Crime and Punishment · Chapter
V explained
Pyotr Petrovitch Luzhin, Dunya's fiancé, visits Raskolnikov in his garret.
What happens
Pyotr Petrovitch Luzhin, Dunya's fiancé, visits Raskolnikov in his garret. Luzhin's pompous and calculating nature is immediately apparent, and his arrival agitates Raskolnikov. The visit is strained, with Razumihin's bluntness and Raskolnikov's hostile indifference offending Luzhin, who leaves in a huff. Afterward, Zossimov and Razumihin discuss Raskolnikov's fragile mental state and his singular fixation on the recent murder.
Themes in this chapter
Psychological Torment
Raskolnikov's agitation, impatience, and the 'fixed idea weighing on him' (the murder) are central to the scene, showing his deteriorating mental state.
Alienation and Isolation
Raskolnikov's hostile reaction to the visitor and his final, frenzied demand to be 'alone, alone, alone' underscores his profound withdrawal from human contact.
Characters to notice
- Raskolnikov
Agitated and weak, he reacts with defiant hostility to Luzhin, then demands to be left alone, revealing his psychological torment.
- the landlady
Mentioned indirectly as 'Pashenka,' whom Razumihin will wait with while keeping watch.
Key passages
“He had been fully convinced that they were all aware of his position... and were prepared to insult him from the beginning.”
Luzhin believed everyone was already prejudiced against him and waiting to mock him.
Reveals Luzhin's paranoia and insecurity beneath his pompous exterior.
“If only he could get some favourable shock, that’s what would do it!... Some fixed idea weighing on him.”
The doctor suggests Raskolnikov needs a positive jolt, but is burdened by an obsessive thought.
Highlights the medical perspective on Raskolnikov's condition and hints at his guilt over the murder.