Comparing Crime and Punishment and Taxi Driver :: comparison compare contrast essays

offensive activity and Punishment and Taxi Driver   He is a man whose mental workings be dark, twisted, horrifying, and lonely. He is an absurd, anti-hero who is absolutely repulsed by his surroundings, and because he is unavailing to remove himself from them, he feels justified in removing other people. This profile fits Travis, represent by Robert DeNiro in Scorseses film Taxi Driver,, and Raskolnikov, the main character of Dostoevskys newfangled Crime and Punishment. Their revulsion for life leads both men to commit moth-eaten murders, but the story lines contain major differences. By contrasting these differences and analyse the common themes of the classic and the film, we may devolve to a clearer understanding of the settle of both stories.   The root of both Travis and Raskolnikovs problems is their complete and utter disgust with the ground around them. Travis is a New York City cab driver who drives over and picks up anyone. It doesnt matte r to him if the customer is a prostitute who uses his backseat as her workplace. He just drives around with a glazed look of indifference in his eyes, while inside, his bosom is overflowing with rage. In contrast, Raskolnikov is an ex-student living in St. Petersburg during the mid(prenominal) 1800s. He is extremely poor, and therefore lives in an area c aloneed the Haymarket, where all the whorehouses and bar were located. Every time he goes out, he walks past the dregs of society, which fills his heart with hatred for everyone and everything. Both characters see the world to be completely ugliness and devoid of all goodness, and this existential view drives them to become exactly what they so desperately hate.   Their revolt against ugliness pulls both characters towards the most ugly of all deeds - murder. Travis dreams that someday a real rain will come and wipe this scum off the streets. He feels some sort of inspired calling to actually become this real ra in. Similarly, Raskolnikov plots to sacrifice one insect of a human being who is no good to anyone for the benefit of thousands. away of this scheme he derives his Extraordinary/ Superman theory that states that humans are divided into the ordinary and the extraordinary, the men and the supermen.