Memories of the murders plague Raskolnikov. Now that Svidrigailov’s wife is dead, he has come to Saint Petersburg in the hopes that he can seduce Dunia. His extramarital pursuit of Dunia caused a scandal that nearly ruined her reputation in the provinces. Enraged, Raskolnikov forbids his sister from marrying Luzhin.ĭunia’s former employer, a rich man named Svidrigailov, arrives in Saint Petersburg. They have come to prepare for Dunia’s marriage to Luzhin. Raskolnikov is surprised to find his mother and sister on his doorstep. Feeling sorry for the grieving family-particularly Marmeladov’s teenage daughter Sonia-Raskolnikov leaves behind all of his money to pay for Marmeladov’s funeral. Marmeladov is carried to the small apartment he shares with his family. Raskolnikov runs out of the police station and sees his drinking buddy, a clerk named Marmeladov, lying in the street fatally wounded by a stagecoach. When Raskolnikov runs into a police officer, he nearly confesses to the crimes-and his frantic ranting raises suspicions in the police department. He frantically reads the newspapers every day since the murders. Raskolnikov rises from his sick bed and sneaks out. When Luzhin comes to see Raskolnikov in Saint Petersburg, Raskolnikov erupts with anger and throws insults at his prospective brother-in-law. Raskolnikov is furious, believing that Dunia is sacrificing her happiness on his behalf. When Raskolnikov begins to recover, he learns that his sister Dunia plans to marry a pompous, wealthy man named Luzhin. Raskolnikov escapes the scene of the crime, but soon falls ill with a fever and spends several days unconscious in his tiny apartment. He also murders the pawnbroker’s half-sister, who intrudes on the murder scene unexpectedly. He murders an elderly pawnbroker whom he considers a leech on society.
Raskolnikov lives in a tiny apartment, spends what little money he has on strange, altruistic causes, and plots some mysterious, terrible deed that will prove his superiority.įinally, Raskolnikov decides to test his theory. He develops a theory to suggest that the world’s most extraordinary men should be permitted to commit any crime in pursuit of the greater good of humanity.
This guide uses the translation by Nicolas Pasternak Slater.Ī poor, paranoid young student named Raskolnikov convinces himself that he is extraordinary. All of his works, including this much-heralded novel, have been adapted for film, television, and theatre. Dostoevsky is widely considered one of the world’s greatest psychological fiction writers, and is a stalwart of Russian literature.
0 kommentar(er)
