Crime & Punishment: The Epilogue

[flatsharer]

So the epliogue in C&P.

An inspererable part of the story where the themes are brought together and some sort of resolution is offered.

or

An ugly and pointless chapter tacked onto the novel for stupid people that the publishers feared wouldn't understand the book otherwise.

...

[poor knight]

Oh boy. We've had this discussion somewhere before. There's a pretty good split on this group about epilogues in general. I'm not a big fan; others think they're fine. As for C&P, I'm not sure the epilogue is as obvious as your second option suggests. I could deduce that it might have been a rationale path considering the rest of the book, but unless I knew beforehand as much as I did about FD's own experience in prison, without it I might have felt it could have gone either way. I'll say I thought the epilogue in C&P was much better written than say The Idiot's (although still not as good, as my earlier post opines, as that of "Fast Times at Ridgemont High")

[tzar]

So the epliogue in C&P.

An inspererable part of the story where the themes are brought together and some sort of resolution is offered.

or

An ugly and pointless chapter tacked onto the novel for stupid people that the publishers feared wouldn't understand the book otherwise.

...

the latter, imo.

[Slovenly Old Man]

The Epilogue is obviously a very important part of the story... otherwise Dostoevsky wouldn't have included it....

here's a nice quote from the epilogue which hints at the sort of ideas that were developed further; first by Nietzsche, and then, in the 20th century, by Heidegger, Sartre, and Camus, among others.......




"He was ashamed precisely because he, Raskolnikov, had perished so blindly, hopelessly, vainly, and stupidly, by some sort of decree of blind fate, and had to reconcile himself and submit to the 'meaninglessness' of such a decree if he wanted to find peace in himself.

Pointless and purposeless anxiety in the present, and in the future one endless sacrifice by which nothing would be gained--that was what he had to look forward to in this world.  And what matter that in eight years he would be only thirty-two and could still begin to live again! Why should he live?  With what in mind?  Striving for what?  To live in order to exist?  But even before, he had been ready to give his existence a thousand times over for an idea, a hope, even a fantasy.  Existence alone had never been enough for him; he had always wanted more."




Dostoevsky, along with Kierkegaard, was a great mind who helped contribute to modern existentialist thought.  Now we see existentialist concepts mass marketed, in a somewhat mutant form, in the 'self help' format....... this 'self help,' in my opinion, is the direct descendant of Existentialism, which was founded by Soren Kierkegaard, and furthered by Dostoevsky

All of Dostoevsky's Epilogues are meaningful... The fact that some people don't like the way he ended his stories, does not indicate that he didn't weigh his words carefully prior to publication

[Slovenly Old Man]

I'm looking at that quote... and I'm seeing that it draws a pretty gloomy picture because I didn't include any quotes pertaining to his redemption, which occurs later in the epilogue........I think it would be appropriate to mention that all forms of Existentialism stress the fact that....... just because life may seem meaningless, we still need to take charge of our situation, and make a positive change in our situation, even if external circumstances beyond our control have largely determined our lot in life...... .... and in the case of Raskolnikov, he made a positive change by redeeming himself with his new-found faith in Christianity.... hence, Dostoevsky's position as a 'Christian Existentialist'

[Rimbaud]

I thought Dostoevsky's epilouge in 'Crime and Punishment' was excellent. To me, it encapuslated his final belief in simplicity and faith.

I see the structure of crime and punishment and christian existenalism in two images. Even though chronologically false, I see the first image as man carrying the cross and burden in a harsh terrain [i.e the christ figure in Tarkovsky's 'Andrei Rublev.' with the mourners lamenting behind him. This can be seen or interpretated philosophically, psychologically, or theologically any way you like, with or without the christian imagery - I see it as the burden of consciouness as an individual. And this is the journey for better or worse, that raskolnikov walks himself, but the cross being his conscience and former depravity. And the second image is, Raskolnikov seeking relief and respite in sonia on the bench. [ who as a metaphor could be seen as a mourner lamenting behind in the first image] and raskolnikov for all his carrying of the cross, and believe in intellect, or nihilism etc seeks the faith, respite and compassion offered in sonia, or in philosophy ' christian existenalism.'

[Donato]

I appreciated the Epilogue because it brought everything together, provided closure and offered the reader hope that Roskolnikov and Sonia would have a happy future together, once his sentence was completed.