The Mind of a Criminal in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and...

The human mind is a complex labyrinth barely explored. What drives humans to make decisions, behave in certain manors, and react in certain ways are defined by many theories of psychology. What actually goes on in the mind of a criminal or a sociopath? Can crimes be justified? And where do society’s morals take effect? These questions are ones that might be posed when reading Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. A great mind can easily be corrupted by a narcissistic need for knowledge or the simple drive to prove a point. Both protagonists in these novels are faced against a mirror, fighting with their own minds, reaping consequences of past decisions and underdeveloped ideas these characters, although†¦show more content†¦Corrupted by loneliness, a lack of true self accomplishment, and driven by the need to help his impoverished family Raskolnikov falls victim to the dark side of the human psyche. Desperation becomin g his sole mode of guidance, a possible motive. Frankenstein, in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, finds himself in college with all the opportunity to engage himself in his studies. The pursuit of knowledge eventually becomes an obsession at a narcissistic level. Frankenstein becomes more focused on his experiment to create a being of his own accord. His self centeredness leads him to create a being in the image of himself. The monster says, â€Å"My form is a filthy type of yours, made horrid even from the very resemblance (Shelley). It is as if every aspect within the monster itself is hated by Frankenstein and vice versa. His work eventually becomes himself and he regrets creating it, â€Å"†¦but he confesses that the monster is really self-generated, â€Å"the being whom I had cast among mankind†¦was my own vampire, my own spirit let loose from the grave, and forced to destroy all that was dear to me (Jackson, Shelley). Similar to Raskolnikov, Frankenstein became too involved in himself. He alienated himself from his family and friends for science. His experiment lacked