Use of irony in the novel Crime and Punishment
Question: Discuss the use of irony in the novel “Crime and Punishment” by Fyodor Dostoevsky.
Introduction
“Crime and Punishment” is an illustrious novel by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881). The plot of the novel is indeed based on irony and coincidences. This very novel is replete with ironies such as dramatic irony, the irony of the situation, and fate.
Planning of the protagonist
It is universally known that no crime goes without two types of punishments- mental and law-abiding. Raskolnikov who is the protagonist of the novel makes up his mind to commit murder to get rid of his extreme penury. Such an abominable plan is really ironic since he is a former student of law. It also bears the prophecy that nothing can be gained by the dint of crime and it happens at last by the confession.
Crime Scene
The crime scene of the novel is the best example of all kinds of irony, particularly dramatic irony. Raskolnikov goes to the house of the unscrupulous pawnbroker, Alyona, with pretension to pawn his pocket watch. He indeed plans to kill her only and wants to loot her property but irony happens here when Lizaveta comes to the spot and he has to kill both of them with an axe. This ridiculous double murder carries the universal truth that to cover a crime, one more crime has to be committed.
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Dramatic irony also occurs immediately when a young man comes to the door after the murders. He tries to enter in and also shouts with the name of two dead ladies without any knowledge that the murderer is still inside.
‘What’s up? Are they asleep or murdered?…Hey, Alyona Ivanovna, old witch! Lizaveta Ivanovna, hey, my beauty! open the door! Oh, damn them! Are they asleep or what?
This is the perfect example of dramatic irony because he has no idea about reality. The novelist has made this to enhance the suspense of the plot from two angles. Whether the hero will be caught red-handed or the man will be killed for surprisingly appearing on the crime scene. Another angle of this irony is that no crime is perfect without leaving any clue.
Mental disorder
Raskolnikov never imagines his mental condition before committing murder. He realizes that he is in unbearable mental pain after the murders and he has got a mental breakdown in which he loses his consciousness and hallucinates for four days. After getting back his sense, he asks as to his senselessness to his loyal friend Razumikhin who assumes that he is mentioning a girl or something similar. Then he asks:
“Are you afraid of having left out some secret?”
By this, it is vivid that Razumikhin is unaware of the secret of crime but the readers are well conscious that the hero is trying to hide his crime. Thus, the novelist informs that crime has far-reaching mental effects.
Profession and relationship
The irony of situation and fate has been applied by limning of profession and relationship. The heroine of the novel, Sonya, has been forced to adopt a profession of prostitute to look after her family but she is declared innocent by her drunkard father Marmeladov who has a bitter relationship with his wife, and so on. Thus, the irony of fate makes human beings inferior and superior.
The epilogue of the Novel
The epilogue of the novel is really ironic. The punishment that is only eight years of penal servitude is very tiny for couple murder. The marriage between Dunya and Razumakhin is one of the best examples of irony of fate too. Raskolnikov’s loathsome attitude to Sonya and her love for him is the better mix of irony and coincidence since the hero starts to get mentally regenerated by the influence of the love of the heroine.
Conclusion
In a few words, the irony is the soul of the novel to represent the psychological anguish and dilemmas of the protagonist as well as the rest of the characters of the nihilistic Russian society.
