Crime and Punishment In Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov's dream about the mare can be used as a vehicle to probe deep into his mentality to discover how he really feels inside. The dream suggests that Raskolnikov is a "split" man; after all, his name in Russian means "split". He has a cruel and thoughtless side as well as a caring, compassionate side to his personality. Through the dream and the symbols therein, a reader …
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…It is possible that Mikolka represents Porfiry also. Mikolka beat the mare until it died; Porfiry beat Raskolnikov mentally until he confessed. There are also other inte rpretations that can be made. Despite other possible interpretations, Raskolnikov may be represented by all three main characters in the dream: Mikolka, the child, and the mare. Each representation brings to mind a new side of Rodion Romanovitch that must be considered in order to understand him fully.