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Why should you read “Crime and Punishment”? - Alex Gendler

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What drives someone to kill in cold blood? What goes through the murderer’s mind? And what kind of a society breeds such people? Over 150 years ago Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky took these questions up in what would become one of the best-known works of Russian literature: “Crime and Punishment.” Alex Gendler digs into the classic novel's exploration of alienation, morality and redemption.


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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Alex Gendler
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Storyboard Artist Sasha Dudka
  • Illustrator Nikita Bondarenko, Victor Zhuravliov
  • Animator Denis Bousygin, Alex Bohdan, Max Kotliar
  • Art Director Marianna Murashko
  • Producer Anna Dolzhenko
  • Composer Stephen LaRosa
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Fact-Checker Rebekah Barnett
Additional Resources for you to Explore
Dostoevsky’s earlier novella Notes from Underground provides a deeper philosophical background for many of the themes found in Crime & Punishment. The author’s work has drawn much attention, both during his lifetime and after. Literary scholars have written on Dostoevsky’s life, analyzed his use of language, and provided guides for reading his work, while others have drawn links between Raskolnikov and political violence in the modern world. And of course, the novel has been adapted for the screen multiple times, most recently in a 2002 BBC miniseries.

Customize this lesson

Create and share a new lesson based on this one.

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Alex Gendler
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Storyboard Artist Sasha Dudka
  • Illustrator Nikita Bondarenko, Victor Zhuravliov
  • Animator Denis Bousygin, Alex Bohdan, Max Kotliar
  • Art Director Marianna Murashko
  • Producer Anna Dolzhenko
  • Composer Stephen LaRosa
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Fact-Checker Rebekah Barnett

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