How has the progression of society and civilization been both a detriment and benefit to humankind?
In Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky portrays the mind of Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov as he commits two murders and undergoes a massive amount of psychological trauma and guilt in the period of time after he has become a suspect. Raskolnikov's perspective on life transforms from an outlook of arrogant superiority at the beginning, to his realization of his loved ones' compassion. At the end of the novel, Dostoevsky leaves insight into the impact of Raskolnikov's transformation as a character, and what that will mean for his future. He concludes, "He did not know that the new life would not be given him for nothing, that he would have to pay dearly for it, that it would cost him great striving, great suffering. But that is the beginning of a new story-the story of the gradual renewal of a man, the story of his gradual regeneration..." (Dostoevsky 542). The psychological torment that Raskolnikov undergoes after his murders, his evasion of prosecution, and the rest of his life in Siberia is the ultimate punishment for his crime.
The progression of Raskolnikov's perspective from before his crime through his duration of the punishment could be compared to how a society transforms over time, through undergoing a disaster. Just as Raskolnikov faces consequences as a result of his wrongdoings, societies face aftermath from major dilemmas. However, sometimes the outcome that occurs from society progressing aren't synonymous with the outcome from Raskolnikov's crime. However, the cause and effect circumstances that Raskolnikov finds himself in is applicable to almost any situation in our history. Any major event will have ramifications that change society either for the better or worse. For example, terrorist attacks of the last decade have transformed Western societies to become increasingly more cautious when it comes to national security. This has caused our society to become overly cautious in other aspects of our society, a progression that is a result from the negative experiences that caused us to lose trust in one another. In this sense, the progression of our society, as a result of major events, can be compared to Raskolnikov's progression as a person, as a result of his choices.
