I'll be fine, no doubt. Living on an upper floor of a high-rise apartment building has its advantages. At worst, I might face a couple of days without electricity and hot water. However, I'm about to check the river level. Upstream, people's private homes and gardens have already fallen victim to flooding, unfortunately. I'll write on Thursday or Friday when the water level is expected to peak. No one is really giving forecasts on how bad it will be. Thank you for your concern 🙌🏻
Oh, the flood...., I'm thinking of you! I am absolute safe and no bigger problem than some traffic jam because of closed roads. I have a friend who had to move his art studio, and some friends had to park their cars out of the underground garage to some distant places. All situation is much better than yours.
Thank you so much for reminding us about the tradesman, I had forgotten about him. The plot makes much more sense now that I remember him.
I'm thinking about Napoleon and the proof of his idea. He failed to prove that he's not part of the common masses, but rather an extraordinary, exceptional individual. Was the idea itself wrong, or was the idea correct, and there are exceptional individuals, just not him? When he says he 'killed the principle,' does he mean the principle only applied to him, or does he mean the principle about extraordinary individuals in general?
Thank you. I hope everything is alright with you and your friends. 💕 The situation here is more or less okay; I'm fortunate not to live in a separate private house (though I would really like to).
Indeed, that tradesman character is quite inconspicuous and nameless. Yet Rodion, once again, incriminates himself through his actions.
The theory can be viewed from different angles—that's what makes it a theory. In my opinion, Rodion himself has become entangled in it. In his article and explanations, he considered it more broadly, recognizing geniuses in various fields and citing scientists like Newton as examples. These are truly geniuses—they bring knowledge and propel humanity forward. Such people are necessary and extraordinary. But one doesn't become a genius through murder.
Raskolnikov, however, is treading a different path. It's reminiscent of the modern world, where some individuals crave fame at any cost. They might choose to assassinate a celebrity (as everyone knows, who killed John Lennon, for example) or commit some horrific act that's guaranteed to dominate the news. I have a feeling that in today's world, Raskolnikov would test his theory in a similar manner.
The episode with the tradesman calling Raskolnikov a murderer was chilling.
I did not understand what Raskolnikov meant that the old woman was a symptom (illness in my. book.) By failing to transcend, did he mean he did not turn into a Napoleon? Why does he think this is a worthy goal? And I don’t understand the meaning of the dream in which he cannot kill the woman. There could be different interpretations. The murder is still haunting him, or she might represent something within him he has not destroyed yet.
I found this the most difficult chapter to comprehend.
And as for Razmunikhin, he is so verbally assaulted by Rodion, why does he continue to befriend him? I assume from the beginning of the chapter, he does not think Rodion is the murderer.
Regarding the dream's meaning—it's indeed difficult to draw definitive conclusions. However, since Raskolnikov has this dream immediately after his conversation with Porfiry and encounter with the tradesman, it's clearly his subconscious at work, once again denying him peace.
Raskolnikov's goal is to emulate Napoleon—to prove he's not part of the common masses, but an extraordinary, exceptional individual. In essence, he wants to convince himself that he's superior to others and above the law. Unable to rule countries or armies, he attempts to prove this through murder. His seemingly noble goals of helping others and obtaining money are mere pretexts, transparent attempts to justify the murder. Raskolnikov believes that killing the old woman demonstrates his superiority.
In his mind, the old woman represents a disease, or more precisely, a principle—the foundation of his ideology. He felt compelled to kill the humanity of the common man within himself to become Napoleon. In Raskolnikov's view, Napoleon is distinguished by his ability to transcend law, murder, and human lives in pursuit of his goals. Rodion aspires to the same. His motivation for this stems from deeper psychological issues.
The dream reveals that Raskolnikov still can't "kill the principle, the disease, the old woman," as he had previously thought. Despite committing the murder, he fails to become Napoleon. He can't overcome his own nature. His torment and anguish indicate that he's unable to suppress his humanity to rise above laws and the commandment "thou shalt not kill."
Oh! Take care of yourself, Dana! I’ll be watching the news.
The first half of this novel has been such a wonderful surprise. I’ve read a lot of Tolstoy’s short stories, but this feels so different to me. I never imagined that I would be instantly drawn into Roskolnikov’s darkness and pulled through those Petersburg streets with him. I have NO IDEA where we’re going, and that is such fun!
I have loved slowly reading this book again - I get so much more from the character's conversations and motives by reading these posts and other readers' comments. Excited to dive into the second half!
It seems to me that the second part is more interesting compared to the first; there are no longer lengthy character introductions, we know everyone. And so much happens there... so interesting discussions lie ahead.
Please be careful and, if you can, let us know how you are doing.
