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Svidrigailovs Nightmares - Literature Essay Samples

In his novel Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky uses nightmares to develop the story of Arkady Ivanovich Svidrigailov, the depraved sensualist, to its dnouement, in which he fully accepts his dire situation and its inevitable outcome. Svidrigailov is used as a foil to Raskolnikov and represents what the young student could become should he continue to transgress the moral line. Dostoevsky develops this theme through the use of Svidrigailovs three nightmares, each of which shows that no one can continually ignore moral law without suffering grave consequences.These three nightmares directly follow an encounter between Svidrigailov and Dounia, the only woman Svidrigailov has ever truly loved. Svidrigailov locks Dounia in a room and fixes her with a lecherous look. In self-defense, Dounia pulls out a revolver and fires three times. She is an able shot but purposefully misses him with each bullet. Dounias show of mercy, her unwillingness to cross the moral line, has a profound effec t on Svidrigailov, who feels a weight . . . rolled from his heart, . . . the deliverance from another feeling, darker and more bitter (458-459). Svidrigailov is so moved by Dounias example that he temporarily suppresses his inclination to immorality, giving her the key to the room and urging her to make haste away from him. To Dounia, there seemed a terrible significance in the tone of that make haste,' for she could not be sure for how long morality, manifested in his desire to be genuinely loved by her, would triumph over his other impulses such as his desire to force his way on her which are contending in the terrible, dumb struggle in his heart (459). Svidrigailov, in this rare state of morality when he leaves Dounia, walks through the stormy night of St. Petersburg, and eventually settles down for the night in the unwelcoming hotel room where he will have his three nightmares.The hotel room is cramped, filthy, scantly furnished, and unpleasant. The room can easily be describe d by the same words used to describe Raskolnikovs garret, more like a cupboard than a room (1). This similarity, coupled with the fact that [Svidrigailov begins] to feel feverish shortly after his arrival in his room, serves to emphasize further the similarity between the situations of Svidrigailov and Raskolnikov (465).In the first dream, Svidrigailov is roused from sleep by a little mouse scurrying on his bed, under his sheets, and inside his bedclothes. Svidrigailov struggles to catch the mouse, but he can only do so temporarily before it once again eludes his grasp. Svidrigailov finally awakens, muttering, How disgusting (467). The rodent, which revolts Svidrigailov with its tiny, dirty feet crawling all over his skin, symbolizes Svidrigailovs equally revolting lasciviousness, which is enough to make someones skin crawl. Though, due to Dounia, Svidrigailov has temporarily suppressed his lewdness, he is well aware that in this vice there is something permanent, founded indeed upo n nature and not on fantasy, something present in the blood like an ever-burning ember (434). This dream reminds Svidrigailov that no matter how hard he may struggle, he will inevitably return to his old ways.Svidrigailovs second dream stands in sharp contrast to the rest of the novel in terms of the imagery which Dostoevsky employs. Until this point and after it, Dostoevsky uses only drab grays and sickly yellows to describe the squalor of St. Petersburgs Hay Market. However, in Svidrigailovs second dream, Dostoevsky writes of an idyllic country cottage, overgrown with fragrant flowers, on a warm, beautiful Trinity Day. Svidrigailov finds himself inside this cottage, standing next to nosegays of tender, white, heavily fragrant narcissus bending over their bright, green, thick long stalks (468). Svidrigailov is reluctant to move away from [the narcissuses], the flowers named after a man who met his death due to his extreme self-absorption. Svidrigailov eventually forces himself up t he stairs and into a flower and hey-strewn room with a small coffin in the middle. Dostoevsky mentions the coffin was covered with white silk and edged with a thick white frill; wreaths of flowers surrounded it on all sides, using the color white and the floral imagery to symbolize the purity stolen from the girl who, in a white muslin dress, lies among the flowers in the coffin (468). This girl, in sharp contrast to the innocence her surroundings imply she should have had, wears a smile on pale lips of unchildish misery . . . She [is] only fourteen, but her heart . . . [had been] crushed by an insult that had smirched that angel purity with unmerited disgrace (468). Svidrigailov, looking upon the girl whom he had caused to drown herself, is sharply aware of his role in this tragedy. Unwilling to dwell in misery and guilt any longer, Svidrigailov throws open a window, allowing the wind to lash furiously against his face and chest, rousing himself and, he hopes, precluding any more p ainful nightmares.Svidrigailov is determined to leave the hotel, go to the park, and choose a great bush there drenched with rain under which he will kill himself (469). However, he is stopped from making his exit by a little girl, not more than five-years old, shivering and crying, with her clothes as wet as a soaking house-flannel (469). Moved to pity by such a pathetic sight, Svidrigailov takes the girl into his room, removes her drenched clothing, and tucks her into his bed. However, after she is in bed, the girl undergoes a strange transformation. The flush of her cheeks [seems] coarser and brighter than rosy cheeks of childhood, . . . like the flush from drinking . . . Her crimson lips [become] hot and glowing (470). Dostoevskys use of red imagery suggests that the girl possesses a sexuality which would more appropriately be found in a prostitute, to which the girl bears a resemblance that Svidrigailov begins to see after noticing something shameless, provocative in that quite unchildish face. It was depravity, it was the face of a harlot . . . Both eyes opened wide, laughed, inviting him (470). Svidrigailov is disgusted by the depravity he sees in this girl; though usually the monstrous difference in age and development excites [his] sensuality, seeing a girl as young as five in such a state inspires revulsion even in Svidrigailov (444). He is moved to anger by the girl and attempts to hit her, even though the anger he feels is directed at himself for being so depraved; this episode, which is a nightmare from which he wakes up just as he tries to hit the girl, forces Svidrigailov to face the consequences of his actions, that every young life he touches is stripped of its innocence and thrust into depravity.Svidrigailov, now fully awake, sits in his hotel room, unsuccessfully trying to grab at the flies hovering around his veal. However, realising that he [is] engaged in this interesting pursuit, he [starts], since life [is] bearing a strange resemblance to the first of his dreams, in which he unsuccessfully grabbed at a mouse trying to nibble at his veal. Realizing the truth in his dreams, he is filled with horror at his own depravity. Svidrigailov, who had once said, Everyone thinks of himself, and he lives most gaily who knows best how to deceive himself, is no longer able to deceive himself nor live gaily after dreams such as these (444).Svidrigailov leaves the hotel in order to find a suitable place at which to kill himself. Svidrigailov, having lived so long in vice, knows it is too late for him to turn back. If he continues to live, he will only continue to transgress the moral line and wade further into depravity, something which he will not allow; ironically, he has nothing else for which to live: If I hadnt this [vice], I might have to shoot myself (435). Svidrigailov, still under the control of morality due to the influence of Dounia and the horror of the three nightmares, shoots himself before the terrible, dumb struggl e in his heart between his morality and immorality has a chance to resolve itself, since there is no question in his mind which side will eventually triumph (459).Svidrigailovs death emphasizes one of the main themes of the novel, that no one can continue to transgress the moral line without suffering. Svidrigailov knows that his sinful actions will one day lead him somewhere fatal, but he delays his fate through his extreme self-absorption and unwillingness to notice the consequences his actions had on the world around him. Ironically, it is his own dreams which bring Svidrigailov back to reality. Dostoevsky also uses the nightmares, along with several other parallels, to show the similarity between the situations of Svidrigailov and Raskolnikov. On several occasions, Svidrigailov warns of the grave consequence should Raskolnikov continue to overstep the moral line: a choice between life in Siberia or a bullet in the head. Svidrigailov is speaking from first-hand knowledge when he urges the transgressor to seek redemption because he knows before long Raskolnikov will have sunk so far into depravity there will be no choice left for him to make.

