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Example research essay topic: Crime And Punishment 19 Th Century - 2,085 words

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Dostoevsky and Flaubert Both Dostoevsky and Flaubert are known for being a realist writers, therefore their most famous works Crime and Punishment and Madam Bovary revolve around the real life situations, even though that many critics used to point out to the fact that such situations cannot serve as inspiration, because of their cheer banality. Nevertheless, both authors are now being considered as the classics of 19 th century European literature, while their critics are mainly forgotten. Let analyze these two works briefly, so that we can find similarities about them, as well as to point to what constitutes a difference. Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment is a deeply psychological account of main character's crime, in its development. A young and educated man, decides to kill and rob an old lady, so that he could improve his financial situation and to also prove to himself that he is capable of stepping over the conventional morality, thus becoming a superman. After having hesitated for a while, he nevertheless manages to commit murder.

Yet, as time goes by, his feeling of guilt grows stronger and stronger, eventually forcing him to voluntarily confess to the police officer of his crime. Raskolnikov is represented by author as man who's dealing with a psychological split of his personality. Basically, he is a warm-hearted individual, who tries to help people in need. Yet, on the other hand, Raskolnikov secretly craves the power over people's lives, which causing him to conclude that the human weaknesses, such as love and compassion, must be brushed aside, if one is to attain a historical importance. At times, he doesn't believe that he is capable of committing a murder: Good God!" he cried, "can it be, can it be, that I shall really take an axe, that I shall strike her on the head, split her skull open... that I shall tread in the sticky warm blood, blood...

with the axe... Good God, can it be?" (Dostoevsky, Ch. 5). Still, even though it is grossly repulsive for Raskolnikov, he finds an inner strength to fight human in himself and proceeds with his murderous intention. There are a certain autobiographical aspects can be found in Crime and Punishment. It is known that Dostoevsky used to be an active member of socialist movement, which denied the moral foundation that society is built upon. Apparently, the anxiety that one experiences, before breaking a certain moral code of behavior, wasn't unknown to him.

Yet, later Dostoevsky became dissatisfied with radical socialist ideology, because he realized that bringing a happiness to the majority of people, at the expense of minority's suffering, is morally wrong. Raskolnikov follows the same path. From being proud of becoming different than the dull masses, he grows to be ashamed of himself. While doing his time in jail, Raskolnikov contemplates about his destiny and realizes that his aspirations of making people happy were in fact a side effects of his over-sized ego: Mere existence had always been too little for him; he had always wanted more. Perhaps it was just because of the strength of his desires that he had thought himself a man to whom more was permissible than to others (Dostoevsky, Ch. 18). Gustav Flaubert's Madam Bovary deals with the same aspirations of something greater than the objective reality is allowing one to reach, but on the part of woman.

His heroine Emma marries Charles Bovary, a second rate country doctor. But it doesn't take long for her to get utterly disappointed in marriage, as well as with the reality of living in province. Her husband angers her with not being smart. Emma begins to hate him, especially after she discovers that Charles is not competent as doctor. While trying to bring some excitement, in her otherwise dull and boring life, she enters an affair with Leon and Rodolphe. But again, Emma discovers that the reality of it is far from how it is described in romantic novels.

Also, she continuously finds herself borrowing money, which causes her final demise. While facing the fact that Charles' property is going to be ceased by the money loaner, if she doesn't pay off her debts, she decides to put an end to her sufferings and swallows some arsenic poison. The plot of Flaubert's novel is also based on reality, as many critics point out that author was well aware of doctor's Delaware's story, whose wife poisoned herself because she couldn't stand a boredom any longer. This story used to be very popular in France, before Madame Bovary was written. Just as in Crime and Punishment, Flaubert's main character possesses the aspirations of grandeur, despite its low social status and the lack of education and taste. But everything starts when she can't find happiness in marriage: Before she married, she thought she was in love; but the happiness that should have resulted from that love, somehow had not come.

It seemed to her that she must have made a mistake, have misunderstood in some way or another. And Emma tried hard to discover what, precisely, it was in life that was denoted by the words 'joy, passion, intoxication', which had always looked so fine to her in book (Flaubert, Ch. 5). This brings Emma to conclusion that the reason that she is unhappy is because she is bounded by the numerous moral taboos. She thinks that breaking such taboos would allow her to become free, in spiritual sense of this word.

Yet, as she commits adultery with Leon and Rodolphe, Emma develops a taste for the process of defying conventional morality. She gets to be addicted to it. In the similar way, Raskolnikov experiences the ultimate pleasure, while feeling of being in charge of other people's lives, even though his original intention was to help them out. It appears that both authors tried to emphasize man's corrupted nature. Both Dostoevsky and Flaubert choose lower class individuals, as their main characters, although Raskolnikov and Emma simply lack the personality to be considered tragic heroes, in the classical sense of this word. Nevertheless, they are the part of real world, even though that such world's main feature is banality.

