Honors English prepares students for any upcoming AP English classes, and reading difficult books like “Crime and Punishment” can help expand English skills. However, there are some downsides to this novel that readers may not notice.
“Crime and Punishment” should be replaced in the school curriculum because it contains sensitive topics that may affect a student’s mental health and are simply outdated. The best solution is to replace “Crime and Punishment” with a better alternative to transition sophomores into AP English Language and Composition for their junior year.
The novel is about a man named Rodion Raskolnikov, who is a poor ex-law student. He believes he is an extraordinary person, a belief system called “Ubermensch.” This system states that someone who is above the law due to superior mental or physical faculties can commit any crime, and it is justified. This is one of the sole reasons Raskolnikov believes he can commit crime without punishment.
In the beginning of the book, Raskolnikov learns about a pawnbroker who is very wealthy and keeps all her money for herself. He takes it upon himself to murder the pawnbroker for the good of the people in the town. After he murders the pawnbroker and her sister as well, he begins to spiral into mental illness from his guilt.
In this novel, there are many triggering topics that might affect students’ mental health, regardless of whether they are struggling with similar situations. The novel contains suicide, gore, drinking, sexual assault, murder and extreme mental illness.
Raskolnikov was so mentally ill that he murdered two people, and during some parts of the book, he did not even regret it or feel guilty.
This is not to say books about mental illness should not be read in school; the context specifically, the murders themselves and his behavior after are not appropriate for schools.
“Crime and Punishment” was written in 1866. Why are students reading such an outdated book in our modern world? Books from the 19th century are not up to today’s standards and have some upsetting concepts that were more common in those years, such as sexual assault and drinking.
On the other hand, there are many books that have been banned due to inappropriate material.
“The American Academy of Pediatrics has found that exposure to violence in media, including in books, can impact kids by making them act aggressively and desensitizing them to violence,” Britannica explains.
Do we want students to read about murder being the sole answer to a problem rather than discussing a solution?
Sage Creek Junior Kaylin Crosier shared her opinions on “Crime and Punishment” and how it can affect a student’s mental health.
“I feel like it could be triggering for people because it goes into depth a little too much,” Crosier said. “Some people can not be in the right mind and can make people uncomfortable because they have had experience with that before (Sucide, mental illness, SA, and I feel it’s a hard topic to digest.”
In school, we are not allowed to watch R-rated movies. “Crime and Punishment” has the content and feel of an R-rated movie, so why are students still allowed to read it?
Overall, books that have content that could trigger a student’s past traumatic experiences should not be taught in a school setting. Schools should update their book options and try to be sensitive to every student's possible mental health triggers.
Dostoevsky is a dead Russian author from the 19th century and has outdated ideas and morals. Some alternative options that would be beneficial for students are to read more diverse authors such as women, people of color and modern authors.
“Life of Pi” by Yann Martel would be an excellent choice in place of “Crime and Punishment.” This book is about a young Indian man who is stranded on a ship with four animals – a zebra, a hyena, an orangutan and most importantly, a tiger – but not everything is what it seems.
Another option, “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak, takes place during World War II and is about a girl fleeing to a new home because her mother can’t afford to take care of her.
Mrs. Alberts, an English teacher at Sage Creek, loves “The Book Thief” and recommends it to high school students.
“I love the writing. It’s written in a way that feels like poetry,” Alberts said. “It's also a beautiful story, and it’s also a great way to learn some of the history you might be learning in history classes.”
These books might get complaints because of the reading difficulty, but these books would really help students be more prepared for AP classes with the benefit of not having sensitive topics.
In conclusion, “Crime and Punishment” has an abundance of triggering topics that can affect a student’s mental health. There are much better options than an outdated Russian novel about committing murders.
