Crime and Punishment · Chapter
I explained
Raskolnikov, agitated and ill, confronts his mother and sister who have just arrived.
What happens
Raskolnikov, agitated and ill, confronts his mother and sister who have just arrived. He irritably demands they leave, insists Dounia break off her engagement to Luzhin, and reveals he insulted Luzhin earlier. Razumihin, drunk but protective, manages the situation, convincing the distressed women to leave while he stays to watch over Raskolnikov.
Themes in this chapter
Psychological Torment
Raskolnikov's 'agonisingly poignant' and 'almost insane' expression, his irritability, broken speech, and exhaustion vividly depict his severe mental suffering following the murder.
Alienation and Isolation
Despite the arrival of his loving family, Raskolnikov pushes them away, unable to bear their presence or their sacrificial love, deepening his self-imposed isolation.
Characters to notice
- Raskolnikov
In a state of extreme psychological torment and physical exhaustion; his agitation and 'almost insane' expression alarm his family. He vehemently opposes Dounia's marriage to Luzhin.
- the landlady
Mentioned as Razumihin discusses lodging arrangements; her door is where the conversation on the landing takes place.
Key passages
“Go home… with him… goodbye till tomorrow; tomorrow everything…”
Raskolnikov dismisses his mother and sister, telling them to leave with Razumihin.
Shows his inability to cope with their presence and his desire to postpone any meaningful interaction.
“Dounia, I promised Luzhin I’d throw him downstairs and told him to go to hell…”
Raskolnikov reveals he violently threatened Luzhin during a visit.
Demonstrates his uncontrollable rage and further complicates the family's precarious situation.
“this marriage is—an infamy. Let me act like a scoundrel, but you mustn’t… one is enough…”
He calls the marriage a disgrace, stating that one scoundrel (himself) in the family is sufficient.
Reveals his self-loathing and a twisted sense of protecting his sister's purity from a sacrifice he deems vile.