Crime and Punishment; Part 1; Chapter 5. A Marxist approach.

In a short extract of this chapter, Raskolnikov (the main character) falls asleep in a bush, feeling the effects of a tiring journey, a glass of vodka and life. In this deep sleep, under a ‘morbid condition’, which is in fact the poor quality of his life, Raskolnikov dreams vividly of a scene in which a old horse is being forced to pull a cart full of people whilst being whipped and abused, in his dream he witnesses this as a little boy walking past with his father and feels especially moved by this scene. I chose this extract because it too moved me and highlighted this helpless feeling that Raskolnikov is experiencing at this point in the novel.
The fundamental idea of Marxism is that the way we think and act is conditioned by society and our status within that society. ‘It is not the consciousness of men that determines their existence but their social existence that determines their consciousnesses. This point rings true in this part of the novel, in the sense that Raskolnikov, as a small boy and his father make the conscious decision not to intervene in the horrific abuse inflicted upon the horse, his father even claiming ‘They’re drunk. They’re playing pranks, it’s none of our business…’ This response to the dramatic scene before them is what is determined by their status within society; coming from a poor background and also lacking in privileges and respect from other members of society, Raskolnikov and his father do not expect anything of themselves because that is what society expects, nothing. Therefore they choose not to intervene.
Moreover, the idea of power in this extract is debateable, the character Mikolka (owner of the horse and cart, who is openly whipping and beating his horse) seems to hold the power here, he is the one exerting the physical power and mentally has no remorse, during or afterwards. ‘He stands there as if he regretted having nothing else to beat’. Also he is portrayed to be the most powerful character, wielding his whip, shouting and coercing others to join in and also the fact that he owns a cart and a horse puts him above the others in society in terms of class and possessions. Mikolka constantly claims, ‘It’s my goods’, as if that is a justification for his actions, as if he has the complete freedom and power to do as he pleases and the others do not object merely follow.
The Marxist view of society is represented quite clearly in this small, seemingly unimportant part of the novel; it not only reiterates Raskolnikov’s position within the novel and society in his helplessness, but also illuminates the importance of social status not only in 19th century Russia, but also today.