Transcript Passions vs Responsibilities

Passions vs Responsibilities
By: Mary Cate and Ashley
Culbterson
Eschert
Number 11
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A recurring theme in literature is the classic war
between a passion and responsibility. For instance, a
personal cause, a love, a desire for revenge, a
determination to redress a wrong, or some other
emotion or drive may conflict with moral duty. Choose a
literary work in which a character confronts the
demands of a private passion that conflicts with his or
her responsibilities.
Thesis
In Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov’s
internal confliction over the murder leads to
his mental decline in which his
personal beliefs/passions are challenged
against his social and moral
responsibilities.
Passion
Raskolnikov: schism: division in religion based on
difference in beliefs.
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Sin
1. Murders of Alyona Ivanovna & Lizaveta Ivanovna
2. Raskolnikov’s faith is shaken to point of almost not
believing in God.
3. Pg 323 “What does God do for you?”
4. Rask exhibits anger. Endured anxiety and mental torture
for so long, how could there be a God?
What is a passion?
In terms for the prompt, a passion is…
 A personal belief
 Motivating factor
Responsibility
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Morality
1. Guilt eats away at him
2. Psychology behind wanting to be caught
3. Pg 116 “The cupola of the cathedral… I too
wanted to do good deeds… but now I’m
trapped.”
4. Pg 520 Raskolnikov finally confesses to the
murder and publicly acknowledges it.
Raskolnikov
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Raskolnikov is split into two different people.
Passion: The irrational crazed side of him that
succumbs to his emotions.
Responsibility: The sane side that fights the other and
tries to seek redemption (to some extent) to put the sin
behind him.
Passion
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Insanity - True Self
1. One of Raskolnikov feels should be free from
punishment and that the rules of society do not
apply to him in this case. He did the world some
good.
2. Wants murders to be swept under the rug, for all
this to go away, and Raskolnikov will live with
this and the guilt will go away.
Responsibility
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Moral Conflict
1. Mental torture is worse than physical torture
2. Shown by the digression of mental state leading
up to confession - worries family and friends
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Sanity
1. Isolation
2. Pg 263 Porfiry - wolf in sheeps clothing
Passion
Personal Passion
 Raskolnikov goes mad and kills pawnbroker
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Greed
He gives mom’s money to Sonia
Valuing society over a person
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Beginning of book he values the greater society over individual
humans
Causes him to act passionately and commit two murders
“Kill her…good deeds” (Pg 68), “This trivial…later action” (Pg
69).
Responsibility
Morality
 Feels guilt and wants to be caught
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Eats away at him even though he wants to simply forget it
happened
Wants there to be a God to forgive him and cleanse him of his
sins
Valuing a person over society
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End of book he values a person over the greater society
Friend is no help to society and yet he is sad when he died
“Raskolnikov started…he cried” (Pg 524), “Raskolnikov
felt…stifling him” (Pg 525)
He killed the pawnbroker out of his greed while is morals continued
to desire being caught
Development of value of life
Passion
Selfish and Prideful Façade
 Personal pride
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Does not want help from others
Refuses to acknowledge guilt
Wants money and is angry when he does not have it
Brotherly pride
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Does not want Dounia to marry for charity in order to help
Raskolnikov
Thought he was supporting family by education, money, and
murder, but in reality he was crippling his family
Responsibility
Social Duties
 Helping others helps him keep a positive image
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After murder stopped and did various acts of kindness
Wants money for family but he constantly gives it away
Confess crime and pay his debt to society
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“He had…thought of it” (Pg 401), “Not only that…put off the telling” (Pg
401).
“If he had a conscience…as well as the prison” (Pg 265)
Social duties in passion lead to murder, anger, and passion
Social duties in responsibility lead to acts of kindness and confession