The coincidences in Crime and Punishment
Question: Discuss the coincidences of the novel “Crime and Punishment”
Introduction
Coincidence means an occasion when two or more similar things happen at the same time, especially in a way that is impossible and surprising. In Fyodor Dostoevsky‘s (1821-1881) Crime and Punishment, many of the events that drive this plot seem to be without design. But the coincidences play a vital role to dive into the deep of the human psyche.
The motive of the coincidences
One possible motive for the author to create the coincidence series is that the protagonist Raskolnikov refuses to take responsibility for his own decision, such as the decision to kill two women. Another reason may be Raskolnikov’s final paranoia, which leads him to see coincidences among the things that happen to him. As a result, the plot is further enhanced while creating suspense. Let’s look at some coincidental examples of this novel.
The Conversation at the Tavern
The first and foremost coincidence of the novel occurs in the sixth chapter of the first part. Up to the sixth chapter of the first part the novel depicts the extreme penury of the protagonist and his thoughts on how to get rid of this situation. Rosklinkov wants to kill the old woman of Pawnbroker to loot his property and this is his mental dilemma. But when he goes to the tavern to drink coffee, he overhears that an officer and a student are talking about the brutality and uselessness of a lady’s property. The student more emphatically claims that if someone kills him and uses his property for mankind, it will be a great deed. This discourse and the protagonist’s pre-decision to Alyona has been applied as a coincidence to encourage Raskolnikov to commit the crime. The narrator comments:
”This coincidence always seemed strange to him. This trivial talk in a tavern had an immense influence on him in his later action; as though there had really been in it something preordained, some guiding hint….”
Whether it is a real coincidence or whether Raskolnikov is just trying to justify his desire to kill Alyona is in the hands of the reader. A lot of people can hear such conversations but they don’t think it can be a cause to commit murder.
The crime scene
The crime scene of the novel has a fantastic coincidence of the novel to enhance the psychological anguish and suffering of the protagonist and to present him as the worst sufferer. After committing two murders, Raskolnikov was almost escaping freely but at the time of his fleeing a young man came to the door and he had to hide inside. The young man shouted and left the place for further investigation. Raskolnikov opened the door of the apartment and the novelist opened the door of the second floor of the building so that he could escape. So, there are no coincidences in the crime and there is no mental anguish and suffering in the actions of the plot.
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Marmeladov’s Accident
The plot of the novel could have ended in the seventh chapter of the second part unless the accident had not happened. After a long struggle, Raskolnikov decides to confess his guilt to the police and he is on the way to the police bureau but at that very moment, he notices the carriage accident on the street and rushes there and identifies that it is Marmeladov.
”Meanwhile Raskolnikov had squeezed in and stooped closer over him. The lantern suddenly lighted up the unfortunate man’s face. He recognized him.”
Raskolnikov meets him at the very outset of the novel. He provides him medical facility and Marmeladov goes to his daughter Sonya with help of the protagonist and dies on the lap of his daughter. Here the relationship between the hero and heroine is important for the remainder of the novel.
Some other coincidences
Besides, the above-mentioned coincidences, there are a number of coincidences in the novel “Crime and Punishment” which are inevitable too for the plot construction of the novel. One of such coincidences is Raskolnikov’s confession of his crime before Sonya and at the same time, Svidrigailov overhears the confession which builds a scene of exploitation and regeneration.
Conclusion
In termination, we can say that the novel is rife with coincidences and the handling of the coincidences has provided the utmost suspense in the action of the novel. So, Dostoevsky is the master of applying coincidences undoubtedly.
