Middlemarch Essay

Part Three, Chapter Six:

Raskonikov is convinced that Porfiry suspects that he has committed the murders. He realizes that he is no Napoleon who crushed the armies of two great countries, overturned the Holy Roman Empire (a government that had lasted 900 years), redrew national boundaries, and rewrote laws. Raskolnikov has only murdered a loathsome old woman and her pathetic sister for what turns out to be a petty crime of burglary. And for that crime, he is suffering the pangs of hell.

Utopia means a sort of heaven on earth. A society where all people live in harmony and where all people live their lives to their maximum potential.

Already unsettled by his "cat and mouse" game with Porfiry, Raskolnikov is further rattled by a tradesman who calls him "murderer!" on the street. Raskolnikov goes home, falls into troubled sleep where he dreams he cannot murder the old pawnbroker. The dream perhaps shows the cracks that are beginning to appear in his intellectual theories.

Part Four, Chapter One:

Here Svidrigaylov appears. He is the one, you may remember, who lusted after Dounia while she worked for him as a governess. His wife found out about it and smeared Dounia's name all over the small community where they lived. Svidrigalov then shows Marfa a letter written by Dounia who chastizes him for his unfaithfulness. Marfa then forgives Dounia and goes around town - again - this time telling everyone Dounia is innocent of the rumors that she, Marfa, had started. Marfa, the wife, has suddenly died from a heart attack (apoplexy) after a beating she received from Svidrigaylov. Now, Svidrigaylov appears like an apparition at Raskolnikov's front door. He wants to find Dounia to give her 10,000 roubles from his own pocket ( a sizable amount of money - about $50,000) or at least give her 3,000 roubles Marfa has left her so that she will not have to marry the loathsome Luzhin.

Svidrigylov, some might argue, is an "ubermensch" because he does not care what anyone thinks; he freely admits to sexual perversions - whipping his wife for example, and it has been rumored that he has done truly despicable acts - molesting a deaf servant girl who later hanged herself - and has done so without a twinge of guilt or remorse. He is a man who thinks only of his own sensual pleasures and takes from others what he wants without guilt. He is a sensualist.

Although Raskolnikov sees him as repellent, he does find him intriguing. In a closed, repressive society as Russia was in the 19th century, to discuss one's sexual behavior at all - particularly deviant ones and let alone with a stranger - was seen as extremely bad form and Raskolnikov is offended - though fascinated - by his cheerful admission of whipping his wife. Svidrigylov suggests to Raskolnikov that there is some shared, secret similarity between them. Let's see what happens to Svidrigylov and determine if he truly fits the profile of the "ubermensch". How will Dostoevsky use Svidrigylov to show the validity of the "superman" or "ubermensch" theory?

Part 4; Chapter 2:

Razumikhin tells Raskolnikov he has tried to intervene with his cousin, Porfiry

Meeting between Luzhin, Raskoknikov, Razumikhin, Dounia and Pulkheria

Raskolnikov tells Dounia Marfa has left 3,000 rubles for her

Svidrigailov is in St. Petersburg and wishes to speak with Dounia

Luzhin accuses Raskolnikov of giving money to the prostitute, Sonia.

Dounia breaks off the engagement to Luzhin

As Raskolnikov and Razumikhin are hurrying to meet Dounia and Pulkheria for a prenuptial conference with Luzhin, Razumikhin demands to know who “that fellow” was. Raskolnikov informs him “that fellow” is Svidrigailov whom he is very afraid of - why, he doesn’t know but he fears that this fellow, Svidrigailov, may have some sort of designs on Dounia and asks Razumikhin if he would help protect Dounia. Razumikhin, ever the loyal and gallant friend, immediately swears yes. Raskolnikov asks him if he had really seen the man and then laughs and muses that everyone thinks he’s mad and perhaps he really is mad and all of this is an illusion. Again, Raskolnikov is blurring the line between the waking, sane, healthy world and the diseased, fitful dream state.

Razumikhin is worried that he has upset Raskolnikov and tells him that while he slept, Razumikhin went to see his cousin, Porfiry, and Zametov. He tried to set things right for Raskolnikov but is afraid that he may have actually made them worse. Razumikhin admits that it was all very stupid, that he tried to talk to Porfiry (about what exactly is never made clear) but that it came out all wrong and at one point he shook his fist in Porfiry’s face and told him - in a “cousinly way” - that he would beat his brains out. Porfiry merely looked at him and then Razumikhin spat. Razumikhin has a revelation that since Raskolnkov had nothing to with “it” then he has nothing to worry about. Raskolnikov suddenly realizes how strange it is that it never entered his head to wonder what Raskolnikov will think when he finds out the truth. This utter blindness to others shows how self-absorbed, isolated and short sighted he has become.

