Ready yourselves.
Ad augusta per angusta,
Will Drake
Commenting on Joy's "A Guilt He Was Unprepared For"
Monday, November 14, 2011
Recurring Theme
Raskolnikov reminds me so much of Poe's writing. Dostoevsky writes Raskolnikov to be a hypochondriac. This reflects what Poe claims to be a mental problem with Roderick Usher, a possible problem with the narrator in the "Fall of the House of Usher," and a very likely problem with Poe himself. He always thought something was wrong, tricking himself into a psychological problem. Raskolnikov is definitely struggling with this, evidenced by his struggle with the unmentioned act, the odd dream, as well as the way he lives his life. This semester seems to be preparing to throw us back at the darkness that lives in the cave we escaped from.
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I agree with the impending darkness. Instead of answers and resolves, we have returned to questions of a different sort. It seems we have truth, suffered into it, but the darkness lies in how to apply that truth to circumstances. I am reminded of these questions after Raskolnikov attempts to help the drunken and raped girl: "And what the hell made me interfere? Who am I to help her? Have I any right to help anyone?" How does knowing that we do not know apply here, Socrates?
ReplyDeleteI definitely think that this semester is exposing us in to the darkness, and your comparison works between Poe and Raskolnikov (or the St. Petersburg Rascal, as I have to call him). One thing that I noticed about the drunken and raped girl situation, in reference to Sams comment (I don't know if that's legal though?) is that it appears that the Raskolnikov doesn't believe that him helping her will make any difference. Besides, look at what happened to her. A creeper goes chasing after her and an indifferent cop is only chasing the creeper until he sees that Raskolnikov isn't looking anymore. His efforts seem fruitless to help her.
ReplyDeleteVery good stuff! Just to list a few of those unanswered questions we have: "Will he ever get caught or will he confess? What were his complete intentions in doing such a thing? Is he going to cash in the money?".... and these questions really just lead to more and more. I definitely like what has been established here... the "being thrown back into the darkness that lies in the cave we escaped from."
ReplyDeleteWe've seen the suffering yet have not really reached a point of truth yet. Will we find truth? ah...