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Crime and Punishment

I've just finished reading Dostoevsky's masterpiece.  I found it fascinating although I did not agree with all his conclusions.  I was surprised that Raskolnikov did not get the death penalty back in the 1800's.  Eight years in Siberia did not seem quite justice, but then I did not know what Siberia is like, until tonight.  I went to BBC iplayer to see if there were programmes about Russia and discovered one about prison life out in the wilds of Russia, probably Siberia, the exact location was not revealed.  It was a fascinating programme and tied in nicely with what i had read in the classic.  It always seems to me that the prison warders are also given a sentence although,of course, they clock off duty and go home to their families.  However, perhaps the whole family is kind of serving a sentence. Raskolnikov speaks of the woman he murdered as being a "louse." None of us has the right to judge another in that way.  From such thoughts come the actions of Hitler in killing Jewish people.  Maybe he read Dostoevsky!

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