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The beginning of Part IV of Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment depicts the acquaintance of Raskolnikov and Svidrigailov who came to introduce himself personally. He reveals that it was not his only motive for coming, as Svidrigailov was seeking Raskolnikov’s help because he wanted to see his sister, Avdotya Romanovna or simply Dunya (Dostoevsky 222). He says that he is concerned about her welfare but without Raskolnikov’s support she will not accept the proposition for the interview.
Dunya is engaged to Luzhin, but Svidrigailov believes that they are not meant to be together. So, he wants to see her and assist her rupture with Luzhin and make her a present of ten thousand rubles (Dostoevsky 230). The motive for this gift is that Svidrigailov realizes that he might have caused some trouble to Dunya in the past, so he wants to reclaim his fault in her eyes, without any self-interest. In addition to that, he came to let Raskolnikov know that his sister is mentioned in the will of Marfa Petrovna, Svidrigaylov’s deceased wife, who left three thousand rubles to her (Dostoevsky 232).
What we find out about Svidrigailov from his conversation with Raskolnikov is that he is a man who is not interested in others’ opinions, especially when these opinions are about him and his behavior. Moreover, he is a man not without connections, who has many friends, makes new acquaintances easily and quickly, is well-dressed and rich, idle and deprave (Dostoevsky 225, 230). Moreover, we see him as one who believes in ghosts, as Svidrigailov claims that his deceased wife, Marfa Petrovna, often visits him and even talks to him, and stresses that all his stories are true because he rarely lies (Dostoevsky 227-228).
Bearing in mind Svidrigailov’s motives, we can say that he is a man of honor, as he wants to compensate his fault in Dunya’s eyes and worries about her future. However, remembering that Svidrigailov had feelings for Avdotya Romanovna, even though he claims that they have gone away, we cannot be sure that his intentions are pure. Even Dunya later acknowledges that his offer might be a part of some terrible plan of returning her, as Svidrigailov might still be in love with her (Dostoevsky 245). As we see him eavesdropping the conversation between Sonia and Raskolnikov (Dostoevsky 262), we can come to the conclusion that he is as well inquisitive.
However, Dostoevsky presents us with an alternative image of Svidrigailov, that of Luzhin. He claims that he is sure that Svidrigailov was the cause of his wife’s death, at least, moral (Dostoevsky 235). From what Luzhin has heard from Marfa Petrovna, Svidrigailov had a long relationship with a young woman with whom he lived before marriage. This young girl was found hanged, but Marfa Petrovna saved Svidrigailov from responsibility for this death with her money and influence (Dostoevsky 236). So, Luzhin claims that Svidrigailov is an astute man who will meet the end of his days in jail because all his deeds, especially the implication in his wife’s death, will be disclosed (Dostoevsky 236).
Putting together what was told by Luzhin and what we found about Svidrigailov from his own words and deeds, the conclusion is evident: he is a man of mystery, as the true nature of his motives is unknown. In addition to that, it is complicated to find out whether he tells the truth.
Works Cited
Dostoevsky, Fyodor. Crime and Punishment. Trans. Constance Garnett. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications, 2001. Print.
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