What interests me most in the epilogue of Crime and Punishment is the continuation of Raskolnikov’s pride even in prison because it shows how deeply pride is rooted in him. The fact that Raskolnikov sets himself so far apart from others in prison shows the separation he feels from others and perhaps why he allowed himself to kill Alyona. Raskolnikov’s pride can be traced all the way back to the beginning of the novel. When Pulcheria Alexandrovna is shocked at the health and mental state of her son, Razumikhin describes Raskolnikov as “sullen, gloomy arrogant, proud...[setting] a terribly high value on himself” (215). While he may be much more intelligent then most, Raskolnikov is not justified in putting his worth higher than others, although he does not see this error. It is because of this elated view of himself that Raskolnikov feels he is an extraordinary man, making it morally permissible for him to kill Alyona. However, after the unexpected murder of Lizaveta, …show more content…
One of the first times he does this is to Pulcheria, Dunya, and Razumikhin. He repeatedly cries, “don’t torment me! Enough, go away...i can’t!...” (198). All of the times he tries to distance himself from others, it is obvious that this freezing out is due to the burden of his crime. When in the process of hiding his stollen goods, “it seemed to him that at that moment he had cut himself off, as with scissors, from everyone and everything” (115). Surprisingly, this disconnect does not go away once he has confessed to the murder of Alyona and Lizaveta. While in prison, Sonya wrote to Dunya and Razumikhin that Raskolnikov “shunned everyone, that the convicts in the prison did not like him” (542). Dostoevsky very purposely continues Raskolnikov’s isolation once he is in prison, even though he has and is technically repaying for his crime and no longer lives with the guilt of