Napoleon, Caesar, Aristotle, Washington, Rockefeller. These men have been part of history for thousands of years. They are remembered for their flaws and their triumphs, for their personalities and actions. For better or for worse, they are and will be remembered. But then the question arises: are these men special? Do they deserve the memory they were given? Are these the men who should be our role models? These questions are a central theme of Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. In his novel, Dostoevsky provides a social commentary on the nature of man. He claims that the best of humanity are those select few who are capable of great things, but do them without complaint or arrogance. By following these standards, getting the best doesn't necessarily mean they are the best humanity has to offer. Crime and Punishment tells the story of the killing of a pawnbroker and the subsequent story of how the killer, Raskolnikov, is finally able to accept what he did was wrong. In the novel, Raskolnikov is portrayed as a seemingly crazy young man with what appear to be random thoughts and feelings. Raskolnikov considers himself a genius and thinks he is above the law. He considers himself a sort of Napoleon, a man of great success. In contrast to the personal importance of Raskolnikov, stands Sonya. Sonya is the eldest daughter of the Marmeladov family; his family is very poor and has to support many children. To help her family financially, Sonya is forced to become a prostitute, as it is the only way she sees to provide the money they need to survive. Yet, despite being at the lowest end of society, Sonya maintains her strong Christian faith and her ability to love and care for others. Exploring the…paper center…of society. Yet in reality, he was superior because of his compassion and strong moral center. Through her goodness and kind soul, she was able to help Roskolonikov redeem himself by confessing his crime and accepting his punishment. Through Sonya's help, he recognized that even his logic and superior mind did not justify his actions. Dostoevsky is trying to give us a social commentary on the nature of our society. Dostoevsky believes that our current system of promoting action and ignoring morality is wrong. Why does Tiger Woods get the million dollar contract with Nike when a nice old lady can afford enough to eat? Our society focuses on actions and results and ignores our compassion, our love and our soul. Interestingly, when we look for love, we focus on these moral questions. Maybe the time has come to change what our society values.