Crime And Punishment: Svidrigailov

Mark Bao Character Analysis: Svidrigailov 1. List the three most salient events in the life of your character. 1. Svidrigailov’s affair and prior relationship with Dunya, as described in Raskolnikov’s mother’s letter. He is described as a strange personality, whose wife mostly caused hatred against Dunya, but of which he was one of the perpetrators of, albeit trying to fix the situation. From this, the reader does not have a good impression of his nature. 2. Svidrigailov reveals to Dunya that he overheard that Raskolnikov murdered Alyona Ivanovna and Lizaveta, and blackmails Dunya into making her marry him. It is also implied that he perhaps tries to rape her. He defends himself by reminding Dunya that if she reports him, he can report Raskolnikov, taking advantage of the strong connection between Dunya and her brother. (Part VI, Chapter V) 3. His suicide. Obviously, it is an important part, and it is in comparison to Raskolnikov. 2. List three key qualities and explain why you think these qualities are central to the character. 1. cryptic – one does not find out all the facets of Svidrigailov’s nature. He depicts himself in various ways throughout the novel, as he fluctuates between just and unjust acts. His recurring perseverance to get what he wants, especially attempting force, define his bad side; however, his generous nature at other times make his good side. 2. magnanimous (at times) – he shares his wealth by taking money from that which he was to offer to Dunya, and intends to provide a funeral and necessities for the children of Katarina Ivanovna, which not only made Sonya’s life much easier as she did not have to have the obligation to take care of the orphaned children, but also that the children now have a ways of living, with Svidrigailov as their benefactor. However, his magnanimity has a darker side as well; his 10,000 ruble offer to Dunya as an apology to try to convince her to marry him is his magnanimous nature with a twist or a catch: though he states that the aforementioned money is no use to him, he wants to brownnose Dunya to marry him. 3. tactical – uses what he knows from eavesdropping into blackmailing Dunya. Through his eavesdropping of the conversation between Raskolnikov and Sonya, in which he acquires knowledge that Raskolnikov claims that he is the murderer, which after failing to win Dunya over with cash, tries to trade his knowledge for Dunya. With this, he is seen as a character who tries to force people to act as he wants. 3. Give three key quotations by or about your character. 1. “…if you still harbor your former intentions towards my sister, and if you think of using some recent discovery for that end, I will kill you before you can put me in jail. My word is good: you know I’m capable of keeping it.” (468, Part 6 Chapter III) Raskolnikov says this to Svidrigailov in the tavern, as he harbors harbors suspicions against Svidrigailov. Raskolnikov at this point knows that Svidrigailov knows about his crime, and sees his using it against Dunya as a possibility. 2. “‘You didn’t load [the gun] properly. Never mind! You’ve got another cap left. Put it right; I’ll wait.’ He stood in front of her, two steps away, waiting and looking at her with wild determination, his grim eyes inflamed with passion. Dunya realized that he would

rather die than let her go.” (496 Part 6 Chapter V) Demonstrated here is Svidrigailov’s nature; he is tenacious towards what he wants, and he takes considerable measures to do so. 3. “If they start asking you, just tell them he went to America. … He put the revolver to his right temple … pulled the trigger.” (511 Part 6 Chapter VI) This seals Svidrigailov’s fate, as he now has lost Dunya. 4. What is your character's function in the novel? Svidrigailov acts, to a degree, as Raskolnikov's enemy, and the benefactor of Katerina Ivanovna's children. He can be seen as a double of Raskolnikov; generous, yet malicious; sometimes seen on the extreme of good, other times seen as on the extreme of bad. Like Raskolnikov, he is a complex character that cannot be definitely defined, as, for example, Dunya could be. Like Raskolnikov, he is a cryptic yet rational figure; he has several modes of personality, which each displays itself during the novel. However, he is, at times, rational in his thinking. Albeit he is tenacious towards his desire for Dunya, Svidrigailov is able to let her go when she tells him she can never love him. A fool such as Luzhin would try and try, blaming it on some factor that he could change with another chance, but Svidrigailov displays rationality. However, other times he is a foil of Raskolnikov. He is, like Raskolnikov, in a state of difficulty. Raskolnikov decides to take blame for his actions and turn himself in at the police station, while Svidrigailov decides to take matters into his own hands and commits suicide. It is inconclusive whether Svidrigailov is either a double or a foil of Raskolnikov; what is important, however, is that he represents both a double and a foil of Raskolnikov in the novel. There are clear similarities and contrasts between the two, collectively too strong on either side to define Svidrigailov as one or the other. 5. What is the nature of the relationship your character has to the main character, beyond the obvious of friend, sister, mother, etc.? He is Raskolnikov's enemy since he knows that he is the murderer; therefore, he can, and does, use that information to his advantage. His unsuccessful desired relationship with Dunya ends when Dunya says that she would never love him. He acts as the man watching from behind he curtain in the beginning few parts of the novel, 6. Are there any unresolved issues around your character or is there any question you would like to ask this character if you could? How did you amass your wealth? Why are you intent on Dunya? Why did Dostoevsky decide to include that Svidrigailov was a paedophile? Why is he adamant towards Dunya even to the point of death? 7. What is your personal response to this character? Svidrigailov displayed himself as a complex character who sometimes had a good side, but was mostly portrayed with a bad light. Naturally, from his determined nature to acquire by any means necessary, his apparent paedophilia, and the air that he is presented in, I would say that I did not like Svidrigailov much. Although he had a good side, it is eclipsed by his bad.