Fyodor Dostoyevsky wrote: It must have been a difficult task for Dostoyevsky to arrive at this conclusion. It could be compared to that of the prodigal son, who only returned to God after having dared all other forms of belief. Growing up in a Russian Orthodox family, Dostoyevsky rebelled against religion in his youth and later began to believe in the anarchist and atheistic philosophy that was common among radical students and middle-class people who were against the status quo. quo in 19th century Russia. Dostoyevsky's revolutionary outbreak did not go unnoticed by the tsar's police and justice system, however; in 1849 he was sentenced to ten years of hard labor in a Siberian prison, preceded by a mock execution. Dostoyevsky is believed to have relearned Christianity throughout his time in prison. There he would have been out of his comfort zone and element, and surrounded by hardened criminals, which would have given him ample time to reflect on his life and read the New Testament, the only book he had been allowed to incarcerate. However, it was only after his compulsory military service that Dostoyevsky's faith began to grow and flourish. During his service in the army, he met fellow officer and devoted Christian Baron Von Vrangel, who quickly befriended the then young Dostoyevsky, helping him rediscover his faith Christian woman whom he had previously expelled. For the rest of his life, he professed Christianity, although he was not considered a true member of Christian society due to his doubts and passion for gambling. Instead, Dostoyevsky, unlike other Christian authors of his generation, understood that his faith was created and sustained solely by the grace of God. It is the same grace of God that Dostoyevsky uses to write Scream...... middle of paper... ...ionally and spiritually, and rightly so, this redemption has come in the spring. As Raskalnikov cried and embraced Sonya, there was no doubt that he loved her. He finally began to look at the bigger picture and see the evil in his ways and that it runs deeper than guilt. Throughout the novel, Dostoyevsky presents the reader with various forms of Christian symbolism, biblical references, and allegories. Crime and Punishment is an interesting read that deals with contrasts such as love and hate, good and evil, but most importantly, it contrasts the oppression of sin with the freedom that comes from God. Through the protagonist Raskalnikov, Dostoyevsky illustrates that despite our actions, repentance is possible thanks to God. Crime and Punishment shows the reader that no matter how wide the gap between man and God, the greater power is God's grace..