Crime and Punishment Dreams

Sometimes a dream is untold more than simply a dream. Sigmund Freud explains a dreams possible content is heavily derived from the spare dream-thoughts. The manifest being what is ostensible in the dream, and the latent being the underlying meaning of the dream. In Raskolnikovs dream, the manifest is that he is a seven year old boy who is favorable of horses. He sees a horse being tortured and beat, bringing amusement to the townspeople, as he walks with his father. As the horse dies, he goes to hug the barbarian and kisses it.When Raskolnikov awakens, he renounces that accursed dream of his and wonders if he can actually mob an axe and split her skull open, referring to the pawnbroker, Alyona Ivanovna. The latent content to Raskolnikovs dream highlights his soprano personality. Similar to the instance of the drunken girl, Raskolnikov evinces his emotional and compassionate side by showing his love for horses as he runs to it when it is killed. At the same time, his sage an d abstract views are also described as he thinks rough committing the crime and believes he has every right to do so.It is not evident who Raskolnikov clearly is in the dream. He is a representation of the horse, the boy himself, or even the gruesome murderer of the horse, Mikolka. He represents the horse because he thinks of himself as a victim in a terrible life, the boy because he can be lovingand have emotions and Mikolka because of his thoughts and plans to kill Alyona. Even though his dream is very blatant in its story, the overall meaning of it signifies something oft more than just a flashback.