstva za nastavak studija. Pisma iz seoskog doma samo doprinose njegovoj muci kada shvati koliko su se njegove majka i sestra žrtvovale za njegov uspeh. Sve očajniji, nakon što proda poslednju dragocenost starijoj zelenašici, odlučuje se za plan da je ubije i opljačka. Međutim, posledice izvođenja ovog nepojmljivog čina se ispostavljaju većim od onog na šta je bio spreman.
Though the novel is sometimes cited as one of the first psychological thrillers, its scope reaches far beyond Raskolnikov’s inner turmoil. From dank taverns to dilapidated apartments and claustrophobic police stations, the underbelly of 19th century Saint Petersburg is brought to life by Dostoyevsky’s searing prose. We’re introduced to characters such as Marmeladov, a miserable former official who has drank his family into ruin, and Svidrigailov, an unhinged and lecherous nobleman. As Raskolnikov’s own family arrives in town, their moral innocence stands in stark contrast to the depravity of those around them, even as their fates grow increasingly intertwined.
Iako ovaj roman ponekad određuju kao jedan od prvih psiholoških trilera, njegov opseg seže daleko mimo Raskoljnikovljevog unutrašnjeg nespokoja. Od memljivih kafana do trošnih stanova i teskobnih policijskih stanica, podzemlje Sankt Peterburga XIX veka oživljava u snažnoj prozi Dostojevskog. Upoznajemo se sa likovima poput Marmeladova, unesrećenog bivšeg službenika čije je pijanstvo gurnulo u bedu njegovu porodicu, i Svidrigajlova, sumanutog i razvratnog plemića. Kada Raskoljnikovljeva porodica stigne u grad, njihova moralna neiskvarenost služi kao oštra suprotnost izopačenosti onih oko njih, čak i kada im sudbine postanu sve isprepletanije.
This bleak portrait of Russian society reflects the author’s own complex life experiences and evolving ideas. As a young writer who left behind a promising military career, Fyodor had been attracted to ideas of socialism and reform, and joined a circle of intellectuals to discuss radical texts banned by the Imperial government. Upon exposure, members of this group, including Dostoyevsky, were arrested. Many were sentenced to death, only to be subjected to a mock execution and last-minute pardon from the Tsar. Dostoyevsky spent the next four years in a Siberian labor camp before being released in 1854. The experience left him with a far more pessimistic view of social reform, and his focus shifted toward spiritual concerns. In the 1864 novella "Notes from Underground," he expounded on his belief that utopian Western philosophies could never satisfy the contradictory yearnings of the human soul. "Crime and Punishment" was conceived and completed the following year, picking up on many of the same themes.
Sumoran portret ruskog društva odražava piščev lični složeni život, iskustva i razvojni put njegovih ideja. Kao mladi pisac koji je napustio perspektivnu vojnu karijeru, Fjodora su privlačile ideje socijalizma i reforme, pa se pridružio krugu intelektualaca da bi raspravljali o radikalnim tekstovima koje je zabranila carska vlada. Kada su ih otrkili, članovi grupe, uključujući Dostojevskog, su uhapšeni. Mnogi su osuđeni na smrt, da bi bili podvrgnuti lažnim pogubljenjima i carskom pomilovanju u poslednjem trenu. Dostojevski je naredne četiri godine proveo u radnom logoru u Sibiru pre nego što je pušten 1854. godine. Zbog ovog iskustva imao je daleko pesimističniji pogled na društvene reforme i preusmerio je pažnju na duhovna pitanja. U noveli iz 1864. godine, „Zabeleške iz podzemlja“, izložio je svoje verovanje da utopijske zapadnjačke filozofije ne mogu nikad da zadovolje kontradiktorne žudnje ljudske duše. „Zločin i kazna“ je začet i završen naredne godine, nastavljajući da se bavi mnogim sličnim temama.
In many ways, the novel follows a common narrative thread where a promising youth is seduced and corrupted by the dangers of urban life. But its social critique cuts far deeper. Raskolnikov rationalizes that his own advancement at the cost of the exploitative pawnbroker’s death would be a net benefit to society. In doing so, he echoes the doctrines of egoism and utilitarianism embraced by many of Dostoyevsky’s contemporary intellectuals. And in believing that his intelligence allows him to transcend moral taboos, Raskolnikov cuts himself off from his own humanity. Yet although the book is deeply concerned with morality, "Crime and Punishment" never comes across as merely moralizing, with each character given their own distinctive and convincing voice. One of the most remarkable things about "Crime and Punishment" is its ability to thrill despite the details of the central murder being revealed in the first act. Raskolnikov’s crime is clear. But it’s only through Dostoyevsky’s gripping account of the ensuing social and psychological turmoil that we learn the true nature of his punishment– and the possibility of redemption.
Na razne načine, roman prati poznatu pripovednu nit gde perspektivnog mladića zavode i kvare opasnosti gradskog života. Međutim, njegova društvena kritika zadire daleko dublje. Raskoljnikov obrazlaže da bi njegov napredak na račun smrti izrabljivačke zelenašice bio čisti dobitak za društvo. U njegovom postupku vidimo odraze doktrina egoizma i utilitarizma koje su prigrlili mnogi intelektualci savremenici Dostojevskog. A verujući da mu njegova inteligencija dozvoljava da prevaziđe moralne tabue, Raskoljnikov se udaljava od sopstvene ljudskosti. Iako je knjiga istinski zaokupljena pitanjima moralnosti, „Zločin i kazna“ nikad ne dobija ton pukog moralisanja, a svaki lik ima sopstveni osoben i uverljiv glas. Jedna od najizvanrednijih osobenosti „Zločina i kazne“ je njena sposobnost da nas uzbudi, iako su detalji središnjeg ubistva otkriveni u prvom činu. Zločin Raskoljnikova je jasan. Međutim, tek kroz uzbudljivo pripovedanje Dostojevskog o društvenom i psihološkom metežu koji će da usledi otkrivamo istinsku prirodu njegove kazne - i mogućnosti iskupljenja.