Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Crime and Punishment Compromise?

As I read Crime and Punishment, I saw just how little compromise there truly was throughout the book. Razkolnikov will not compromise with his mother, and won't take money from her most of the time. Instead, he will live in poverty, because he wants to be the one providing for his mother and sister. Similarily, Luzhin will not compromise his own beliefs, and lets Dounia walk out of his life because he will not compromise the idea that he is the provider, and that his wife will need to be submissive in order for their relationship to work. Both of these examples lead to suffering for the person who refuses to comprise. Razkolnikov lives in poverty, and commits a murder in order to "provide" for his family. Luzhin faces a life alone because he lets a wonderful woman in Dounia walk, as he cannot handle that she is willing to stand up to him.
These examples lead me to kind of a dramatic conclusion. People who refuse to compromise suffer. The message truly is that without compromise, we all end up alone, without other people around to spend time with and create relationships with. Compromise is an integral part of life, as it allows us to take the time and be with other people around us.