Crime and Punishment

In Dostoevsky's novel Crime and Punishment Rodya is defined by his guilt. His guilt over Alonya's murder changes his behavioral patterns and his outlook on the world. He adopted the beliefs of nihilism and untilitarianism to define who he was and after the murder quickly realized he was not the super-human he believed himself to be. His guilt closes him off from other people and makes him paranoid. He fears every person he meets suspects him of murder which feeds his guilt and paranoia. Rodya defines himself by his actions and his projections of people's reactions. Murdering the pawnbroker racks him with guilt. His guilt drives him to believe people view him with suspicion when that suspicion is often only in his head. Rodya's paranoia manifests physically so that his behavior becomes more eractic and the suspicion he imagined becomes reality; people really do begin to suspect him of murder. The murder becomes all Rodya can think about - who he is.
When Rodya seeks redemption for his crimes his definition of self changes. He sees the importance of relying on other people and on faith if he wants to overcome his destructive guilt. He is not the super-human he hoped to be, so he must re-define himself. Rodya's relationship with Sonia opens him to faith. His relationship with her eventually leads him to acknowledge the guilt he felt in murdering a woman. He becomes a more spiritual and dependent person as opposed to a solitary introvert. Rodya defines himself based on the strong relationship he develops with Sonia through the course of Dostoevsky's novel.