Writing Essays on Business and Management Topics

Writing Essays on Business and Management TopicsBusiness and management topics are very popular when students sit down to write essays. These topics provide students with numerous resources they can use to develop their writing skills and knowledge in a variety of topics.What makes these management topics so popular is the fact that students are asked to write about certain topics in a high pressure environment, which forces them to work together as a team. After all, the most important part of any successful project is the people involved. Therefore, students have a great deal of responsibility when they take on this assignment.The first thing you want to do when you are writing your essay on business and management topics is to identify your main topic. Make sure you know what exactly you want to write about. This will help you write an essay that is not only well researched but also presents a strong argument.When you begin writing your essay on business and management topics, you want to know the most common mistakes made by other students. Of course, you want to address these mistakes, but first you must identify them. So, look for the best writing tips and techniques to avoid the common mistakes of other students.In order to be successful with your essay on business and management topics, you will want to include facts. Using statistics and facts in your essay is a great way to make sure your point is backed up with solid, reliable information. Use statistics such as average sales, the number of companies in your industry, and the number of companies in the industry that are currently suing the federal government because of pollution in the environment.Your essay on business and management topics should not only be long but also concise. In addition, you want to make sure that it is properly formatted and presented properly. Proper formatting and presentation is important because it makes your essay appear more professional.One last tip for writing an ess ay on business and management topics is to make sure that your essay is error free. Make sure you proofread and edit your essay to make sure it is error free. Furthermore, make sure that your essay is properly formatted, using proper font sizes and line spacing. Finally, proofread all of your work before submitting it for evaluation.Regardless, of how much you enjoy writing, essay writing can be difficult. By using the business and management topics on business and management topics, you can achieve the success you are looking for.