Moral Schism and Spiritual Rebirth: A Critical Examination of Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment

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Sfetcu, Nicolae (2025). ”Moral Schism and Spiritual Rebirth: A Critical Examination of Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment”, în Index Academic, I 2025, DOI: 10.58679/IA85307

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Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment (1866) is widely regarded as one of the great masterpieces of 19th-century literature and a pioneering work of psychological fiction. The novel centers on Rodion Raskolnikov, a destitute ex-student in St. Petersburg, and chronicles the mental anguish and moral dilemmas he faces after committing a double murder. Blending a gripping crime narrative with profound philosophical and psychological insight, Crime and Punishment explores enduring questions of morality, justice, and redemption. This review examines the novel’s major aspects – its central themes, character portrayals, philosophical underpinnings, historical context, and narrative style – to illuminate Crime and Punishment’s literary and intellectual significance.

Keywords: crime, punishment, nihilism, redemption, Fyodor Dostoevsky, moral schism, spiritual rebirth, critics, themes, characters, style, structure