Psychology of Sonia in Crime and Punishment

The yellow card

It's the 1880s and you're in the Soviet Union - holding a yellow card means that you are a sex worker.

Holding one meant that you were barred from gaining more respectable employment. It was issued to individuals who were deemed to be a burden on society, such as the poor and the disabled, and was used to limit their ability to move freely and access resources.

In the beginning, it was touted as a public health measure when the spread of direct contact diseases like syphilis had reached new heights. Today, it remains a symbol of government surveillance and control over the lives of its citizens.

The yellow card serves as a reminder of the poverty and inequality that existed in Russia during the time. It highlights the divide between the wealthy and powerful elite, and the poor and marginalized segments of society. It also symbolizes the government's lack of concern for the well-being of its citizens and the little to no support given to the poor and disabled.

It also symbolizes and acts as a reminder of what real lack of freedom and autonomy looks like, a circumstance that all our beloved characters face. The government's surveillance and control over the lives of its citizens is a reflection of the authoritarian nature of the Tsarist regime, which suppressed dissent and sought to maintain its grip on power through control and repression.

Marmeladov: “At six o’clock or so I saw Sonechka [Sonia] get up, put on her kerchief, put on her cape, and go out of the room, and about nine o’clock she came back. She walked straight up to Katerina Ivanovna and she laid thirty rubles on the table before her in silence. She did not utter a word, she did not even look at her, she simply picked up our big green woolen shawl, put it over her head and face and lay down on the bed with her face to the wall; only her little shoulders and her body kept shuddering... Since then, due to an unfortunate occurrence and through information given by evil-intentioned persons—in all of which Daria Frantsevna took a leading part on the pretext that she had been treated with too little respect—since then my daughter Sofia Semionovna has been forced to take a yellow ticket, and owing to that she is unable to go on living with us.”

– Excerpt from Crime and Punishment

The difference between Raskolnikov and Sonia

In the passage above, it's revealed through Marmeladov that Sonia is beholden to such a card. But what I find most striking is how, despite her initial presentation as a downtrodden and submissive character, Sonia shows a strong sense of determination and self-sacrifice as she works to provide for her family and takes responsibility for her actions, even if it means being forced to take a yellow ticket and facing societal shame.

We know intuitively that it is one thing to grow up in the good life and and another to seek it out. Sonia’s psychology may point to the latter theory. After all, this is supported by her father's heavy drinking. But it also highlights just how different two worldviews can be depending on where one sits on the continuum.

Raskolnikov, who is well-educated and comes from a relatively privileged background, is depicted as living in squalor and poverty. He is portrayed as being detached from society and isolated in his own thoughts and ideas. This suggests that he is struggling with some sort of internal conflict, and that his living situation is a reflection of his mental state.

On the other hand, Sonia's living situation is one of extreme poverty and hardship. She is depicted as living in a cramped and dirty apartment with her father and other family members. Despite her difficult circumstances, she is depicted as being resilient and resourceful, and is able to find some measure of peace and contentment through her religious faith. Her living situation reflects her difficult background and the hardships she's faced, but also shows her strength and ability to find some hope and meaning in life.

While we don't have all the answers, we do have evidence that unlike the rest of the characters, Sonia is one that is most often associated with symbols of faith.

Unlike Raskolnikov, who we know was sheltered by his mother and sister and is stricken with guilt because of it, Sonia's past is one that is never explicitly revealed to us. But from we can infer, she probably lacked the support system that would have come from a healthy family structure. And in particular, what she lacked was a strong father figure, which Marmeledov reveals to us early on.

Marmeladov: "Sonia, as you may well imagine, has had no education. I did make an effort four years ago to give her a course of geography and world history, but as I was not very well up in those subjects myself and we had no suitable manuals, and what books we had...And now may I venture to address you, dear sir, on my own account with a private question.”

– Excerpt from Crime and Punishment

Driven by Nietzschean ideals

From a Nietzschean perspective, the characters of Sonia and Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment can be understood as examples of two different types of individuals, those who embrace "master morality" and those who strive for "slave morality."

Raskolnikov is driven by a desire to be an "extraordinary man" or "übermensch" who is unbounded by common rules. He is motivated by a "master morality" that emphasizes self-assertion and the will to power. However, instead of behaving in accordance with his beliefs, he carries out his actions in a dream-like state and is unable to align the disparate voices in his head. This leads to great suffering and alienation from society, as those around him despise him.

Raskolnikov's idea of an "extraordinary man" is one where he sits above the laws of society and has the right to commit murder. However, Nietzsche's philosophy emphasizes the idea of the "übermensch" or "superman," who is an individual who has transcended traditional morality and has created their own values. He emphasizes the importance of self-creation and self-overcoming, rather than simply striving for power or domination over others.

Sonia on the other hand, lacking a strong father figure and proper education, has likely been shaped by her difficult circumstances and has embraced a "slave morality" in which she accepts her suffering and finds solace in religion.

Some may argue that Nietzsche would likely see Sonia's resilience and her ability to find hope and contentment in her difficult circumstances as an admirable quality. In fact, Nietzsche would likely encourage Sonia to form her own values of the world, rather than relying on her religious faith as a way for her to connect with a higher power. While her acceptance of her lot in life, and her ability to find happiness in it is something that is admired by those around her, Nietzsche's philosophy would likely reject the admiration of others in favour of a self-overcoming and self-affirming belief.

Unlike Raskolnikov, the übermensch is not an individual that is above the law, but rather they are beyond them, and live according to their own moral code. This individual is not soley driven by a desire to be superior or to dominate others, but rather by a desire for self-expression and self-creation.

Unlike Sonia, the übermensch is not be beholden to the admiration of others or their government. They would give up traditional morals and beliefs in favour of self-overcoming and self-discovery.

In a way, both characters fall short of this ideal and suffer in different ways. Perhaps Sonia accepts her lot in life because she has suffered, and faith allows her to do so - evident by her happy, matter-of-fact nature - not in spite of it. Maybe Raskolnikov is not solely driven by a desire for power and domination over others but a character that sees the potential for greater good but overlooks the small acts of kindness.

The übermensch is not simply an individual who is above the law or society's expectations, but rather one who has transcended their limitations and created their own values through a constant process of self-overcoming and self-discovery. This is not an easy journey, but it is one that allows for true freedom and self-expression. The characters of Raskolnikov and Sonia in Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" serve as examples of those who fall short of this ideal. But from important stories likes these, we learn that true freedom and self-expression come from this journey, not from society's expectations.

"Buddha, too, seems to have had this thought when he tried to keep his disciples from wasting time on useless speculation. The meaning of my existence is that life has addressed a question to me. Or, conversely, I myself am a question which is addressed to the world, and I must communicate my answer, for otherwise I am dependent upon the world’s answer..."

– Carl Gustav Jung in Memories, Dreams, Reflections

👋 Thanks for making it to the end!