Crime and Punishment: Genre 1 key example

Fittingly, the characters in Crime and Punishment are not perfect and virtuous but rather complex and multifaceted, embodying the psychological depth and moral ambiguity that realism seeks to explore. Raskolnikov, the protagonist, is not a heroic protagonist in the traditional sense but a profoundly troubled young man whose nihilistic worldview leads him to commit a shocking act of violence. His struggle with guilt, alienation, and the legal consequences of his actions reflects the realist concern with the psychological and social dimensions of human experience.

Additionally, Dostoevsky's attentiveness to the socioeconomic conditions of his time is a hallmark of realist literature. The novel portrays the harsh realities of poverty and the desperation that often drives individuals to crime and vice. Rather than avoiding topics that were often considered socially "taboo," Dostoevsky turns his attention to sex work, alcoholism, gambling, and even homicide in order to better understand what motivates such behavior. In the novel, the city of St. Petersburg is depicted in a typically realistic manner, focusing on the mundane realities of everyday, working-class Russians and capturing the grim realities of urban life in the 19th century. The glittering palaces and cathedrals of the city are only described in passing as characters move through the city to the more impoverished areas where they live and work.