I read the actual Crime & Punishment, highly not recommended.
In C&P the protag is very self-tortured and various characters die along the way (the 2 people he killed, and others). Like his life is shaped by their deaths? So like Fyodor’s ability to “transfer” his death (and thus survive) could be related to C&P’s thing about a tortured remorseless conscience… umm… idk where I was going with this… like people die and he gets to keep fucking around?
Or simply - Crime on him happens (he is attacked) resulting in Punishment to someone around him (death transfers). I’m talking out of my ass but if Steinbeck turns into grape vines because of Grapes of Wrath then it probably isn’t very deep…
But there’s a good summary of the protag that I think applies to Fyodor here: “He breaks what can be broken and yet does not break himself.”
I'm afraid we came to a different conclusion despite reading the same book.
In "Crime and Punishment," while it's true that the protagonist, Raskolnikov, commits murder and evades capture initially, his journey throughout the novel does not solely revolve around the deaths of the characters involved. Rather than being solely shaped by their deaths, Raskolnikov's internal struggle and the evolution of his conscience play a significant role in the narrative.
Initially, Raskolnikov rationalizes his crime with a theory of the "extraordinary man" who is above conventional morality. This theory is what he hints at in the article he releases, suggesting that certain individuals have the right to transgress moral and legal boundaries. However, as the story progresses, Raskolnikov's encounters with various characters and his own spiritual journey lead him to confront the weight of his actions.
Sonia (or Sofya), a hooker with a heart of gold, becomes a catalyst for Raskolnikov's awakening to the moral consequences of his crime. Her words, urging him to confess and seek redemption, resonate deeply with him, eventually leading to his decision to surrender himself to the authorities.