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PART III - CHAPTER I Raskolnikov got up, and sat down on the sofa. He waved his hand weakly to Razumihin to cut short the flow of warm and incoherent consolations he was addressing to his mother and sister, took them both by the hand and for a minute or two gazed from one to the other without speaking. His mother was alarmed by his expression. It revealed an emotion agonisingly poignant, and at the same time something immovable, almost insane. Pulcheria Alexandrovna began to cry. Avdotya Romanovna was pale; her hand trembled in her brother’s. “Go home... with him,” he said in a broken voice, pointing to Razumihin, “good-bye till to-morrow; to-morrow everything... Is it long since you arrived?” “This evening, Rodya,” answered Pulcheria Alexandrovna, “the train was awfully late. But, Rodya, nothing would induce me to leave you now! I will spend the night here, near you...” “Don’t torture me!” he said with a gesture of irritation. “I will stay with him,” cried Razumihin, “I won’t leave him for a moment. Bother all my visitors! Let them rage to their hearts’ content! My uncle is presiding there.” “How, how can I thank you!” Pulcheria Alexandrovna was beginning, once more pressing Razumihin’s hands, but Raskolnikov interrupted her again. “I can’t have it! I can’t have it!” he repeated irritably, “don’t worry me! Enough, go away... I can’t stand it!” “Come, mamma, come out of the room at least for a minute,” Dounia whispered in dismay; “we are distressing him,...
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Summary
Raskolnikov sits in a tavern, still reeling from his conversation with the police clerk Zamyotov, when he spots Zamyotov himself dining nearby. In a moment of reckless impulse, Raskolnikov approaches him and begins dropping increasingly obvious hints about the pawnbroker's murder. He describes the crime in vivid detail, claiming he's just theorizing, but his intensity makes Zamyotov deeply uncomfortable. Raskolnikov seems to be playing a dangerous game - almost confessing while maintaining plausible deniability. After leaving the tavern, he wanders the streets in a feverish state and impulsively decides to visit the scene of his crime. Standing in the pawnbroker's apartment, now being renovated, he asks the workers detailed questions about the bloodstains and the murder. His behavior grows so strange that the workers become suspicious and threaten to take him to the police station. This chapter shows Raskolnikov's psychological state deteriorating further - he's simultaneously drawn to confession and terrified of it. His compulsive return to the crime scene reveals how the murder has consumed his thoughts completely. He can't stay away from anything connected to his deed, even when it puts him in danger. The renovation of the apartment serves as a powerful symbol - while others try to erase the traces of violence and move on, Raskolnikov remains trapped in that moment. His near-confessions suggest he desperately wants to unburden himself, but his pride and fear keep him locked in this torturous middle ground. The chapter demonstrates how guilt doesn't just punish - it obsesses, driving people to seek out the very thing they should avoid.
That's what happens. To understand what the author is really doing—and to discuss this chapter with confidence—keep reading.
Terms to Know
Psychological realism
A literary style that focuses on the inner mental and emotional lives of characters rather than just external actions. Dostoevsky pioneered showing how guilt, fear, and trauma actually work inside someone's mind, making readers feel like they're inside Raskolnikov's head as he spirals.
Compulsive confession
The psychological urge to reveal secrets or crimes, even when it's dangerous to do so. People carrying heavy guilt often find themselves dropping hints or returning to scenes of wrongdoing, like Raskolnikov can't help but talk about the murder and visit the apartment.
St. Petersburg taverns
Public drinking establishments in 19th-century Russia where people from different social classes would gather. These spaces allowed for unexpected encounters and conversations that might not happen elsewhere, making them perfect settings for dramatic confrontations.
Police clerk
A low-level government worker who handled paperwork and minor investigations in Imperial Russia. These clerks had some authority but weren't full detectives, making Zamyotov both a threat to Raskolnikov and someone he might be able to manipulate.
Plausible deniability
The ability to deny involvement in something while still being suspicious. Raskolnikov tries to discuss the murder as 'theory' so he can always claim he was just speculating, but his detailed knowledge makes this defense increasingly weak.
Crime scene revisitation
The psychological phenomenon where criminals return to the places where they committed crimes. This behavior often stems from guilt, fascination, or a subconscious desire to be caught, and it frequently leads to their capture.
Characters in This Chapter
Raskolnikov
Tormented protagonist
His mental state deteriorates as he compulsively hints about the murder to Zamyotov and returns to the crime scene. His behavior shows how guilt is driving him toward self-destruction, as he simultaneously craves confession and fears the consequences.
Zamyotov
Suspicious police clerk
He becomes increasingly uncomfortable as Raskolnikov describes the murder in disturbing detail. His reactions show he's starting to suspect Raskolnikov, making their conversation a dangerous game of cat and mouse.
