What Difference Does the Microanalysis of a Literary Text Reveal in the Attitudes of the Author and the Protagonist Toward Mohammed? (Using the Example of the Novel Crime and Punishment)

Abstract

The article applies the principles of microanalysis to a literary text using Crime and Punishment as an example. Through this lens, Raskolnikov’s “mistake” is revealed, specifically his historical “look back” at the great “founders and legislators of mankind.” Understanding Dostoevsky’s work also requires consideration of the context of Sacred History, which is equally important. The historical and value hierarchies of these contexts are shaped by the differing positions of the author and the protagonist in relation to the figure of Mohammed. Mohammed’s image, which simultaneously enters the perspectives of both the author and the protagonist, takes on different axiological meanings, particularly when compared with Christ: it is elevated in the author’s view and diminished in the protagonist’s. Raskolnikov’s “mistake” is intentionally “corrected” by the author, as evidenced by shifts in the stylistic register, changes in modality, and the distinctive use of quotations, keywords, and details, along with “plot criticism” of the protagonist. A microanalysis (including graphic and punctuation considerations) of the “strange” statement made by a Russian Orthodox student about Allah and his prophet reveals two levels of intertextual citation in the passage, aligning with both the author’s and the protagonist’s perspectives. Within the novel, the series of lawmakers and founders of humanity identified by Raskolnikov (Lycurgus, Solon, Mohammed, Napoleon) is replaced by another sequence (Abraham, Christ, Mohammed). This shift highlights Dostoevsky’s vivid exploration of the genealogical and spiritual connections among the Abrahamic religions and their prophets within the context of Sacred History. Without considering this religious genealogy, an adequate interpretation of Raskolnikov’s final vision of the “bosom of Abraham” is impossible. As he contemplates the “paradise valley,” the novel’s protagonist, like the prudent thief, finds himself alongside the forefather.

Keywords

• dostoevsky
• crime and punishment
• microanalysis of a text
• christ and mohammed
• raskolnikov’s “error.”