Crime and Punishment
by Fyodor Dostoevsky (1866)
Book Overview
Crime and Punishment follows Raskolnikov, a destitute former student who commits murder believing himself above ordinary morality. Through Intelligence Amplifier™ analysis, we explore the psychology of guilt, the illusion of intellectual superiority, and the painful path to redemption through suffering and love.
Why Read Crime and Punishment Today?
Classic literature like Crime and Punishment offers more than historical insight—it provides roadmaps for navigating modern challenges. Through our Intelligence Amplifier™ analysis, each chapter reveals practical wisdom applicable to contemporary life, from career decisions to personal relationships.
Major Themes
Key Characters
Raskolnikov
Protagonist
Featured in 41 chapters
Sonia
Spiritual guide
Featured in 16 chapters
Nastasya
Servant messenger
Featured in 7 chapters
Dunya
Self-sacrificing sister
Featured in 7 chapters
Sonya
Moral guide
Featured in 7 chapters
Razumikhin
Loyal friend
Featured in 4 chapters
Pulcheria Alexandrovna
Devoted mother
Featured in 4 chapters
Porfiry Petrovich
Cunning investigator
Featured in 4 chapters
Lizaveta
Innocent victim
Featured in 4 chapters
The landlady
Minor character
Featured in 2 chapters
Key Quotes
"I want to attempt a thing like that and am frightened by these trifles!"
"Am I capable of that? Is that serious? It is not serious at all."
"They want to sacrifice themselves for me! That's what they're doing! They're sacrificing themselves for me!"
"She's selling herself! She's selling herself for me!"
"Kill her and take her money, so that afterwards with its help you can devote yourself to the service of all humanity and the common cause."
"On one side we have a stupid, senseless, worthless, spiteful, ailing, horrid old woman, not simply useless but doing actual mischief."
"They know nothing! But then... then why am I so frightened?"
"What if it is only my imagination? What if I am mistaken and they really know nothing?"
"Am I going out of my mind?"
"They want me at the police station... What for?"
"Am I really going to tell them? The thought flashed through his mind. No, I mustn't, I'll keep quiet."
"She looked at him with such pain, such infinite love, that he almost broke down."
Discussion Questions
1. What specific circumstances have trapped Raskolnikov in his tiny room, and what 'terrible idea' is consuming his thoughts?
From Chapter 1 →2. How does Raskolnikov's pride prevent him from accepting help or finding legitimate solutions to his poverty?
From Chapter 1 →3. What does Raskolnikov's mother reveal in her letter about Dunya's situation and upcoming marriage?
From Chapter 2 →4. Why does Raskolnikov see through his mother's cheerful tone about Dunya's engagement to Luzhin?
From Chapter 2 →5. What does Raskolnikov overhear in the tavern, and why does this conversation affect him so powerfully?
From Chapter 3 →6. Why does hearing strangers voice his own thoughts make Raskolnikov feel like his plan is justified rather than making him question it?
From Chapter 3 →7. What ordinary situation becomes terrifying for Raskolnikov when he returns home, and why?
From Chapter 4 →8. How does carrying his secret change the way Raskolnikov interprets normal interactions with his landlady and the police officer?
From Chapter 4 →9. What physical and mental symptoms does Raskolnikov experience after the murders, and how do these affect his behavior?
From Chapter 5 →10. Why does a simple police summons about unpaid rent terrify Raskolnikov so much, and what does this reveal about guilt's effect on perception?
From Chapter 5 →11. What physical and emotional state is Raskolnikov in when he wakes up, and who has been taking care of him?
From Chapter 6 →12. Why does Raskolnikov feel like a fraud when his mother and sister show him love and affection?
From Chapter 6 →13. What changes in Raskolnikov's mental state when he wakes up, and how does this affect his view of his recent behavior?
From Chapter 7 →14. Why does mental clarity sometimes make a dangerous situation feel more terrifying rather than less?
From Chapter 7 →15. What physical symptoms is Raskolnikov experiencing, and how long has he been unconscious?
From Chapter 8 →For Educators
Looking for teaching resources? Each chapter includes tiered discussion questions, critical thinking exercises, and modern relevance connections.
View Educator Resources →All Chapters
Chapter 1: The Garret
Raskolnikov, a former law student living in crushing poverty in St. Petersburg, emerges from his cramped, coffin-like room after days of brooding isol...
Chapter 2: Marmeladov's Confession
Raskolnikov wakes up in his cramped, coffin-like room after a feverish sleep filled with disturbing dreams. His landlady's servant, Nastasya, brings h...
Chapter 3: The Letter
Raskolnikov wanders the streets of St. Petersburg in a feverish, agitated state, his mind churning with dark thoughts about his financial desperation ...
Chapter 4: Dunya's Sacrifice
Raskolnikov wanders the streets of St. Petersburg in a fevered daze, his mind spinning between guilt and defiance after the murders. He's physically a...
Chapter 5: The Dream of the Mare
Raskolnikov wakes up in his cramped apartment feeling feverish and disoriented after his violent encounter with the pawnbroker and her sister. His min...
Chapter 6: Overhearing Fate
Raskolnikov wakes up after days of fevered illness to find his friend Razumikhin has been caring for him. More importantly, his mother and sister Duny...
Chapter 7: The Deed
Raskolnikov wakes up feeling different - almost like he's emerging from a fever dream. The crushing weight that's been suffocating him for days starts...
Chapter 8: Fever and Flight
Raskolnikov wakes up in a strange apartment, disoriented and feverish. He's been unconscious for days, tended by his friend Razumikhin and a doctor na...
