"I like that they talk nonsense. This is man's only privilege over all creation. Through error you arrive at the truth! I am a man because I make mistakes! " (160) Dmitri Prokofitch Razumihin Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayThe psychological realism evident in the works of Fyodor Dostoevsky does not apply exclusively to men. Women are also fully developed characters who go beyond being passive, archetypal recipients of male agency. Especially in Crime and Punishment, female characters are not mere ornaments meant to embellish a male-driven plot; rather, they are the backbone of the plot. Avdotya Romanovna and Sofya Semyonovna, in particular, are uncompromising in carrying forward the banner of the novel's most important moral-didactic themes. They are primarily responsible for the reform of the guilt-ridden protagonist, Rodion Raskolnikov. Through their interaction with Raskolnikov, Dounia and Sonia show that religious devotion and emotionality, as opposed to scientific reasoning, are necessary for happiness and redemption. Dostoevsky chooses Dounia as the first character to truly glimpse Raskolnikov's psyche and begin the long and painful process. of healing. In a conversation with Razumihin, Dounia says about Raskolnikov: "I think you are right when you say that he needs a woman's care" (171). Razumihin responds that Raskolnikov "does not love anyone and perhaps never will." Both Dounia and Razumihin are essentially right, and this brief exchange reveals a lot about Raskolnikov. The former law student is disastrously involved in the highly intellectual theory of utilitarianism, with which he justifies the murder of the old pawnbroker, Alyona Ivanovna. By embracing this philosophy, Raskolnikov inevitably partially separates himself from his emotions. Feelings like empathy and love are incompatible with making cold-blooded decisions, even for the supposed best interests of society. This attempted divorce leads to his physical and psychological illness following the murder, because emotions are an integral part of the complex moral calculus that people need to live conscientiously. Utilitarianism may believe that a murder is superficially justified, but it fails to take into account non-quantifiable variables; it fails to explain the toll the murders take on what makes humans human. Dounia unconsciously expresses these feelings when she recommends "a woman's care." He still doesn't know about the murder, but he recognizes that his brother has moved away. Raskolnikov's sick love affair with his higher faculties causes his emotions to manifest themselves erratically. He often smiles strangely at the most innocent questions and finds himself hating Dounia for her kindness and charity. His first meeting with the family in their lodgings is tense: "There was a certain compulsion in all this... and in the silence, and in the reconciliation, and in the forgiveness, and everyone felt it" (180). Later Raskolnikov observes: "in their absence I seemed to love them so much" (181). Raskolnikov's emotional core, what makes him human and not a calculating machine, is dysfunctional and slowly dying. Dounia deeply understands her brother's plight, but makes no overt attempt to untangle his twisted thought patterns. She is too worried about her impending marriage to Luzhin and, rather, it is her own actions towards Luzhin that set an example for Raskolnikov. The latter initially believes that Dounia is sacrificing herself for the good of the family: "Nothe will admit that he wants to do it out of charity... oh, how I hate them all!" (184). For Raskolnikov this assessment is interesting because it fits into his whole theory of ends justifying the means. But he thinks too little of his sister; Dounia she decisively rejects Luzhin after learning of his despicable nature. For Raskolnikov, his sister's decision is significant for two reasons. First, Dounia reaffirms her own identity and refuses to marry Luzhin because of her principles money and the prestige he could gain by becoming a plaything for Luzhin. He does not see Luzhin as a vehicle to higher things; through his example, Raskolnikov begins to see that moral certainty in a cesspool immorality of society is possible and desirable. Secondly, Dounia places her choice between Luzhin and Raskolnikov if they cannot be reconciled, and in the end she chooses Raskolnikov. His love and respect for his brother are evident in his response to Luzhin's request for more respect than that accorded Raskolnikov: "I have placed your interest alongside everything that has hitherto been most precious in my life, that that has made up my whole life." (239). Hearing that he has been his sister's "whole" life is music to Raskolnikov's ears. His motivation for killing the pawn shop was his desire for power, to be someone, and to have an effect on the world. In this sense Raskolnikov failed completely, because he later felt helpless. Through her words, Dounia is giving Raskolnikov back a sense of his own worth. He is showing his guilty but still fiercely proud brother that true power and self-realization only comes through love, the purest form of emotional expression. If it is Dounia who plants the seed of a new life in Raskolnikov, it is Sonia who takes care of him. until it sprouts and flowers. What attracts Raskolnikov to the prostitute with a heart of gold is her ability to cope with her miserable livelihood. He wonders why Sonia doesn't commit suicide: "How can she sit on the edge of the abyss of loathing into which she is slipping and refuse to listen when she is told of the danger?" (256). He discovers that Sonia is untouched by corruption because she is devoutly spiritual, a "religious maniac"; he has a refuge, a private garden, in which to escape from the horrors of his yellow passport world. When Sonia agrees to read the New Testament, she essentially invites Raskolnikov into her private garden. She wishes he could find his "secret treasure", that is, establish a personal relationship with God. Her choice of the story of Lazarus is significant. The symbolism suggests that women will help resurrect Raskolnikov's soul. Sonia has made a prophecy that she will strive to fulfill. At first, Raskolnikov refuses to obey Sonia's request to submit to God's benevolent will. He tells her: "You must finally look things straight in the face, and not cry like a child and shout that God will not allow it" (261) . He takes pride in maintaining a stoic, emotionless stance and facing his harsh reality. However, Sonia has a noticeable effect on him, because Raskolnikov asks her to run away elsewhere with him, telling her that they are both cursed and must travel the same path. This empathy, coming from a man who abandoned his best friend and family, shows that Raskolnikov is mellowing, becoming more emotionally open. His slow recovery reaches a turning point when he decides to confess to Sonia. Instead of drawing back in revulsion, as Raskolnikov expected, Sonia throws herself around Raskolnikov and shouts: "There is no one, no one in the world now more unhappy than you!" (323). Raskolnikov knows in,.