The workmen
Unwitting witnesses
They're renovating the pawnbroker's apartment and become suspicious when Raskolnikov asks detailed questions about the bloodstains. Their threat to take him to police shows how his compulsive behavior is putting him in real danger.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how guilt-driven behavior creates predictable patterns that endanger the very thing we're trying to protect.
You have the foundation. Now let's look closer.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"What if it was I who murdered the old woman and Lizaveta?"
Context: He says this to Zamyotov in the tavern, pretending it's just a hypothetical question.
This moment shows Raskolnikov's desperate need to confess while still trying to maintain deniability. He's testing how close he can come to the truth without actually admitting guilt, revealing his internal torment.
"There was blood here, blood!"
Context: He's questioning the workmen about bloodstains in the pawnbroker's apartment.
His obsession with the physical evidence of his crime shows how the murder has consumed his thoughts completely. He can't let go of any detail, even when discussing it puts him in danger.
"We'll take you to the police station!"
Context: They threaten Raskolnikov when his questions about the murder become too suspicious.
This threat represents how close Raskolnikov is coming to exposure through his own compulsive behavior. His guilt is literally driving him back toward the consequences he's trying to avoid.
Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
Thematic Threads
Psychological Compulsion
In This Chapter
Raskolnikov's irresistible urge to revisit the crime scene and drop hints about his guilt
Development
Deepening from earlier anxiety into active self-sabotaging behavior
Class Dynamics
In This Chapter
Workers in the apartment become suspicious and threaten police involvement, showing how different social positions handle authority
Development
Continuing theme of how class affects who gets believed and who gets questioned
Self-Destruction
In This Chapter
Raskolnikov actively puts himself in danger through reckless behavior and near-confessions
Development
Escalating from internal torment to external risk-taking behaviors
Identity Crisis
In This Chapter
Raskolnikov can't maintain his ordinary self while carrying the secret of murder
Development
His fractured sense of self becoming more apparent to others through erratic behavior
Modern Adaptation
When the Promotion Goes Sideways
Following Rodion's story...
Rodion sits in the break room at the warehouse where he used to work, nursing a coffee and watching his former supervisor Jake eat lunch. Three weeks ago, Rodion sabotaged Jake's safety report to get him fired—planted evidence of falsified inspections that cost Jake his job and reputation. Now Jake's replacement is incompetent, and there was a near-accident yesterday. Rodion can't stop himself from walking over to Jake's table. 'Crazy about that safety thing yesterday,' he says, sitting down uninvited. 'Makes you wonder who was really watching out for people around here.' Jake looks confused as Rodion keeps talking, describing exactly how someone could have doctored safety reports, how they'd cover their tracks, getting more specific and intense. Jake's face changes—he's starting to connect dots. Later, Rodion drives to the warehouse and walks through the area where Jake used to do inspections, asking the new guy detailed questions about the safety protocols, about what Jake might have missed. His questions are so pointed that workers start looking at each other funny. Someone mentions calling HR.
The Road
The road Raskolnikov walked in 1866, Rodion walks today. The pattern is identical: guilt creates a magnetic pull toward confession that wars with self-preservation, making us orbit our wrongdoing in increasingly dangerous ways.
The Map
This chapter provides a navigation tool for recognizing the confession compulsion. When guilt makes you hover around your mistakes, dropping hints and revisiting scenes, you're not seeking justice—you're seeking relief that will never come this way.
Amplification
Before reading this, Rodion might have thought his behavior was just 'checking on things' or 'making conversation.' Now he can NAME the confession compulsion, PREDICT where these dangerous orbits lead, and NAVIGATE toward either clean confession or genuine silence instead of this destructive middle ground.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What specific behaviors does Raskolnikov exhibit that make Zamyotov and the workers suspicious of him?
- 2
Why does Raskolnikov keep putting himself in situations where he might be discovered, even though he fears being caught?
- 3
Where have you seen people drop hints about things they've done wrong instead of staying quiet or confessing directly?
- 4
If you noticed someone in your life exhibiting this pattern of guilt-driven behavior, how would you respond to help them without enabling the dangerous game?
- 5
What does Raskolnikov's compulsive return to the crime scene reveal about how unresolved guilt affects our decision-making and self-control?
Critical Thinking Exercise
Trace Your Own Guilt Orbits
Think of a time when you did something wrong and felt compelled to keep talking about it, revisiting it, or putting yourself near situations that could expose you. Write down the specific behaviors you exhibited and the internal tension you felt. Then identify what finally broke the cycle - did you confess, get caught, or find another resolution?
Consider:
- •Notice how guilt made you act against your own self-interest
- •Identify the difference between productive accountability and destructive guilt orbiting
- •Consider what you needed to resolve the internal tension in a healthier way
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 16: Cat and Mouse
As the story unfolds, you'll explore the exhaustion of being hunted, while uncovering pressure reveals character. These lessons connect the classic to contemporary challenges we all face.