The Psychology of Crime

Recently I read a novel called ‘Crime and Punishment’, by Fyodor Dostoyesvsky. It describes the journey of the mind from the time of committing a crime and after. The author has dissected all the levels of mental analysis that results in a crime, the subsequent struggle to justify it, the realization of the emptiness and absurdity of purpose resulting in it and the remorse and mental agony leading to almost begging for suffering to cleanse one’s soul of the taint of vileness. The beauty of the novel is that not only does it describe the crime and subsequent punishment but also the healing of the bruised soul by love. 

Hunger, gloomy hopeless circumstances and profound suffering of loved ones causes the protagonist to commit a random murder. He convinces himself through a lot of deep thinking that if he kills a certain old rich lady with a rotten soul and robs her, he would be able to secure a bright future. However, he is unable to use any of the money after killing the woman. He suffers from delirium and is unable to even look at the exploits of his robbery. Just after the murder he starts visualizing the follies in his reasoning behind committing the crime. The constant mental agony he suffers in anticipation of getting caught also tears him apart. Finally he meets a poor, humble girl who has sacrificed her life by becoming a prostitute for the sake of her poverty-stricken, starving family. He is astonished to encounter such purity of soul and such forgiving attitude after so much sacrifice. He helps her family with whatever little means he has and also preserves her self respect by honoring her with proper introduction with his family, which she had never expected. At this point of the story, he appears to be the ray of hope for the girl. However, as the story proceeds she emerges as the savior of the man’s worn-out soul. When he confesses his crime to her, he is bewildered to see love in her tear filled eyes. He had expected revulsion and hatred but he could only find deep sadness. He could see that she was not only able to understand the pain he was going through but was able to feel the same pain. Through her love she makes him come to terms with his guilt and convinces him to accept his suffering. He confesses his crime and is sentenced to exile for eight years where she follows him. Throughout the period of punishment when he goes through the cycle of remorse, anger, hopelessness and anguish, she stays with him even when he has behaved rudely and showed his annoyance and rejection. However, he can finally appreciate the beauty of life and unburden his soul. That is when he can acknowledge his love for the girl, whom he had perhaps loved from the time he had first cast his eyes on her.   

The beauty of the novel lies not only in its critical analysis about crime but also the strength of love in reviving the soul. Here, the girl acts like the slave who frees his master, or the angel who shows the light within the soul which has been forgotten by the frail human mind. The selfless love of the girl and the immense devotion towards the man without the weakness of desire, burns away the thorns which had been injuring his soul. He could finally become free of the endless struggles and torments of self-realization and remorse. The anger and resentment he used to feel for being stupid enough to jeopardize his own future was dissolved in the ocean of love. He was reborn and a new excitement originated in his soul. Sometimes he even felt that the long years of punishment were just weeks ahead before he could again smell freedom and reunite with the vitality of life. As somebody has truly said that love is much greater than hatred.