Crime and Punishment

Crime and Punishment is a novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky. The story follows Rodya Raskolnikov an impoverished dropout who commits a crime to further his own interests. Raskolnikov justifies his actions and rationalizes his choice before and after the crime. However the investigation of the authorities forces Raskolnikov to come face-to-face with his conscience and he becomes more and more paranoid while interacting with people. Crime and Punishment is the second novel written by Dostoevsky following his five-year-exile in Siberia and explores topics such as poverty nihilism rationalism and guilt.