Literary Connections: Dostoevsky and Kafka
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Comparing Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment and Poor People
The relationship between Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment (1866) and Poor People (1846) lies in the profound realism with which the characters are depicted. Both works feature characters living in poverty. Dostoevsky highlights the circumstances of living in poverty, creating settings marked by the characters' impoverished status, which significantly influences their actions.
In both novels, the idea of love often functions as a moral imperative. In some cases, characters feel morally obliged to make decisions that shape the narrative. Although Poor People is not a tragedy like Crime and Punishment, it reveals themes that haunted the author from his youth. There is a clear difference between the freshness of the first book, where the characters foreshadow those in the second, and the later work, which leaves the personality of a character, like Raskolnikov, in darkness.
Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment and Kafka's Metamorphosis
There is a clear relationship between Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment and Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis (1915). A primary connection is the influence of Dostoevsky on Kafka regarding existential themes. In Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky explores the existential dilemma of a character like Raskolnikov, who faces depression or disappointment but is also an egomaniac who sees himself above others.
In contrast, the protagonist of Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa, is more humble, and his existential crisis evokes a clear, intimate feeling. On the other hand, both protagonists undergo a radical change; they suffer a drastic shift in their perception of reality and existence, uniting them in a sort of metamorphosis.
Another relationship is the burden of supporting their families that falls upon both Gregor and Raskolnikov. Gregor was already supporting his family. Raskolnikov murdered a pawnbroker for money, partly to prevent his sister from marrying a wealthy merchant solely to escape poverty.