I'll be fine, no doubt. Living on an upper floor of a high-rise apartment building has its advantages. At worst, I might face a couple of days without electricity and hot water. However, I'm about to check the river level. Upstream, people's private homes and gardens have already fallen victim to flooding, unfortunately. I'll write on Thursday or Friday when the water level is expected to peak. No one is really giving forecasts on how bad it will be. Thank you for your concern 🙌🏻
Oh, the flood...., I'm thinking of you! I am absolute safe and no bigger problem than some traffic jam because of closed roads. I have a friend who had to move his art studio, and some friends had to park their cars out of the underground garage to some distant places. All situation is much better than yours.
Thank you so much for reminding us about the tradesman, I had forgotten about him. The plot makes much more sense now that I remember him.
I'm thinking about Napoleon and the proof of his idea. He failed to prove that he's not part of the common masses, but rather an extraordinary, exceptional individual. Was the idea itself wrong, or was the idea correct, and there are exceptional individuals, just not him? When he says he 'killed the principle,' does he mean the principle only applied to him, or does he mean the principle about extraordinary individuals in general?
Thank you. I hope everything is alright with you and your friends. 💕 The situation here is more or less okay; I'm fortunate not to live in a separate private house (though I would really like to).
Indeed, that tradesman character is quite inconspicuous and nameless. Yet Rodion, once again, incriminates himself through his actions.
The theory can be viewed from different angles—that's what makes it a theory. In my opinion, Rodion himself has become entangled in it. In his article and explanations, he considered it more broadly, recognizing geniuses in various fields and citing scientists like Newton as examples. These are truly geniuses—they bring knowledge and propel humanity forward. Such people are necessary and extraordinary. But one doesn't become a genius through murder.
Raskolnikov, however, is treading a different path. It's reminiscent of the modern world, where some individuals crave fame at any cost. They might choose to assassinate a celebrity (as everyone knows, who killed John Lennon, for example) or commit some horrific act that's guaranteed to dominate the news. I have a feeling that in today's world, Raskolnikov would test his theory in a similar manner.
Hope you are safe.
The episode with the tradesman calling Raskolnikov a murderer was chilling.
I did not understand what Raskolnikov meant that the old woman was a symptom (illness in my. book.) By failing to transcend, did he mean he did not turn into a Napoleon? Why does he think this is a worthy goal? And I don’t understand the meaning of the dream in which he cannot kill the woman. There could be different interpretations. The murder is still haunting him, or she might represent something within him he has not destroyed yet.
I found this the most difficult chapter to comprehend.
And as for Razmunikhin, he is so verbally assaulted by Rodion, why does he continue to befriend him? I assume from the beginning of the chapter, he does not think Rodion is the murderer.
Thank you for your concern.
Regarding the dream's meaning—it's indeed difficult to draw definitive conclusions. However, since Raskolnikov has this dream immediately after his conversation with Porfiry and encounter with the tradesman, it's clearly his subconscious at work, once again denying him peace.
Raskolnikov's goal is to emulate Napoleon—to prove he's not part of the common masses, but an extraordinary, exceptional individual. In essence, he wants to convince himself that he's superior to others and above the law. Unable to rule countries or armies, he attempts to prove this through murder. His seemingly noble goals of helping others and obtaining money are mere pretexts, transparent attempts to justify the murder. Raskolnikov believes that killing the old woman demonstrates his superiority.
In his mind, the old woman represents a disease, or more precisely, a principle—the foundation of his ideology. He felt compelled to kill the humanity of the common man within himself to become Napoleon. In Raskolnikov's view, Napoleon is distinguished by his ability to transcend law, murder, and human lives in pursuit of his goals. Rodion aspires to the same. His motivation for this stems from deeper psychological issues.
The dream reveals that Raskolnikov still can't "kill the principle, the disease, the old woman," as he had previously thought. Despite committing the murder, he fails to become Napoleon. He can't overcome his own nature. His torment and anguish indicate that he's unable to suppress his humanity to rise above laws and the commandment "thou shalt not kill."
Thank you for that detailed explanation.
Tracking the flood levels here: https://sites.research.google/floods/l/51.273377130552525/16.75336318501606/12.297554652738839/g/hybas_2121121360?layers
And this recent article mentions Dana’s city specially. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/more-areas-central-europe-race-against-time-floods-approach-2024-09-18/
Oh! Take care of yourself, Dana! I’ll be watching the news.
The first half of this novel has been such a wonderful surprise. I’ve read a lot of Tolstoy’s short stories, but this feels so different to me. I never imagined that I would be instantly drawn into Roskolnikov’s darkness and pulled through those Petersburg streets with him. I have NO IDEA where we’re going, and that is such fun!
Thank you. I've been watching the news as well, since there's not much to see from my window.
I'm delighted that the novel has captivated you so thoroughly. The second part is even more dynamic, promising many intriguing developments ahead.
I have loved slowly reading this book again - I get so much more from the character's conversations and motives by reading these posts and other readers' comments. Excited to dive into the second half!
It seems to me that the second part is more interesting compared to the first; there are no longer lengthy character introductions, we know everyone. And so much happens there... so interesting discussions lie ahead.
I