tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917722747536655397.post5941481823721888190..comments2023-08-02T01:48:35.439-07:00Comments on The Grinnell College Russian Literature Blog: CoincidencesKelly Heroldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13484703304084014289noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917722747536655397.post-68130148281920275782012-02-27T21:10:18.706-08:002012-02-27T21:10:18.706-08:00That last statement made me laugh.
The again Svid...That last statement made me laugh.<br /><br />The again Svidrigailov was only in Petersburg for a couple of days before he went to "America"Addie Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05664520796526048219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917722747536655397.post-84317787276917508942012-02-26T11:45:00.907-08:002012-02-26T11:45:00.907-08:00I agree with Jennelle. The hardest thing I found ...I agree with Jennelle. The hardest thing I found to believe about all the coincidences was that the wealthier characters would be slumming it with Raskolnikov and his lot. If they were all on the same economic level I'd buy it a little more easily, but I feel like Luzhin, for example, could afford better. Svidrigailov probably enjoys hanging out in seedy parts of town.Shannon Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00569312954602588053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917722747536655397.post-73117194986430845232012-02-26T10:11:42.149-08:002012-02-26T10:11:42.149-08:00I agree that it's unrealistic too! Considering...I agree that it's unrealistic too! Considering they live in a CITY, why are all of the characters housed within 3 apartment complexes (Sonya's, Raskolnikov's and Marmeladov's), even though some of them are much richer? It seems like one of the sacrifices Dostoevsky had to make to heighten tension in the novel, like Susanna said. I'd also agree that it makes it seem more romantic, since the presence of so many reappearances reminded me of The Captain's Daughter.Jennellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16422514854411771927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917722747536655397.post-65460754628099152802012-02-22T19:06:51.705-08:002012-02-22T19:06:51.705-08:00I agree with both Sydney and Susanna. The coincide...I agree with both Sydney and Susanna. The coincidences definitely push the plot forwards and adds to the intrigue of the novel. I'll go on to say that I still stand with my opinion that it detracts from realism. To me, these reappearances seems like lingering elements of the romanticism in earlier Russian novels.Addie Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05664520796526048219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917722747536655397.post-37589232001564347162012-02-19T22:18:46.231-08:002012-02-19T22:18:46.231-08:00I agree with Addie that Dostoevsky pushes the role...I agree with Addie that Dostoevsky pushes the role of chance and coincidence. It is probably the element of the novel that I have enjoyed the most because of the way it contrasts with the gritty descriptions we hear of Saint Petersburg. The many reappearances of several characters, such as Luzhin and Svidrigailov, heighten the tension of the novel, and Raskolnikov's dwindling control. Similarly, the coincidences, such as finding a new ax and hearing others speak of the old pawnbroker, emphasizes Raskolnikov's inner monologue for me.Susanna Mollerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16682397917906302408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917722747536655397.post-16383971756827538242012-02-19T20:27:58.600-08:002012-02-19T20:27:58.600-08:00Oh no! I thought I had double posted, so I went to...Oh no! I thought I had double posted, so I went to delete one of the posts, but then it ended up deleting both of them? Or maybe there was just one to begin with and I was unobservant. :/<br /><br />Anyway, I'll summarize what I said for the benefit of those reading, and say that I disagreed with the last sentence of this post, which contests that the coincidences in Crime and Punishment detract from the story's realism.<br /><br />Sorry for the slip-up!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917722747536655397.post-36492179772367004552012-02-19T20:08:13.986-08:002012-02-19T20:08:13.986-08:00I see what you mean, Rebekah, but at some point th...I see what you mean, Rebekah, but at some point the coincidences one right after another do start to make the reader wonder what the next "unexpected turn" will be. Maybe it's true that coincidences like this really happen this frequently in real life, but because not many *novels* read like a string of unlikely event after unlikely event, I agree with Addie that this stands out to the reader as too strange to be true.Sydneynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917722747536655397.post-40702751893932068032012-02-19T19:55:24.281-08:002012-02-19T19:55:24.281-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com