Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • Rodya Raskolnikov: The protagonist and central character of Fyodor Dostoevsky's 1866 novel Crime and Punishment. He is a poor, intellectually proud former student in Saint Petersburg who formulates and acts upon a nihilistic theory that extraordinary individuals are beyond conventional morality.

Usage

• Proper noun:
  • The psychological turmoil of Rodya Raskolnikov drives the narrative of Crime and Punishment.
  • Dostoevsky uses Rodya Raskolnikov to explore themes of guilt, alienation, and redemption.

Advanced Usage

• "A Raskolnikovian figure/ideology": Used to describe a person or a philosophy reminiscent of the character, particularly involving intellectual justification for transgressive acts, intense inner conflict, and a sense of being above the law.
  • The murderer in the story was a Raskolnikovian figure, convinced his genius entitled him to kill.

Variants and Related Words

• Raskolnikov: A common shortened form used to refer to the character.
  • Raskolnikov's theory divides humanity into "ordinary" and "extraordinary" men.
• Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov: The character's full name.

Synonyms

• Protagonist of Crime and Punishment: A descriptive synonym.
• The student murderer (in Dostoevsky's novel): A contextual synonym identifying his key action.

Related Concepts

• Nihilism: The philosophical rejection of moral principles and beliefs, central to Raskolnikov's justification.
• Psychoanalysis: His character is often a subject of psychoanalytic literary criticism due to his complex motives and mental state.
• Anti-hero: Raskolnikov is considered a classic example of an anti-hero—a central character lacking conventional heroic attributes.

Noun

1. a fictional character in Dostoevsky's novel `Crime and Punishment'; he kills old women because he believes he is beyond the bounds of good or evil