Ms. Bridges' AP English

Crime and Punishment; Part 6, Chapter Svidrigailov’s suicide: The exterior of this scene reflects the desolate and despairing interior landscape of Svidrigailov. After his restless, almost hallucinogenic night spent in a sleazy hotel, Svidrigailov trudges along the river, a symbol of redemption and past the bridge, a symbol of transition and change. His path is littered by a drunken man passed out in a death-like stupor; a shivering filthy cur crosses his path. He walks past and looks with disapproval at the small, yellow houses standing, dejected, as silent witnesses to his last promenade. And he reads with studious care the signs hanging from the rundown businesses as if to imprint for the last time images from this world to carry with him into the next. Filth and despair and cold are the colors used to paint this scene. At last, the watery cold begins to penetrate him to the bone and he thinks, “Why go to Petrovsky?” This place will do and he almost smiles at the not...

Chapter 6: Roxana: Vocabulary: ragamuffin: a badly dressed child, a street urchin; like a child from the filthy streets of Dickens’ London – for example, a character from OLIVER TWIST or DAVID COPPERFIELD or the “proles” from 1984. Somberly: (adverb) seriously, of a very serious matter or nature; sober Falsetto: the high head voice of a man. Like the BeeGees or Frankie Valli. Kacey: Vocabulary Casuistry: resolving of specific cases of conscience or duty or conduct. Ethical or religious considerations of conduct. Veronica: Vocabulary: Uncouth: Barbaric, without manners, uncivilized. Louse: the singular for lice; an insulting term, a loser, a jerk. Stupefication: to be so overwhelmed that one is “out of it” or in a daze or in a frozen state or in a state of disorientation or confusion. Stupefaction: Prudence: the ability to discipline oneself with reason and logic. Destitution: the state of being extremely impoverished; extreme poverty; no food, no shelter. Relish: with...

September 30, 2010 Class Notes Chapter 5: Examples of literary devices: Page 50: Simile: A young thick faced peasant with a fleshy face as red as a carrot. Foreshadowing: His nightmare of the brutal torture and killing of an old mare is both a symbol and perhaps a foreshadowing of the murder of an old woman Raskolnikov is contemplating. Motifs: (page 49) The reference to Raskolnikov’s regarding the death of his little brother; he always bows down and kisses the grave when he visits the cemetery. This is a recurring motif which shows the schism in his personality – he is contemplating the most heinous crime one human can commit against another, yet he is capable of the most tender of feelings. (page 45) The motif of delirium: “His nervous shudderings seemed to have turned into a fever.” His fevers seem to occur at important moments of decisions. (page 46) The motif of dreams: A sick man’s dreams are often extraordinarily distinct….” Also look for the motif of omens and ...

Class Notes from Friday, September 24th: Doppelganger: from the German which means: “double (doppel) and ganger (walker). It can be a literal physical twin of another (but not related). Have you heard the term “separated at birth”? That could be considered a doppelganger or double. A hidden part of a person’s soul, psyche or personality that is deeply suppressed and hidden from the person’s view or the person is aware of it but denies its existence. Raskel: is from the Russian which means split or divided. Pay attention to the presence of any doubles in the novel. Casing the joint: to check out the place of a prospective crime scene. A criminal might make note if there are there any exits; who would be there and at what time? Yellow: what connotation does the color yellow hold in the book? Marmeladov’s daughter holds a yellow identify card which is the sign of a prostitute. His wife was beaten while he laid drunk and did nothing to stop it. The inn-keeper and the tavern w...

Crime and Punishment: Chapter One: Vocabulary: Garret: small apartment which was usually occupied by very poor tenants. Prevaricate: to lie or not to totally tell the truth Hypochondria: a neurotic fear of sickness which is not based on reality. Axiom: a proverb What is that? What is the that he is seriously contemplating? Fastidiousness: overly meticulous in appearance Trifles: unimportant things

Finally, Dostoevsky, who is not impressed with modern western thought, uses Raskolnikov to disprove Hegelian philosophy. Remember, Hegel's theory is that thesis generates antithesis and eventually creates a synthesis of the two. Raskolnikov never reaches that point of synthesis. He wrestles with his emotions and his intellect without resolving the conflict. Dostoevsky suggests that all theories fall flat when confronted with the messiness that is life.

Good morning scholars! Part Five, Chapter One: In this chapter, the character, Lebezyatnikov, expounds on his theories about Utopia (or an ideal society) which are put forth by the French social philosopher CHARLES FOURIER (1772 -1837). Fourier conceived of an ideal economic society (or commune) in which people share living space and work duties. Fourier based his ideas on Thomas More's UTOPIA, written 300 hundred years earlier, and on Plato's REPUBLIC. (DOSTOEVKSY, Irwin, page 124). Another tenet of the philosophy is "free love" where people are allowed to form romantic and sexual liaisons with multiple partners without marital entanglements. Children as a result of these unions would be taken care of by the entire commune. There were a few of these communes established both in Europe and in the United States (much to the outrage of the folk in the surrounding areas) in the 19th Century. This chapter is basically comic for Lebezyatnikov is used as a mouthpiece to exp...

There will be class on Wednesday, February 18th at 12 noon in 503. Some more questions and thoughts for your consideration: 1. Part 4, Chapter 1: Do you believe that Svidrigaylov is an extraordinary man according to the "uber mench" theory? Why or why not? 2. Part 4, Chapter 2: What contrasts do you see between Dounia and Luzhin? Is Luzhin a reliable witness? What conclusions can you draw about the character of both Dounia and Luzhin? 3. According to Raskolnikov's theory an extraordinary man is isolated from society. At the end of the dinner with his mother, sister, Luzhin and Razumkhin, Raskolnikov decides to separate himself from his family - to isolate himself. Why does he do this? What other person in the story is isolated? 4. Part 4, Chapter 3: As Raskolnikov is leaving after the dinner, he stops and stares intently into Razumikhin's eyes. What important information is passed, unspoken, between Raskolnikov and Razumikhin? What important decision does Razumikh...

Good morning scholars! Here are some more thoughts regarding CRIME AND PUNISHMENT. Part Three, Chapter Five: Raskolnikov meets with Porfiry Petrovitch, who is related to Raskolnilov's friend, Razumihkin. Porfiry is in charge of the investigation into the murder of Alyona Ivanovna, the pawnbroker. Porfiry is a brilliant, cynical man who is a worthy match for Raskolnikov. It appears that Porfiry has read an article written by Raskolnikov in which he expounds further on his ideas concerning "the extraordinary man. Porfiry questions him at length about his ideas during which Raskolnikov states that the ordinary laws do not apply to extraordinary men who may murder with impunity if it is for a higher good (the ends justify the means - another tenet of Hegelian theory). There are ordinary men who take themselves to be extraordinary but when they seek to break the law then they must suffer for their transgressions. When Porfiry asks him if he believes that he is an extraordinary ma...

Good morning scholars - or good evening! Please scroll down to the next post first and read up on Mill, Bentham and Hegel before you read this. It may explain a few concepts. One interesting concept that Dostoevsky wrestles with is the continual conflict that is waged within the hearts of his characters. The characters seemingly have psychic "doubles" and throughout some of his books, such as CRIME AND PUNISHMENT and THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV, some of the characters fall into such states of psychic confusion and disintegration that they are not certain what is real and what is hallucination. Keep in mind that during and after the murder of Alyona Ivanovna, Raskolnikov falls into a feverish dream state where he is not always certain what and who are real. Also keep in mind that Raskolnikov sees signs, omens and portents which he interprets as the universe's "go-ahead sign" to commit the murder: for example, his stumbling upon a conveniently located axe, his stum...