Original Text(~250 words)
PART I - CHAPTER I On an exceptionally hot evening early in July a young man came out of the garret in which he lodged in S. Place and walked slowly, as though in hesitation, towards K. bridge. He had successfully avoided meeting his landlady on the staircase. His garret was under the roof of a high, five-storied house and was more like a cupboard than a room. The landlady who provided him with garret, dinners, and attendance, lived on the floor below, and every time he went out he was obliged to pass her kitchen, the door of which invariably stood open. And each time he passed, the young man had a sick, frightened feeling, which made him scowl and feel ashamed. He was hopelessly in debt to his landlady, and was afraid of meeting her. This was not because he was cowardly and abject, quite the contrary; but for some time past he had been in an overstrained irritable condition, verging on hypochondria. He had become so completely absorbed in himself, and isolated from his fellows that he dreaded meeting, not only his landlady, but anyone at all. He was crushed by poverty, but the anxieties of his position had of late ceased to weigh upon him. He had given up attending to matters of practical importance; he had lost all desire to do so. Nothing that any landlady could do had a real terror for him. But to be stopped on the stairs, to be forced to...
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Summary
Raskolnikov, a former law student living in crushing poverty in St. Petersburg, emerges from his cramped, coffin-like room after days of brooding isolation. He's been consumed by a terrible idea that he can't shake - something he's been planning but hasn't yet admitted to himself. As he walks through the sweltering summer streets, we see his internal torment: he's intelligent and educated, yet reduced to pawning his father's watch just to survive. His landlady demands rent he can't pay, and his pride won't let him accept help. The chapter reveals a man at a breaking point, caught between his circumstances and his conscience. Dostoevsky shows us how poverty doesn't just empty your wallet - it can twist your thinking until desperate solutions start seeming reasonable. Raskolnikov represents anyone who's ever felt trapped by their situation, when the gap between who you are and where you've ended up feels impossible to bridge. His fevered mental state reflects the dangerous territory we enter when desperation meets intellect without moral grounding. The 'idea' haunting him isn't just a thought - it's becoming an obsession that's reshaping his entire worldview. This opening establishes the psychological pressure cooker that will drive the entire novel: what happens when a good person convinces themselves that terrible actions might be justified by terrible circumstances? Raskolnikov's struggle between his conscience and his rationalization will resonate with anyone who's ever faced impossible choices or felt society has failed them.
That's what happens. To understand what the author is really doing—and to discuss this chapter with confidence—keep reading.
Terms to Know
St. Petersburg
Russia's imperial capital, built on swampland by Peter the Great. A city of extreme contrasts - glittering palaces next to squalid tenements. The setting reflects Raskolnikov's mental state: beautiful but unstable, grand but suffocating.
Garret
A tiny room in the top floor of a building, usually under the roof. Raskolnikov's coffin-like space represents how poverty literally boxes people in. These cramped quarters were where many poor students and intellectuals lived in 19th century cities.
Psychological realism
A literary style that digs deep into characters' minds, showing their thoughts and feelings in detail. Dostoevsky pioneered this approach, letting us experience Raskolnikov's mental breakdown from the inside. It's like having access to someone's private thoughts.
Nihilism
A philosophy popular among young Russian intellectuals that rejected traditional values and moral authorities. It's the belief that nothing really matters, so you can make your own rules. This dangerous thinking influences Raskolnikov's 'idea.'
Social stratification
The rigid class system that kept people locked in their social positions. In 19th century Russia, your birth determined your life. Raskolnikov feels trapped between his education and his poverty - he knows better but can't do better.
Rationalization
The mental process of creating logical-sounding reasons for things you want to do anyway. Raskolnikov uses his intelligence to justify his terrible 'idea,' showing how smart people can think themselves into moral danger.
Characters in This Chapter
Raskolnikov
Protagonist
A brilliant former law student living in crushing poverty who's been consumed by a mysterious and terrible idea. His emergence from days of isolation shows a man at his breaking point, torn between his conscience and desperation.
The landlady
Minor character
Represents the practical pressures crushing Raskolnikov - she demands rent he cannot pay. Though barely present, she symbolizes how poverty creates a web of obligations that can drive people to desperate measures.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to recognize when desperation starts making wrong choices seem reasonable—before you cross lines you can't uncross.
You have the foundation. Now let's look closer.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"I want to attempt a thing like that and am frightened by these trifles!"
