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Fallacy
Part 3, Chapter 1
Explanation and Analysis—Razumikhin & Raskolnikov :
Though they are close friends throughout the novel, Razumikhin and Raskolnikov also serve as foils for each other in Crime and Punishment. Their very different personalities, which are key to the novel, are reflected in a passage that first notes Razumikhin’s strong attraction to Dunya:
It was understandable that Razumikhin, ardent, sincere, simple, honest, strong as a folk hero, and drunk, who had never seen anything like that, lost his head at first sight. Moreover, as if by design, chance showed him Dunya for the first time in a beautiful moment of love and joy at seeing her brother. Then he noticed how her lower lip trembled indignantly in response to her brother’s impertinent and ungratefully cruel orders—and lost all resistance. He was telling the truth, however, when he let out that drunken nonsense earlier, on the stairs [...]
Here, the narrator characterizes Razumikhin as “ardent, sincere, simple, honest, strong as a folk hero, and drunk.” Though he is not unintelligent, Razumikhin speaks his mind plainly, has no time for deceptions or tricks, and enjoys simple pleasures such as parties and drinking. In stark contrast, Raskolnikov is indecisive, deceptive, sneaky, sickly, and melancholic. He sticks to himself, rarely socializes with others, and carefully conceals his true thoughts and feelings. Though Raskolnikov occasionally looks down upon Razumikhin, he ultimately relies upon his friend to take care of his own mother and sister, whom Razumikhin eventually marries.
