Original Text(~250 words)
PART I - CHAPTER IV His mother’s letter had been a torture to him, but as regards the chief fact in it, he had felt not one moment’s hesitation, even whilst he was reading the letter. The essential question was settled, and irrevocably settled, in his mind: “Never such a marriage while I am alive and Mr. Luzhin be damned!” “The thing is perfectly clear,” he muttered to himself, with a malignant smile anticipating the triumph of his decision. “No, mother, no, Dounia, you won’t deceive me! and then they apologise for not asking my advice and for taking the decision without me! I dare say! They imagine it is arranged now and can’t be broken off; but we will see whether it can or not! A magnificent excuse: ‘Pyotr Petrovitch is such a busy man that even his wedding has to be in post-haste, almost by express.’ No, Dounia, I see it all and I know what you want to say to me; and I know too what you were thinking about, when you walked up and down all night, and what your prayers were like before the Holy Mother of Kazan who stands in mother’s bedroom. Bitter is the ascent to Golgotha.... Hm... so it is finally settled; you have determined to marry a sensible business man, Avdotya Romanovna, one who has a fortune (has _already_ made his fortune, that is so much more solid and impressive), a man who holds two government posts and who shares the...
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Summary
Raskolnikov wanders the streets of St. Petersburg in a fevered daze, his mind spinning between guilt and defiance after the murders. He's physically and mentally deteriorated - sweating, shaking, barely able to think straight. When he returns to his cramped apartment, he discovers that while he was out committing murder, his landlady had been trying to serve him an eviction notice for unpaid rent. The cruel irony isn't lost on him: he killed for money, yet he's still broke and about to be homeless. His servant Nastasya and a police official named Ilya Petrovich are waiting for him, and Raskolnikov panics, convinced they know what he's done. But they're only there about the rent - a mundane, everyday problem that feels surreal after the horror he's just committed. This scene brilliantly captures how life continues its ordinary course even after we've crossed unthinkable lines. Raskolnikov realizes that his 'extraordinary' act hasn't freed him or solved his problems - it's only created new, worse ones. The chapter shows how guilt begins its work immediately, making every interaction feel dangerous and loaded with hidden meaning. Dostoevsky demonstrates that crime doesn't happen in isolation - it ripples through every aspect of the criminal's life, turning even routine encounters into psychological minefields. For Raskolnikov, there's no going back to normal life because he's fundamentally changed what 'normal' means. The weight of his secret transforms every conversation into a potential trap, every knock on the door into a threat.
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 guilt
The mental torment that comes from knowing you've done something wrong, even when no one else knows. It makes you paranoid and suspicious of everyone around you. Raskolnikov experiences this immediately after the murders, turning ordinary conversations into threats.
St. Petersburg tenements
Cramped, dirty apartment buildings where poor people lived in 19th century Russia. Raskolnikov's tiny room reflects his poverty and isolation. These spaces were breeding grounds for desperation and radical thinking.
Police summons
An official notice requiring someone to appear before authorities. In Raskolnikov's guilty state, even a routine summons about unpaid rent feels like they've discovered his crime. Shows how guilt warps perception.
Fevered state
A condition of physical and mental breakdown from stress, guilt, or illness. Raskolnikov sweats, shakes, and can barely think clearly. His body is betraying the psychological trauma of what he's done.
Irony of circumstance
When reality mocks your expectations in a cruel way. Raskolnikov killed for money but still faces eviction for unpaid rent. Life's ordinary problems don't disappear just because you've committed an extraordinary crime.
Servant class
Working people who cleaned, cooked, and ran errands for others in 19th century Russia. Nastasya represents the normal world that continues functioning while Raskolnikov's inner world collapses.
Characters in This Chapter
Raskolnikov
Tormented protagonist
Returns home in a fevered, guilty panic after committing murder. His physical and mental deterioration shows how quickly crime begins destroying the criminal from within.
Nastasya
Servant/housekeeper
Raskolnikov's servant who represents normal, everyday life continuing despite his inner turmoil. Her presence in his room while he's consumed with guilt creates unbearable tension for him.
Ilya Petrovich
Police official
Comes to serve Raskolnikov a summons about unpaid rent, not the murders. His presence terrifies the guilty Raskolnikov, showing how paranoia makes every authority figure seem threatening.
The landlady
Property owner
Though not present, her eviction notice represents life's mundane problems that persist regardless of the dramatic crimes we commit. Shows the gap between Raskolnikov's internal drama and external reality.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to recognize when guilt is distorting someone's perception of normal interactions, turning routine conversations into imagined threats.