Context: He's walking through the streets, amazed that he fears small social interactions when he's planning something much worse.
This reveals the disconnect between his grand, terrible plan and his inability to handle everyday life. It shows how isolation and obsession can warp someone's sense of proportion and reality.
"Am I capable of that? Is that serious? It is not serious at all."
Context: His internal debate about whether he can actually carry out his mysterious plan.
The repetition shows his mind going in circles, trying to convince himself. This self-questioning reveals he still has a conscience fighting against his rationalization - he's not yet completely lost.
"On an exceptionally hot evening early in July a young man came out of the garret in which he lodged in S. Place and walked slowly, as though in hesitation, towards K. bridge."
Context: The opening lines of the novel, setting the scene.
The hesitation in his walk mirrors his mental state - he's moving toward something but unsure. The oppressive heat reflects his fevered mental condition and the pressure building inside him.
Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
Thematic Threads
Pride
In This Chapter
Raskolnikov's refusal to accept help or acknowledge his desperate circumstances, preferring dangerous isolation to wounded dignity
Development
Introduced here
Class
In This Chapter
The crushing weight of poverty forcing an educated man to pawn family heirlooms while his landlady demands rent he cannot pay
Development
Introduced here
Isolation
In This Chapter
Raskolnikov's self-imposed confinement in his coffin-like room, cutting himself off from human connection when he needs it most
Development
Introduced here
Rationalization
In This Chapter
The 'terrible idea' that haunts him—his mind working to justify something his conscience rejects
Development
Introduced here
Identity
In This Chapter
The gap between who he was (law student) and who he's become (desperate pauper), creating internal conflict about his worth and options
Development
Introduced here
Modern Adaptation
When the Bills Pile Up
Following Rodion's story...
Rodion stares at the eviction notice taped to his studio apartment door, the third one this month. Six months ago, he was finishing his paralegal certification, convinced his intelligence would lift him out of this neighborhood. Now he's behind on rent, living off ramen and pride. His mother keeps calling from back home, offering to send money she doesn't have. His former classmates post about their new jobs while he gets rejection after rejection—'overqualified' for retail, 'underexperienced' for legal work. The pawn shop receipt for his laptop sits crumpled on his desk next to unpaid bills. In the suffocating heat of his top-floor apartment, an idea has been growing, something he won't admit even to himself. His neighbor, an elderly woman who lives alone, mentioned her disability checks. She trusts him, sometimes asks him to help with her mail. The thought makes him sick, but desperation has a way of making the impossible seem inevitable. He tells himself he's different, smarter than common criminals. He could make it look like anything—a mistake, a mix-up. Just once, just enough to get back on his feet.
The Road
The road Raskolnikov walked in 1866 St. Petersburg, Rodion walks today in his urban apartment complex. The pattern is identical: crushing poverty plus wounded pride plus isolation equals dangerous moral compromise.
The Map
This chapter provides the early warning system for moral drift. When desperation starts making wrong choices seem reasonable, that's the moment to reach out, not retreat inward.
Amplification
Before reading this, Rodion might have seen his situation as unique, his intelligence as justification for bending rules. Now he can NAME the desperation-rationalization spiral, PREDICT where it leads, and NAVIGATE toward connection instead of isolation.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What specific circumstances have trapped Raskolnikov in his tiny room, and what 'terrible idea' is consuming his thoughts?
- 2
How does Raskolnikov's pride prevent him from accepting help or finding legitimate solutions to his poverty?
- 3
Where do you see people today convincing themselves that desperate circumstances justify questionable actions?
- 4
If you had a friend like Raskolnikov, spiraling into dangerous thinking due to desperation, how would you intervene?
- 5
What does this chapter reveal about how isolation and pride can transform good people into potential wrongdoers?
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Rationalization Red Flags
Think of a time when you were under serious pressure—financial, work, family, or personal. Write down the thoughts that went through your head about 'bending the rules' or doing something you normally wouldn't consider. Then identify what warning signs could have helped you recognize when desperation was affecting your judgment.
Consider:
- •Notice how isolation made questionable options seem more reasonable
- •Identify which emotions (pride, anger, fear) were driving your thinking
- •Consider what support or perspective could have helped you navigate differently
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 2: Marmeladov's Confession
The coming pages reveal poverty forces impossible moral choices, and teach us the dynamics of family sacrifice. These discoveries help us navigate similar situations in our own lives.