The two men arrive at the meeting place at the same time as Luzhin but without greeting each other. Luzhin holds back in the corridor, fussing with his overcoat to avoid social awkwardness, and to contemplate some future punishment on his intended for disobeying him. At last Raskolnikov, his mother and sister, Razumikhin and Luzhin (who still is carrying a prim sense of outrage and indignation) are seated around a table to discuss the impending marriage.

There settles around the group an unpleasant silence which is broken by Pulkheria’s news that Marfa Petrovna’s has died. Luzhin replies that he has knowledge that Svidrigailov has departed soon after her death and is on his way to St. Petersburg. The obvious conclusion is that he is on his way to see Dounia. Pulkheria is convinced that he was instrumental in killing Marfa. Luzhin supplies some juicy gossip about Svidrigailov, calling him the most depraved man of his sort, and it was only through the intervention of Marfa, who spent considerable money and exerted the full force of her social power, in preventing a criminal investigation of Svidrigailov’s involvement in the homicide of a young deaf and mute girl. Svidrigailov had an arrangement with a German woman by the name of Resslich, who was a pimp and gave him access to this fourteen or fifteen year old disabled girl to whom she was distantly related and whom she hated. The child was mercilessly beaten and was begrudged every morsel she ate at the Resslich woman’s table, until one day the girl was found hanged in the attic. It was supposed that the girl committed suicide, but an ugly rumor persists that she had been cruelly abused by Svidrigailov. A small dollop of anti-immigrant prejudice is expressed by Luzhin when he says that the information given him was from another German woman of notorious reputation whose word could not be trusted. Luzhin continues his litany of Svidrigailov’s numerous sins by telling of the mysterious death of Phillip, Svidrigailov’s man-servant, who - it was rumored - was harassed and abused by Svidrigailov into hanging himself. Strangely, it is Dounia who defends Svidrigailov by saying that Phillip was a hypochondriac who had - according to the other servants - read himself “silly” and hanged himself more from the mockery of the other servants than from the beatings supplied him by Svidrigailov. This supports the Nineteenth Century view of the classes (and of women) that education is actually harmful to the lower classes (and women) who do not have the intelligence nor the strength of character to withstand knowledge’s corrupting power. Dounia’s defense of Svidrigailov does not go unnoticed by Luzhin who twists his lips ambiguously - perhaps in displeasure and irritation - and says that he is sure Marfa left him nothing but the unavoidable minimum and will inevitably wind back in a debtors’ prison.

Raskolnikov drops a bomb shell and announces that he has just met Svidrigailov who came into his room while he was sleeping, woke him up and introduced himself. He was, according to Raskolnikov, quite jovial and convinced they would become fast friends. Svidrigailov wishes for Raskolnikov to arrange an interview for him with Douna and to tell her that Marfa has left 3,000 rubles in her will to her. Pulkheria’s immediate response is to cross herself and remind her daughter to pray for Marfa’s soul - in Russia, priests were left money in their parishioners’ wills to pray for their souls to insure they got to heaven. There was a definite correlation in the Russian Orthodox Church between money and the soul’s salvation.

When pressed to tell them the nature of the interview Svidrigailov wishes to have with Dounia, Raskolnikov tells Dounia he will impart that information later, implying not in front of Luzhin, which Luzhin takes as a gross insult and proceeds to gather up his things, implying “tit for tat” that he will not discuss extremely important nuptial questions in front of “outsiders” - in other words, Raskolnikov. Luzhin expresses extreme pique that his orders not to have Raskolnikov present at their meeting was disobeyed. Dounia responds quite heatedly that it was at her insistence that Raskolnikov come to the meeting for if he has insulted Luzhin as he had written, then the matter must be cleared up immediately. Dounia mounts an amazingly strong and rousing defense of inviting her brother to the meeting and makes it clear that if the two men cannot come to an agreement then she will be forced to choose - and it doesn’t seem that she will automatically choose Luzhin.

