Philosophically Comparing the Life of Jesus Christ and Dostoevsky's Sonya Mermeledov

Introduction

The life of Jesus Christ was that of a prophet on a great mission to save the world from sin. Contrarily Sonya Marmeladova in the book, Crime and Punishment, has a life that is portrayed as a character full of tormenting passions. Dostoevsky's portrayal of Sonya as Christ is influenced by the content and prose of the Gospel in First and Second John. This essay will focus on comparing this two lives. It will involve understanding the nature of life, existence, and realities of the two lives; Jesus Christ's and Sonya Marmeledov's.

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Russian Author, Fyodor Dostoevsky, during the second half of his life, spent time bringing the idea of showing a positively "beautiful individual"; a figure to deliver "infinitely good," (Frank, 562) meaning a model of Excellency. Dostoevsky was a dedicated Christian who accepted Jesus Christ of Nazareth and His teachings. He believed Jesus Christ was the only human being who portrayed great submission. In the process of explaining this Dostoevsky noted numerous authors literally bringing Christ -like figures.

He took up the task as well, and that's when he developed the character Sonya Marmeladova. He suggests Sonya Marmeladova deserved equal consideration in the book crime and punishment with that of Jesus Christ. Her nature is a mirror of Jesus as portrayed in the Gospel of John. Of the two, what emerges as their role is the suffering, redemption, human examples of God's love and persons of faith.

Suffering

Suffering is an embodiment fundamental to both Johannine Christ and Dostoevskian experience. The experience is defined through the torment in Dostoevsky Christ figure just as did Jesus suffer through crucifixion and resurrection. Characters who were involved in the suffering of others and torments exemplify Christ- like suffering. The agony is similar to what Jesus Christ of Nazareth went through in the case to rid the world of sin (John 3:16, New Revised Standard Version).

Sonya willingly accepts to go through pain to reduce the burden of others in the book Crime and punishment just as Christ suffers to bring the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 16,21- 27). Christ as well suffers to portray His role as a messiah sent to deliver the people. This parallel attribution between Sonya and Jesus suffering on behalf of others shows a connection similar to the Gospel of John. The spread of God's word, the act of Faith, the providence of salvation and owning of sin are actions defined through suffering. Sonya and Jesus' lives are full turmoil and are completely different from what they brought to others; peace.

Faithfulness

Johannine Sonya and Christ portray a higher level of faith than the people surrounding them. They disregard their worldly interests and choose to focus on Heaven and matters of God since they are so sure in the glory of God. Sonya develops worry through her love for others showing concern over practical subjects. She frets after hearing her sister's future (Dostoevsky, 322) her social position, poverty and exploitation hardly faze her. She increases her faith and turns to God whenever she develops strains of selfishness. It happens that Raskolnikov tries to challenge her faith by asking weird questions concerning Gods situation of being absent in their home and asks about her family condition. Sonya replies by invoking her faith and repeating to herself "God won't allow, God won't let ....God will protect" (Dostoevsky, 320-321).

In this case, Sonya finds it unnecessary to argue with Raskolnikov and instead her beliefs appear to be similar with quarrels about God's existence and presence. These utterances appear similar to Johannine Christ where we find him reassuring of willingness and benevolence to protect humanity. Jesus is in haste to tell his disciples during the time of his crucifixion that "Believe in God, let not your heart be troubled, also believe in me" (John 6:33, NRSV). Both Sonya and Christ are endowed and sure of Gods protection and His sustainability. Their faith is strengthened through their humility.

Whereas we find other characters in the book crime and punishment doubting and rejecting what they are unfamiliar with. Sonya's act provides her with currency to always cling to God and free from the burdens that happen to other characters. She remains convinced that God will ensure fairness through His active participation in Human affairs (Blake, 559).

As other characters turn to reasons when faced with hard times, a character like Raskolnikov is full of arrogance and reasons that why he killed pawnbroker and his sister. Sonya never makes a mistake of rationalizing the nature of the world or God. During her first meeting with Raskolnikov, she puts her faith to use similar to Jesus Christ experience with the encounter of Samaritan woman.

Through sustained experience and perseverance, both Sonya and Jesus Christ are willing to help the victims, Raskolnikov and the Samaritan woman to accept Gods truth. Both Raskolnikov and the Samaritan woman have a similar response to their Christ- like figures, they both respond on an initial shock. The Samaritan woman responds by saying Jesus is a Jew and there is no way a Samaritan can associate with a Jew (John 4:10-15, NRSV). Raskolnikov takes it aggressively. Sonya exclaims that God is the sole provider and He takes the role of a savior (Dostoevsky, 320-321). In the end, we see the two skeptics filled with Grace, they show fit to their realization and realize Christ like figure symbolizes truth. They later show their positive response and realization where the Samaritan goes out to her village and announces that she has seen a Prophet. Raskolnikov bends down and kisses Sonya's feet. This two encounter shows acceptance of truth. The woman leaves knowing Christ as the messiah sent while Raskolnikov adapts a Christ- like life. A holy life. Sonya's actions are distinct to those of Christ, her effects on those who surround her are similar to those of Jesus as described in the Fourth Gospel.

