crime and punishment morally ambigous character
Several morally ambiguous characters played different vital roles in Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. In fact, most characters illustrated in this twisted novel can be evaluated as possesing "good" and "evil" qualities. Sonia Marmeladov is especially ambiguous and important in this novel. Her contradicting social and moral statuses along with her contrasting roles as a saintly liberator and sinner allowed Sonia to play a crucial role throughout the novel. Not only that but her character further strengthens the theme of religious awakening. At times Sonia's character becomes hard to categorize as "good" or "evil" because of her actions. The first descriptions the reader gets of Sonia are from her drunk father, Marmeladov. She has lived her life with little money, poor housing conidtions described as having "every sign of povery" (294). Sonia tries to make an honest living by making linen shirts but "do you suppose that a respectable poor girl can earn much by hard work? Not fifteen farthings a day can she earn"(15). Not merely enough to support a family along with her drunk father's habits. So Sonia eventually becomes a prositute in order to to support her family and gains a "yellow ticket" (16) This is what gained Sonia her title as a sinner and which puts her character at question. However, Marmeladov explains to Raskolnikov how Sonia goes to them "mostly after dark, she comforts Katerina Ivanorna and gives her all she can"( 16). This part of Sonia's character depicts her as a loving daughter willing to sacrifice herself to save her family. This portrayal in some ways resembles Christ as "He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness." He sarcrificed himself as she sacrifies herself. Does that change the fact that she is committing a sin? No of course not and that is exactly where the conflict of her morality takes place. The world sees her in "such an attire"(163)which puts her to