Svidrigalov in Crime and Punishment

As I alluded to in my previous post "10 Books," Crime and Punishment is one my favorite works of literature. Raskolnikov's tale of despair, insanity, and ultimate confession is one of the most riveting works I've ever read, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in a good read.

I'm currently taking a class on Dostoevsky, and as I reread C&P, I was particularly struck by the side character Svidrigalov instead of Raskolnikov. Here's an excerpt from a paper I wrote for anyone else who's interested in Russian lit/ has read C&P!
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          "From all this, we can see the depth to which Dostoevsky explores the link between Svidrigalov and Raskolnikov through their initial convergence and ultimate divergence. Each man simultaneously develops his own character along the common vein of self-exploration, as well as the power of love over reason in the modern Russian social and philosophic climate. In a story filled with Raskolnikov’s doubles, Svidrigalov is both another mirror and his own character. His tragedy illustrates the deadly effects of an unrealized affection, and lends depth to the otherwise relatively simple endorsements of love and family that the reader can derive from Raskolnikov’s ending. Truly, it is in Svidrigalov’s tragedy that Dostoevsky’s message is most potent. Even through all his sin, man still breathes love. To show him this breath of life, and then to take it away, is a punishment beyond the scope of any crime."

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For anyone interested in the rest of the paper, its uploaded here. There's so much about this book I'm not addressing, and I admit this paper is a little idealistic and perhaps even simple for a character like Svidrigalov. Still, I think it's a good illustration of how a rereading can lead to some interesting new discoveries. The paper should also prove a fascinating study of the differences between how I write for One Iris and how I write for a professor...