Surviving the cross

The image of the cross is a symbol of every Christian life. This image is invoked in Crime And Punishment where Sonya engages with the cross similar to Johannine Christ, who was crucified on the cross. Jesus Christ bore his cross alone to the mountain top, he was helped for a shorter distance by Simon of Cyrene (John19:17, NRSV). Though we are not shown Sonya being crucified but it showed how she went through an assortment of punishments similar to Johannine Christ passion story. She is given a trial after her accusation of a crime. She goes through inner pain when Raskolnikov confesses to her killing of Lizaveta (Dostoevsky 409). She goes through spiritual pain as she listens to this.

Her pains are shown to stem up from Raskolnikov pains. She bore Raskolnikov pains as though they were hers. As Raskolnikov leaves her apartment, she hands a cross to Sonya saying they will suffer together and they bear the cross together (Dostoevsky 422). Raskolnikov refuses to accept the cross and with it comes his sins. Sonya comes to peace when Raskolnikov accepts to bear his sins and hands himself to the authority. He later comes asking for it, yet he had refused to accept. Shouldering of Raskolnikov sins is similar to Christ sinners who come to accept their sins, repent and ask for forgiveness. Followers of Christ come to recognize Christ willingness to sacrifice Himself is similar to how Raskolnikov appreciated Sonya for all that she had done for him.

Giving new life

Rising of Lazarus is a striking parallel to Sonya Marmeladova and Johannine Christ. According to Johns Gospel, Jesus rises Lazarus from his death after his sisters urge Him to save their brother (John 11:3 NRSV). Sonya uses Raskolnikov deliverance from his sinful nature as resurrection. The actions of the sisters of Lazarus Mary and Martha urging Jesus is similar to Raskolnikov sister, Dunya, and His mother, Pulcheria Alexandrova regarding Raskolnikov wellbeing. Both Sonya and Johannine Christ show pain after realizing the sudden situations of their close victims. Jesus wept after He was informed that Lazarus died and Sonya showed visible fear throughout the resurrection scene (Dostoevsky 325).

The most significant role played in this situations is rebirth and redemption. Although Raskolnikov is physically alive but his soul is crushed hence presumed dead. In his death he provided himself an opportunity to be reborn in Christ. He urges Sonya to read him Lazarus story. Both Lazarus and Raskolnikov show there must be death for one to be reborn. Spiritual rebirth cannot happen without spiritual death happening first. Revival is made possible through Christ -like nature just as Sonya and Jesus Christ show.

Dostoevsky work is described fully in the book Crime and punishment inclusive of other characters with different attributes. These characters serve as negative people who are dishonest with major inner conflicts. This work is to help one grasp Raskolnikov reason to join crime. Dostoevsky explains Nihilist ideas extraordinarily in a way which seems relevant and considered helpful. The aim of these ideas was to show humanitarian actions, compassion for human suffering and pity. These ideas were to be achieved by the outward showing of feelings relying on reasons only understood by utilitarian calculation (Austin, 2003).

In the case of Jesus, to extract philosophical information from Him is through his teachings. These teachings he performed on his way to the entry of new cities, to his disciples and to strangers who did not even consider Him as Lord. Philosophers extracted key points and interpreted them to get exact information for comparison. Jesus is seen to be a savior, master for the world and Himself and as a man of very man. This is a consequence of Jesus change and understanding.

Dostoevsky is calling himself a person of doubt, he writes and explains that there is nothing more sympathetic, more profound, more reasonable, more beautiful, more courageous and better than Jesus. He tells himself there cannot be, with a jealous love. He urges someone to try and prove to him how Christ can be outside truth and whether indeed truth is outside of Christ and if it is, Dostoevsky would rather remain with Christ than the truth. Obviously, when Christ is explained to be outside truth, there is a false profession of faith hence giving a paradox outlook of Christianity. In Dostoevsky's novel, Vladimir Nabokov complains of some characters sinning to get their way to Christ, and in reality, Christ is an elusive figure in the novel. The image of Christ brutally appears in the prison panel only this showing Dostoevsky unbelief of Christ.

Jesus Christ teachings do not support killing where we find he offered himself to the people as a leader claiming chastity as the kingdom of the Lord was at hand. The character Raskolnikov does not understand why he killed and he discovers the moral he supposedly dwelled in did not support his action this showing both Christ and Dostoevsky do not uphold the act of killing. To be sure about this statement, we find in the novel that an investigative process starts to bring Raskolnikov to justice and with this we find himself questioning his conscious since what he did was wrong.

As for Dostoevsky, irrational Christ is a statement brought on the table by materialists, metaphysical rebels and atheists who are a distant away from faith. Showing how closely related they are to belief and unbelief (Frank & Mary Petrusewicz, 216). Dostoevsky gives a less comforting picture of Jesus Christ yet in Christ teachings it all reveals his presence, in a case where he realized he was going to be rejected and killed, he did not alter his mission but ensured his disciple's faith was strengthened to be entrusted with the coming kingdom.

Sonya's nature makes...