You have the foundation. Now let's look closer.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"They know nothing! But then... then why am I so frightened?"
Context: When he realizes the police visit is only about unpaid rent, not murder
Shows how guilt creates its own prison. Even when he's safe, Raskolnikov can't escape his fear because the real threat comes from within his own conscience.
"What if it is only my imagination? What if I am mistaken and they really know nothing?"
Context: As he tries to convince himself the police aren't suspicious
Captures the exhausting mental gymnastics of guilt. Raskolnikov can't trust his own perceptions anymore because fear and paranoia have taken over his thinking.
"How could I have forgotten about this summons?"
Context: Realizing he'd forgotten about his legal troubles before the murder
Shows how crime doesn't solve existing problems - it just adds new ones. The rent he couldn't pay before the murders is still unpaid, making his 'solution' pointless.
Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
Thematic Threads
Guilt
In This Chapter
Raskolnikov's guilt transforms routine interactions into perceived threats, making him hypervigilant and paranoid
Development
Introduced here as immediate psychological consequence of his crime
Class
In This Chapter
The cruel irony that murder for money hasn't solved his poverty—he's still facing eviction for unpaid rent
Development
Continues from earlier chapters, showing crime doesn't actually solve class problems
Identity
In This Chapter
Raskolnikov realizes he can never return to 'normal' life because his secret has fundamentally changed what normal means
Development
Evolution from his earlier philosophical justifications to confronting practical reality
Isolation
In This Chapter
His secret creates a barrier between him and everyone else, making genuine human connection impossible
Development
Deepens his existing social alienation into complete psychological isolation
Modern Adaptation
When the Promotion Goes Sideways
Following Rodion's story...
Rodion stumbles back to his studio apartment after the incident at the warehouse, his hands still shaking. He'd convinced himself he was smarter than everyone else, that he deserved better than minimum wage grunt work. When he saw his chance to grab that cash from the office safe during the chaos of the fire alarm he'd pulled, it seemed like justice. Now, three hours later, he's broke anyway—the money already went to his dealer—and there's an eviction notice taped to his door. His landlord Mrs. Chen is in the hallway with a maintenance guy, discussing the overdue rent. 'There you are, Rodion,' she says, not unkindly. 'We need to talk about next month.' He can barely breathe. Do they know? The maintenance guy glances at his trembling hands. Every word feels loaded. They're talking about normal things—lease terms, payment plans—but Rodion hears interrogation. His 'brilliant' theft solved nothing. He's still broke, still facing eviction, but now he's also a criminal. The ordinary world continues around him, but he can no longer participate in it normally. Every interaction is contaminated by what he's done.
The Road
The road Raskolnikov walked in 1866 St. Petersburg, Rodion walks today in his urban apartment complex. The pattern is identical: guilt transforms every ordinary interaction into a psychological minefield, making the guilty party their own worst enemy.
The Map
This chapter provides the navigation tool of recognizing guilt-driven paranoia before it spirals. Rodion can learn to distinguish between actual consequences and his guilt-distorted perception of threat.
Amplification
Before reading this, Rodion might have continued the cover-up, making his situation worse through avoidance and suspicious behavior. Now he can NAME the guilt spiral, PREDICT how it will make him act paranoid, and NAVIGATE by addressing problems directly rather than letting fear compound them.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What ordinary situation becomes terrifying for Raskolnikov when he returns home, and why?
- 2
How does carrying his secret change the way Raskolnikov interprets normal interactions with his landlady and the police officer?
- 3
Think of a time when you or someone you know felt guilty about something - how did it change the way you read other people's words and actions?
- 4
If you were Raskolnikov's friend and noticed his paranoid behavior, what would be the most helpful way to approach him?
- 5
What does this chapter reveal about how secrets and guilt operate in our minds, even when no one else knows what we've done?
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Guilt Filter
Think of a time you felt guilty about something (big or small - maybe you broke something, made a mistake at work, or hurt someone's feelings). Write down three normal interactions you had during that period, then analyze how your guilt might have changed how you interpreted what people said or did. Did you read extra meaning into innocent comments? Did you assume people knew more than they actually did?
Consider:
- •Notice the difference between what people actually said versus what you heard through your guilt filter
- •Consider whether your changed behavior might have actually made others suspicious when they weren't before
- •Think about how addressing the issue directly might have been easier than carrying the secret
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 5: The Dream of the Mare
In the next chapter, you'll discover dreams reveal our hidden conscience, and learn the difference between rationalizing and deciding. These insights reveal timeless patterns that resonate in our own lives and relationships.