Despite the fact that the structure of these two works is very predictable, with characters that rather fatalistically proceed towards the grim future, both books are considered as very fine examples of realist literature. Flaubert is known to say: The pile of manure looks goldfish during the sunset. This saying better then anything else explains why Crime and Punishment and Madam Bovary still appeal to the intelligent reader. It is because of their humanistic essence. Authors describe ordinary people, under ordinary circumstances, acting in extraordinary way. The reason for them to act in such manner is not well defined, although it seems to have a psychiatric nature.

But without the doubt, both Emma and Raskolnikov hate surrounding reality, even though they should be able to fit in it better than anybody else. The nature of their social protest is purely irrational, although they refer to socialist ideology or to the 19 th century concept of romanticism, to justify their actions. Another common feature about Raskolnikov and Emma is that they desperately try to leave some mark in the history, even though that the objective reality have deprived them of such chance. Why am I to be pitied, you say? Yes! There's nothing to pity me for!

I ought to be crucified, crucified on a cross, not pitied! Crucify me, oh judge, crucify me but pity me? says Raskolnikov, while facing a judge. There is an undeniable masochistic drive, behind these Raskolnikov's words. Yet, it is not only this alone that defines him as individual he clearly wants to become a tragic figure, when it's impossible to be a heroic figure. The same applies to Emma.

Before committing suicide, people usually contemplate of what would be other people's reaction. They subconsciously strive towards historicism. However, as it appears in the end, Raskolnikov and Emma had failed to attain a tragic posture. Raskolnikov turned into almost comical character, hiding Bible under the pillow in his prison cell, while people began to forget Emma during her funeral. When carrying Emma's dead body, one the Yonville locals remarked: I saw any number of them at the Hospital when I was studying pharmacy. We students used to brew punch in the dissecting-room.

Death has no terrors for a philosopher, and, as I've said many and many a times (Flaubert, Ch. 33). When we compare Crime and Punishment and Madam Bovary it cannot escape our attention that, even though authors entitled their main characters with the similar world views, they look at them from different prospective's. Dostoevsky's opinion appears to be heavily Christianized. This is explainable, as we know that his views transformed from being radically socialist to monarchist. Therefore, author shows Raskolnikov as coming to terms with reality, which he used to despise: Under his pillow lay the New Testament. He took it up mechanically.

The book belonged to Sonia; it was the one from which she had read the raising of Lazarus to him. At first he was afraid that she would worry him about religion, would talk about the gospel and pester him with books... He did not open it now, but one thought passed through his mind: "Can her convictions not be mine now? Her feelings, her aspirations at least... " (Dostoevsky, Epilogue).

Dostoevsky approves his character's returning into the realm of conventional morality. He describes it as painful process, but like a good Christian, author suggest that even the worst sinners can become a normal people. Flaubert's position, in this respect, is diametrically different. It is a mode of provincial existence that author associates with the greatest evil. This, of course, has to do with the fact that Flaubert used to detest bougousie morality, being representative of French intelligentsia. He shows the destructive influence of moral prejudices on people's psyche.

In the beggining, his Emma appears to a regular woman, whose mind is not overloaded with intelligence. What caused her downfall is the fact that she could not deal with her own sexuality, as what it really is. Instead, she was forced to constantly look for the justification of her behaviour. Hence, her obsession with fine things. In Emma's mind, the true nature of man's instinctive drives is more noble than it appears to be. It is deeply ironic that her idealism led her to assume that it is money and luxury that nobility things: The glasses were filled with iced champagne.

Emma felt a thrill go through her as she tasted the coldness of it in her mouth. She had never seen a pomegranate or eaten a pineapple. The very caster sugar seemed whiter here, and more finely powdered, than elsewhere (Flaubert, Ch. 9). Emma's tragedy lies in fact that she was attracted to the people with fine manners, while being a vulgar woman, who could not distinguish between the appearance and the true essence of things. That is how Flaubert expresses his aristocratic attitude towards the poor and miserable - he's making fun of them, instead of expressing sorrow, like Dostoevsky. In my opinion, this is the biggest difference between two works.

Both authors are intellectuals, but their cultural background greatly influences their perception of the same psychological phenomenon person't alienation from surrounding reality. Dostoevsky's early association with socialists is clearly visible in Crime and Punishment. The stratification of society, in his mind, is unnatural. It is the fact that people are divided along the class lines that causes poor and miserable to commit crimes. Flaubert's point of view is different. He shows us that people are spiritual divided not because of their social status, but because of their biological properties.

It is not the mediocrity of living in province that turns people into walking machines, but their genetic predetermination. Even though Emma strived for some greater ideals, she could never define them rationally. This is why she was unable to attain them and not the fact that she lacked the financial means. Both Crime and Punishment and Madam Bovary allow us to take a look into the dark side of one's subconsciousness, but the social problematic's, raised in these two works cannot be considered actual anymore, because of realities of 20 th century. Bibliography: Gustav Flaubert, Madam Bovary, in Litrix Reading Room 2001, web (24 November 2005).

Fyodor Dostoevsky, Idiot, in Project Gutenberg Etext 2000, web Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment, in Project Gutenberg Etext 2000, web (24 November 2005).


Free research essays on topics related to: conventional morality, surrounding reality, fyodor dostoevsky, 19 th century, crime and punishment

Research essay sample on Crime And Punishment 19 Th Century

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