Chapter 9: The Summons
Raskolnikov finds himself face-to-face with Porfiry Petrovich, the investigating magistrate, in what becomes a masterful psychological chess match. Po...
Chapter 10: At the Police Station
Raskolnikov faces his first real test after the murders when the police summons him to the station. His paranoia kicks into overdrive - every glance, ...
Chapter 11: Return to the Scene
Raskolnikov wakes up feeling physically and emotionally shattered after committing the murders. His fevered state reflects the psychological aftermath...
Chapter 12: Razumikhin's Care
Raskolnikov wakes up after days of fever and delirium to find his friend Razumikhin has been caring for him. His mother and sister Dunya have arrived ...
Chapter 13: The Visitors
Raskolnikov wakes up feeling different - like something has fundamentally shifted inside him. The fever that's been consuming him for days has broken,...
Chapter 14: Luzhin's Proposal
Raskolnikov sits in his cramped, coffin-like room, wrestling with a terrible idea that has been consuming him for weeks. He's broke, desperate, and fi...
Chapter 15: Porfiry's Game Begins
Raskolnikov sits in a tavern, still reeling from his conversation with the police clerk Zamyotov, when he spots Zamyotov himself dining nearby. In a m...
Chapter 16: Cat and Mouse
Raskolnikov finally confesses his crime to Sonia, the moment we've been building toward for chapters. He doesn't just blurt it out - he circles around...
Chapter 17: The Painter's Confession
Raskolnikov finally confesses his crimes to Sonya, laying bare the murder of the old pawnbroker and her sister. This moment represents the culmination...
Chapter 18: Sonia's Room
Raskolnikov meets with Porfiry Petrovich, the investigating magistrate, in what becomes a masterful psychological chess match. Porfiry doesn't directl...
Chapter 19: Marmeladov's Death
Raskolnikov finally confesses his crimes to Sonya, the moment we've been building toward for chapters. He tells her he murdered the old pawnbroker and...
Chapter 20: The Funeral Dinner
Raskolnikov finally faces Porfiry Petrovich in what becomes their most intense psychological duel yet. The detective has clearly figured out that Rask...
Chapter 21: Svidrigailov Appears
Raskolnikov finds himself in a strange, almost dreamlike state as he wanders the streets after his confession to Sonya. The weight of what he's done a...
Chapter 22: The Second Interview
Raskolnikov finally confesses his crime to Sonia, the moment both have been building toward. In her small, cramped room, he tells her he murdered the ...
Chapter 23: Luzhin's Trap
Raskolnikov finally confesses his crime to Sonia, the moment both have been building toward. The confession doesn't come easily - he circles around it...
Chapter 24: The Confrontation
Raskolnikov finally confesses his crimes to Sonia, the moment both characters have been building toward. In Sonia's cramped room, he tells her he murd...
Chapter 25: Reading Lazarus
Raskolnikov faces a crucial turning point as he grapples with whether to confess his crimes. The weight of his guilt has become unbearable, and he fin...
Chapter 26: Porfiry's Pressure
Raskolnikov finally confesses his crimes to Sonia, laying bare the full horror of what he's done. The scene is raw and devastating - he tells her abou...
Chapter 27: Svidrigailov's Past
Raskolnikov finally confesses his crimes to Sonia, the moment she's been waiting for and dreading. He doesn't just admit to the murders - he tries to ...
Chapter 28: A Mother's Farewell
Raskolnikov finally confesses his crimes to Sonia, the moment she's been waiting for and dreading. He tells her everything - how he killed the old paw...
Chapter 29: The Final Game
Raskolnikov finds himself in an impossible position as the investigation closes in around him. Porfiry Petrovitch, the clever examining magistrate, co...
Chapter 30: Svidrigailov's Confession
Raskolnikov finally confesses his crimes to Sonya, laying bare the full horror of what he's done. The confession isn't dramatic or relieving - it's ra...
Chapter 31: Night Terrors
Raskolnikov finally confesses his crime to Sonia, the moment we've been building toward for hundreds of pages. He doesn't just tell her he killed the ...
Chapter 32: Svidrigailov's End
Raskolnikov finally reaches his breaking point and confesses his crimes to Sonia, the woman who has become his moral anchor. In this pivotal scene, he...
Chapter 33: Dunya's Escape
Raskolnikov finally reaches his breaking point with the psychological torture he's been enduring. The weight of his crime has been crushing him for we...
Chapter 34: Raskolnikov's Choice
Raskolnikov finally confesses his crimes to Sonia, laying bare the full horror of what he's done. He tells her about murdering the old pawnbroker and ...
Chapter 35: Sonia's Faith
Raskolnikov finally confesses everything to Sonia, laying bare the full horror of what he's done and why he did it. This isn't just admitting to murde...
Chapter 36: At the Crossroads
Raskolnikov finally confesses his crimes to Sonia, the moment we've been building toward for hundreds of pages. He tells her he murdered the old pawnb...
Chapter 37: The Confession
Raskolnikov faces his final confrontation with Porfiry, the detective who has been circling him like a cat with a mouse. In this climactic scene, Porf...
Chapter 38: The Sentence
Raskolnikov sits in his Siberian prison cell, seven months into his sentence, wrestling with a truth that cuts deeper than any physical punishment. De...
Chapter 39: Siberian Exile
Raskolnikov finally experiences genuine redemption through love. In the prison hospital in Siberia, he realizes he truly loves Sonia and that she love...
Chapter 40: Sonia Follows
Raskolnikov finally finds his way to true redemption through love. After months of spiritual torment in the Siberian prison camp, he experiences a com...
Chapter 41: Resurrection
Raskolnikov's transformation reaches its completion in this final chapter. Seven years have passed since his crime, and he's been serving his sentence...
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