Raskolnikov sits quietly watching with a wry smile playing on his lips. Luzhin becomes more and more touchy and seems to enjoy the sense of affronted indignation. He defends his statement that he wanted to marry a poor girl because knowing poverty is good for moral character. He then demands to know exactly what Pulkheria wrote to her son about his statement. Pulkheria becomes befuddled and cannot recall, but says that Luzhin has lied about Raskolnikov. Raskolnikov interrupts, and without looking at Luzhin, says that he had written a letter to his mother claiming that Raskolnikov had not given money to the Marmeladov’s widow to pay for the funeral, but rather to the daughter, Sonia, a prostitute, a girl he had never met. Raskolnikov accuses Luzhin of writing this bald face lie in the hopes of making mischief between Raskolnikov and his mother and sister. Shaking with rage, Luzhin replies that it was not a lie, that Raskolnikov had wasted his money on that family in which there is not one worthy member. Raskolnikov retorts that the prostitute’s little finger is worth more than Luzhin’s entire body and that he has already introduced Sonia to his mother and sister. All of this proves to be too much for Luzhin who insults Dounia and her mother, implying that she is willing to take up with Svidrigailov and that the sudden change in tone with him is due to the 3,000 rubles Dounia has just inherited. Pulkheria defends herself well, challenging his tone and asking sarcastically if Luzhin’s every request must be taken as a command? When he implies that Dounia is willing to prostitute herself for money (“I do not wish to hinder ...Svidrigailov’s secret proposals, which he has authorized your brother to deliver, and which, I perceive, possess for you a most important, and perhaps a very agreeable significance....”) this proves too much for her and she orders Luzhin out.

This is a most unexpected development for Luzhin who threatens that if he walks out that door he will never return. He then brings up the money that he has spent on them - a laughable charge that is so in keeping with the crassness of Luzhin’s character, that Raskolnikov, white with rage, roars with laughter and that Pulkheria immediately refutes - “Are you talking of our trunk? But surely, the guard carried that for you without charge!” And then Luzhin delivers the piece de resistance - that he had decided to take Dounia despite all the vicious gossip that had sullied her reputation! “Scorning public opinion for your sake and vindicating your reputation, I was...entitled to count on being recompensed and even to demand your gratitude!” This proves too much for Razumikhin who must be physically restrained by Raskolnikov from throttling Luzhin. After calming Razumikhin down, Raskolnikov then advances upon Luzhin and orders him out of the room.

Never has Luzhin harbored so much hatred in his heart for one man as he does in this moment. He blames Raskolnikov for everything - everything! Yet, as he descends the stairs he still has hopes that as for as the ladies are concerned things might still be turned around!

This scene shows human nature equates worth with money and social standing, and that money is a currency that can be used as an even rate of exchange for morality and emotions. This also shows the precarious nature of women’s position of vulnerability in a patriarchal society in which a woman’s value is determined by sexual desirability - as determined by youth, beauty and social position - and chastity. Dounia is young and beautiful and from a good but poor family. It is acceptable for her to use these qualities as bartering chips to marry for economic and social stability - something which was extremely difficult for women to attain by their own efforts. However, it is in extremely bad taste to bring this bartering system up (her youth and beauty for his money and social position) as Luzhin so crassly did. Yet, if a poor woman was forced into selling herself sexually in order to survive (like Sonia), she would be met with Society’s most stringent opprobrium. Luzhin uses his power as a man to control vulnerable, impoverished women. Dounia is willing at first to sacrifice herself for the sake of her family - marrying Luzhin will probably provide money and comfort to her mother, and the chance of career advancement for her brother; however, when she sees Luzhin’s moral crudeness, his need for complete autocratic control of her and her mother, and his insistence on the exile of her brother from the family, all this proves too much for her and she breaks off the engagement - a commendable decision on her part but one that could have disastrous results for her future.

Again, note how Dostoevsky has his characters use ironic responses (Raskolnikov roaring with laughter at Luzhin’s crass reference to the women’s indebtedness to his largess and to Luzhin’s ambiguously twisted lips at the news that Svidrigailov wishes to see Dounia) to enraging or alarming situations. This shows the complexity and contradictory qualities of human nature which finds a sort of sado-masochistic enjoyment in either pain or the infliction of pain on others.

Part 4, Chapter 3:

Luzhin still has hopes to marry Dounia

Raskolnikov reveals Svidrigailov's desire to give Dounia 10,000 rubles

Razumikhin has a publishing scheme for them to make money

Raskolnikov gives his family into the care of Razumikhin

Strange communication between Raskolnikov and Razumikhin

There is again a shift in point of view in which we are allowed to know Luzhin's thoughts and motives. Strangely enough, Luzhin feels that he still has a shot at marriage with Dounia. He feels that he was monstrously misunderstood and abused by Raskolnikov. When Luzhin first met him on his sick bed in his wretched little flat, he actually felt kindly disposed to the young man and saw himself in the guise of a mentor to help his future brother-in-law, which makes Raskolnikov's rude dismissal of him all the more shocking and unfair. Luzhin suffers from excessive and almost voluptuous pride - even gazing at his own image in the mirror. He has pulled himself up from nothing; everything he has amassed has been through his own efforts and intelligence. The only thing he needs now is a completely devoted, young, intelligent, well born and beautiful woman (Dounia) to be his wife to help him maneuver his way into the highest strata of society. In short, he needs Dounia, whose education and social standing are higher - he suspects - than his. And to be thwarted by someone like Raskolnikov and to be compared to some nonentity like Razumikhin is almost more than he can bear! But the person who fills him with the most unease is this Svidrigailov......He has a feeling that there will be a great deal of trouble coming from him.

