Change of Heart Crime and Punishment is a powerful novel written by Fyodor Dostoyevsky that depicts the actions of the Raskolnikov after an axe murder that he commits. Throughout the novel, Fyodor Dostoyevsky displays masterful technique in controlling the audience’s emotions by bending how they feel about certain characters, such as Svidrigailov, Sonya, and Raskolnikov. Dostoyevsky initially portrayed Svidrigailov as a perverted old who is willing to cheat on his wife, but he is later portrayed as a man who is insecure and obsessive. Sonya is portrayed as a selfless young girl who is willing to do anything for her dysfunctional family. Raskolnikov is initially portrayed as an observant, desperate man who is easily swayed by his false sense of logic.
Svidrigailov is initially portrayed as a perverted man who has a romantic interest in Raskolnikov’s younger sister, Dounia, “But at last he lost all control and had the face to make Dounia an open and shameful proposal, promising her all sorts of inducements and offering, besides, to throw up everything and take her to another estate of his, or even abroad” (Dostoyevsky 26). This quote shows that Svidrigailov was quite infatuated with Dounia, and that he wanted to leave his wife for her. This situation causes the reader to feel slightly disturbed by Svidrigailov’s behavior, as he is many years older than Dounia, and he shows that he has a pedophilic nature within himself. Svidrigailov’s behavior changes as Crime and Punishment progresses. He is later portrayed as a villain, as Dostoyevsky insinuates that Svidrigailov murders his wife, Marfa Petrovna. “Are you so positive I poisoned Marfa Petrovna?" says Svidrigailov. "You did! You hinted it yourself; you talked to me of poison . . . . I know you went to get it . . . you had it in readiness . . . . It was your doing . . . . It must have been your doing . . . . Scoundrel!" says Dounia. "Even if that were true, it would have been for your sake . . . you would have been the cause" (Dostoyevsky 389). These specific quotes show that Svidrigailov is suspected of killing his wife, and that he does not deny these accusations. This situation causes the reader to feel that Svidrigailov is a sinister man who will do almost anything to fulfill his ambition to be with Dounia. The only exception to this is when Svidrigailov attempts to rape Dounia, he realizes that Dounia does not love him as he loves her, so instead of living with the fact that Dounia does not love him, he kills himself, ending his heartbreak. The suicide causes the reader to feel pity for Svidrigailov, as he did everything in his power to be with Dounia, only for her to reject him. Sonya is portrayed as being an innocent girl who is forced into the world of prostitution so that she can provide for her family, as her father Marmeladov spends the family’s income on alcohol. Readers instantly sympathize with Sonya because her predicament forces her to sacrifice her own wellbeing for her family. When Sonya first meets Raskolnikov, she is slightly scared of her, but warms up to him as he allows her to sit on his chair, despite the fact that she is a prostitute. This act makes the readers feel happy for Sonya because it shows that not everyone looks at her with disdain. Sonya is visited by Raskolnikov, and they talk about the murder of Alyona and Lizaveta. Sonya soon becomes more comfortable around Raskolnikov as the conversation progresses, and when he reveals that he is Lizaveta’s murder, she accepts him and feels terrible that he has to go through so much suffering, “What have you done, what have you done to yourself? . . . There is no one, no one unhappier than you in the whole world” (Dostoyevsky 323). This situation with Raskolnikov shows the readers that Sonya is a sympathetic person who knows what true suffering is. Her acceptance of Raskolnikov, despite the murders, shows that she is caring and that she can relate to how Raskolnikov is feeling. Sonya promises that if Raskolnikov turns himself in, then she will go with him. So when Raskolnikov is in prison, she stays with him every step of the way. This lets the readers know that Sonya is true to her word, and that she is dependable. Raskolnikov is initially portrayed as an observant man who has a low tolerance for the people he believes are doing the world a crime by simply living. This is first illustrated in Crime and Punishment when he is seen counting the steps to the pawnbroker’s house, “He had not far to go; he knew indeed how many steps it was from the gate of his lodging house: exactly seven hundred and thirty. He had counted them once when he had been lost in dreams” (Dostoyevsky 3). Readers then become skeptical whether or not Raskolnikov is a good person, as he kills the pawnbroker, Alyona Ivanovna, and her friend, Lizaveta. This event makes Raskolnikov appear as a cowardly villain. Cowardly because he sloppily executed the murder and made off with nothing of important value, “He pulled the axe quite out, swung it with both arms, scarcely conscious of himself, and almost without effort, almost mechanically, brought the blunt side down on her head” (Dostoyevsky 63). This quote demonstrates the ruthlessness of Raskolnikov’s attack on Alyona Ivanovna, “Suddenly he remembered that the purse and the things he had taken out of the old woman's box were still in his pockets! He had not thought till then of taking them out and hiding them! He had not even thought of them while he was examining his clothes!” (Dostoyevsky 73). This quote shows the readers that Raskolnikov does not really plan things out too well when he feels pressured. A day after Raskolnikov tells Sonya that he is the murderer, he comes face to face with Svidrigailov. Svidrigailov tells Raskolnikov that he knows of Raskolnikov’s crimes, and Raskolnikov fears that Svidrigailov might turn him in to the police. This fear that Raskolnikov is feeling shows the readers that he is afraid of retribution and justice. However, towards the very end of Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov turns himself in. This shows that he has finally accepted what he has done, and is ready to make amends for it. He is sentenced in prison for seven years where his suffering truly begins. This suffering causes the readers to feel sympathy for Raskolnikov. In conclusion, the feelings of the audience are not very consistent throughout the novel, as Dostoyevsky successfully attempts to alter the way the reader feels about certain characters. The mistrust audience feels for Svidrigailov, the pity the audience feels for Sonya, and the understanding that the audience feels for Raskolnikov, are all examples of Dostoyevsky’s ability to challenge the audience’s feeling towards the characters in Crime and Punishment.