Questioning the Notion of Superman in Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment

Abstract

In the novel, “Crime and Punishment”, the researcher analyzes how Raskalnikov, the protagonist, suffers from over ambition. Raskalnikov deliberately assassinates the old pawnbroker, Alyona Ivanovna, motivated by the desire of becoming a superman. He violates law of the land and moral codes to prove his extraordinary strength at the pretext of transforming the society. He tries to substantiate his criminal act in order to protect the superman theory. However, his guilty conscience does not allow him to do so. Equally, his wife, Sonia, plays a key role to overcome his fragile logic of the theory. Finally, his dream of becoming the superman gets shattered.