After Luzhin's ouster from the "party", the family became cheerful and even laughing with relief from the unpleasantness that had just transpired. Another shift in point of view and we can see into Razumikhin's mind who is feverish with excitement over the evening's events - with Luzhin out of the picture, Ruzumikhin can almost - but no, he is too afraid to allow his heart to wander down that street of hope. Raskolnikov, who was the most outraged over Luzhin, is now the one who seems the most uninterested and sits sullen and removed from the party. Dounia misreads her brother's coldness as anger at her and their mother, Pulkheria, watches him with apprehension.

When Dounia presses Raskolnikov to reveal what Svidrigailov wanted, he answers that Svidrigailov claims that his love for her has burnt itself out and now he feels nothing for her, but that he definitely doesn't want her to marry Luzhin. He would like to give her 10,000 rubles and to meet her one more time in Raskolnikov's presence - to which Pulkheria immediately says absolutely not! Raskolnikov says that the man is a bundle of contradiction - he swears he has no money but wants to give Dounia 10,000 rubles; he says he is going on a journey of some sort but ten minutes later forgets all about it; he claims he wants to be married and already arrangements are being made. Raskolnikov knows that the man has some sort of designs - none of which are probably good. Odd that one highly contradictory man is musing, without irony, about another highly contradictory man. Raskolnikov, however, does not mention Svidrigailov seeing Marfa's ghost but does say that it appears her death has affected him immensely.

The change in the family's fortune seems heaven sent. Each person in the room is locked in her/his private world. Earlier that afternoon Pulkheria had no idea how they were going to survive but now suddenly they are going to come into 13, 000 rubles! Dounia is terrified by the prospect of seeing Svidrigailov - could she be terrified of gazing into the abyss? When you gaze into the abyss, know that the abyss stares back into you. Sin and evil can be intoxicating and seductive. And for his part, Raskolnikov knows that he is fated - he uses the word "destined" - to see Svidrigailov again and more than once. Razumikhin is on fire with his crusade to protect his lady-love, Dounia and her mother, Pulkheria and when he pledges his allegiance to Dounia, she - tellingly - takes his hand. Buoyed with new found joy, Razumikhin proposes a business scheme - to use their money to set up a publishing company to translate works into Russian. This has been a dream of his for years ever since he had worked in a publishing firm. Although he lied to Raskolnikov that his German was weak - to trick Raskolnikov into taking on work to put much needed money in his pocket - Razumikhin has a fairly strong command of three European languages.

His business scheme is met with enthusiasm by Dounia, and slightly befuddled excitement by Pulkheria. His excitement now soaring he comes up with another idea - of pawning the watch and renting a three room flat where the whole family - including Raskolnikov - can live.

This is also met with excitment - until everyone notices that Raskolnikov, hat in hand, is edging towards the door. His mood is dark and melancholic and he mutters that it sounds is if they have already buried him. He then brokenly tells them that he must go away for awhile....that he loves them, but he must separate himself from them...out of love

...and then he pleads with them to please leave him. Leave him!

Raskolnikov leaves, but stops at the end of the corridor lighted only by a lamp to wait for his loyal friend who he knows will inevitably follow him out. When Razumikhin approaches him, after reassuring Dounia and Pulkheria that everything will be all right, Raskolnkiv tells him not to ask him about anything, not to try to see him and when he is ready he might come back. "Leave me" he commands Razumikhin, "but don't leave them!"

It is dark in the corridor and for several long moments - a minute, perhaps - the two men stare at each other in silence. It is a moment that Razumikhin will remember for the rest of his life. Raskolnikov's intense black thoughts pierce Razumikhin's understanding. Some knowledge, something dark and terrible and monstrous passes between them, causing Razumikhin to shudder. "Now do you understand?' demands Raskolnikov with twisted distorted features. And then he abruptly leaves.

Dostoevsky steps in as the author and draws a curtain on the scene in which Razumikhin returns to the room with Dounia and her mother. At that moment, Razumikhin, charged with the care of Dounia and Pulkheria by Raskolnikov, becomes his brother, and son to their mother.