In Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novel, Crime and Punishment, the main character is described to be a lonesome man who has purposefully isolated himself from all of society and is uncomfortable around others. Main character, Raskolnikov, is so consumed with himself and his surroundings and often even counts the steps from his lodgings to another place or analyzes the exact placement of furniture in Alyona Ivanovna’s apartment: “He was so immersed in himself and had isolated himself so much from everyone that he was afraid not only of meeting his landlady but of meeting anyone at all.” (Chapter 1, Section 1). Raskolnikov’s deliberate separation from society reminds me of a verse in Proverbs: “Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.” (Proverbs 18:1). This verse is referring to a man who has also separated himself from the world and seeks selfish gratification and accepts advice from no one. On this note, Raskolnikov is so determined to avoid his landlady in order to avoid being given a lecture or conversation at a minimum: “But to stop on the stairs, to listen to all sorts of nonsense about his commonplace rubbish, which he could not care less about, all this badgering for payment, these threats and complaints, and to have to doge all the while, make excuses, like- oh, no, better to steal catlike down the stairs somehow and slip away unseen by anyone.” (Crime and Punishment Part 1, Section 1). Loners as depicted in Proverbs chapter 18 as well as in Crime and Punishment have no interest in serving others or listening to what others have to say. Proverbs continues to say that those who are not interested in learning are fools and are only interested in their own thoughts (Proverbs 18:2). A wise person would only be interested in pleasing God, which Raskolnikov is surely only trying to please himself. Proverbs 18 verse 3 says “When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt, and with ignominy reproach.” Knowing that the main character is a murderer, we can conclude that he is an evil person and with evil comes contempt for others. Based on Proverbs chapter 18 and knowing that Raskolnikov is a wicked person, his path of continued isolation can only be leading him to do more harm for himself as well as for others.
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