This former student wanders the streets of St. Petersbourg, wallowing in his self-imposed depression and inhaling the noxious elements of the city. In an attempt to gain the capital he needs to avoid working in his future he robs and kills two women. The majority of the novel is then devoted to Rodyo's internal struggle with his conscience and external struggle with the police. But throughout the text it is disturbingly easy to empathise with this character.
Rodyo is in search of a small amount of capital that will allow him to live without the constraints of work. With this capital he would likely return to his studies and pursue intellectual enquiry in his areas of interest. Members of contemporary society often feel the same way. Every person who plays the lottery, gambles in any way or commits a crime for monetary gain hopes for the one big payout that will give them freedom. If I could study and write without monetary fear I would be a much happier person.
But Rodyo suffers from a serious character defect that points to the folly of this strategy. His arrogance and feeling of self-importance allows Rodyo to destroy other lives if it benefits his own. While we all want economic freedom we would be obligated to forcefully take the capital of others to get it. The one huge payout that is always on the horizon is not worth the destruction of others who only seek the same thing.
It is useful to empathise with Raskolnikov; but we must strive not to become him.
-The English Student
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