Just out of curiosity, whether any of you come up with the tittle, that the first had before he changed it to Crime and Punishment. So what would you call this book?
"Crime and crossing over"
"Crime and crossing over because of the transgressions"
Okay, anybody just let your imaginations run wild.
"Crime and suffering"
"Crime and suffering, I thought somebody was just gonna say suffering and more suffering"
Anybody else?
"The Superman"
"The Superman or the extraordinary man, Superman was Nietzsche term later but that's a good thought."
Anybody else?
"Crime and Penance"
"Crime and Penance that's a good one, because I have another cartoon in my Dostoevsky folder and it shows Dostoevsky talking to his editor and on the editor's desk there's a huge stack of paper which is clearly Dostoevsky manuscript and the editor is saying to stvi it's good but it's too long you have to cut it by oneir crime punishment and repentance so he cuts it by a third and repentance is left out and as you know from the end of the novel that will be a story for another day that'll be the story for a new work so it's as if that third got locked off so that's that's an interesting guess anybody else no okay that was the original time why does that make sense or not I mean he changed it but why might he have thought of calling it
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This is a spoken conversation, likely from a classroom or discussion group, about Dostoevsky's novel Crime and Punishment. The speaker is talking with others (probably students or audience members) about alternative titles that Dostoevsky might have considered before settling on the famous one.
Key Parts Explained
1. "Just out of curiosity, whether any of you come up with the title, that the first had before he changed it to Crime and Punishment."
This sentence is a little jumbled, but the meaning is:
"Just out of curiosity, did any of you come up with the title that Dostoevsky originally had before he changed it to Crime and Punishment?"
The speaker is asking if anyone knows or can guess the original or working title.
2. Title Suggestions and Reactions
Now, people in the room start making up possible titles for the novel, based on its themes.
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"Crime and crossing over"
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"Crime and crossing over because of the transgressions"
These suggest a theme of moral or spiritual transformation after a crime. -
"Crime and suffering"
A very fitting title, since suffering is a major theme in the book.
"I thought somebody was just gonna say suffering and more suffering"
This is a joke. The speaker is saying that the book is so full of suffering that a good title could just be that.
3. "The Superman" / "The Superman or the extraordinary man"
These refer to the philosophical ideas in the book.
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Raskolnikov, the main character, believes that some people are above the law, like "extraordinary men".
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"Superman" is a term later used by Nietzsche (German philosopher) in his idea of the Übermensch – someone who creates his own morality.
The speaker acknowledges this and says:
"Superman was Nietzsche's term later but that's a good thought."
4. "Crime and Penance"
This is another good guess and leads to a story.
"...it's good but it's too long you have to cut it by oneir crime punishment and repentance so he cuts it by a third and repentance is left out..."
This is a joke or cartoon scenario being described:
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The editor says the book is too long.
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He tells Dostoevsky to cut it down to "Crime, Punishment, and Repentance."
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So he cuts it by a third and leaves out "repentance".
This is funny because the novel ends with Raskolnikov beginning to repent, but not fully – and the idea is that repentance might be saved for another story (a sequel or spiritual continuation).
Last Line Summary
"...that was the original time why does that make sense or not I mean he changed it but why might he have thought of calling it..."
This is an incomplete sentence, but the speaker is returning to the question:
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Why did Dostoevsky consider other titles?
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Why did he finally settle on Crime and Punishment?
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What does that title emphasize compared to the others?
Themes in the Title "Crime and Punishment"
By choosing this title, Dostoevsky:
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Focuses on action and consequence.
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Leaves out repentance or redemption, which makes the ending more open and subtle.
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Leaves room for philosophical interpretation, especially the internal punishment (guilt, mental torment) more than just legal punishment.
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