In “Part One” of Fyodor Dostoevsky's famous 19th-century novel Crime and Punishment, the beleaguered former student Raskolnikov feverishly contemplates committing a “vile” crime , which is eventually revealed as the murder of local pawnbroker Alyona. Raskolnikov's inner turmoil as he considers this crime takes the form of a threatening, frenetic delirium, manifested primarily by somatic symptoms. While this illness paints a clear picture of Raskolnikov's sense of agitation and disorder, it fails to elucidate any rational explanation for the terrible but anonymous crime he contemplates. This inability to express his intentions leaves Raskolnikov deeply conflicted but ultimately paralyzed in making any decisions. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Before Raskolnikov can take any real action, he must acknowledge to himself his murderous desires. His drunken dream on the lawn serves as a clear turning point in this internal battle. Its main event – ​​the beating to death of a mare unable to pull her heavy cart – represents Raskolnikov's potential crime, and the conflict between its two main characters is analogous to Raskolnikov's deep internal conflict. Able to symbolically articulate both his murderous desires and subsequent inner turmoil through a dream, Raskolnikoff overcomes his inability to explicitly name his crime, eliminating a vital internal barrier within himself and guiding him toward the final completion of the act. Prompted by his mother's letter, Raskolnikov's dream takes him back from the chaotic desperation of his adult life to his childhood, a place of clearer reality: "an environment so truthful and full of such delicate details [that] it makes a strong impression on the unbalanced nervous system" ( 106). Within this “singular reality” of the dream, Raskolnikoff can finally articulate (through symbolism) his own inner turmoil regarding the crime he intends to commit (106). The initial description of the city landscape as “grey and heavy” with “a dark spot at the edge of the horizon” and the presence of the cemetery create an arcane and disturbing atmosphere that directly reflects the reticent nature of Raskolnikov's internal world (107) . Raskolnikoff navigates this dark landscape as a boy, drawn to and frightened by the city's "hideous figures" (108). This, too, reflects Raskolnikov's current internal conflict, as he is obsessed with the "repugnant... thing" he wants to do but is also so "intensely disgusted" by it that he cannot put a name to the crime (19). Raskolnikov's sense of self also becomes polarized, as the dream continues and his young dream self becomes interested in a group of peasants who plan to beat a "thin and sorrel" mare to death because she is unable to pull her heavy wagon. This is where the metaphor becomes clear (108). This beating represents the crime that Raskolnikov plans to commit. And Raskolnikov's portrayal is divided between Mikolka, the mare's owner, and his younger self. As Mikolka, Raskolnikov believes that the mare is useless to society if she cannot perform her task and, therefore, should be beaten to death. As a child, however, Raskolnikov literally finds himself in the shadow of his father and the church (both moral influences on him) and is overcome with a sense of moral indignation, unable to understand why people would torture "the poor horse" ( 115 ). This situation foreshadows Raskolnikov's plans to kill the pawnbroker Alyona, whom he deems useless and parasitic (just as.