"If it doesn't make you weep and worship -- read it again!"

It's always so interesting to listen to a person talking about something he or she is truely passionate about, so hearing Dr. Burton pick apart some topics on the life of Dostoevsky pertaining to Crime and Punishment was a treat. Literature aims to evoke such enthusiasm as he has about this influential author.

Learning about the background and context of the composition of Crime and Punishment helps deepen some of its meaning and put certain issues and topics into perspective. I love when authors draw from their own experiances to create a believable character - it adds so much depth and truth. Dostoevsky created Raskolnikov to be very similar to himself in a number of ways, and I can't help but imagine that at times he could have been considered to be literally writing about himself on some level, whether consiously or unconsciously.

Another point Dr. Burton addressed that caught my attention was that the issues raised in Crime and Punishment are extremeley relevant today. Though written hundreds of years ago, society and humanity are still dealing with the same problems.

Finally, I was intrigued by the topic of existentialism. I liked how Dr. Burton gave the analogy that existentialism seeks to rip off the mask of "I'm ok" to reveal the true inner turmoil and angst of human beings. This is what happens in Crime and Punishment. The reader gets to see into Raskolnikov's inner being and experience what he is going through psychologically as he contemplates, executes, and reflects upon the murder. It is this attempt to really draw the reader into the feeling of the story that makes it so effective.