Teaching Crime and Punishment
by Fyodor Dostoevsky (1866)
Why Teach Crime and Punishment?
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.
This 41-chapter work explores themes of Morality & Ethics, Suffering & Resilience, Identity & Self, Personal Growth—topics that remain deeply relevant to students' lives today. Our Intelligence Amplifier™ analysis helps students connect these classic themes to modern situations they actually experience.
Major Themes to Explore
Isolation
Explored in chapters: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 +23 more
Class
Explored in chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9 +22 more
Identity
Explored in chapters: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9 +18 more
Redemption
Explored in chapters: 13, 16, 17, 19, 20, 22 +13 more
Pride
Explored in chapters: 1, 3, 22, 24, 25, 26 +6 more
Guilt
Explored in chapters: 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 +5 more
Human Connection
Explored in chapters: 34, 35, 36, 38, 39, 40 +1 more
Truth
Explored in chapters: 20, 27, 32, 33, 34, 37
Skills Students Will Develop
Detecting Moral Drift
This chapter teaches how to recognize when desperation starts making wrong choices seem reasonable—before you cross lines you can't uncross.
See in Chapter 1 →Detecting Rationalization Under Pressure
This chapter teaches how desperation rewrites moral reasoning, helping readers recognize when survival needs are disguised as willing choices.
See in Chapter 2 →Recognizing Dangerous Validation
This chapter teaches how to identify when we're seeking confirmation for our worst impulses rather than genuine guidance.
See in Chapter 3 →Reading Guilt Signals
This chapter teaches how to recognize when guilt is distorting someone's perception of normal interactions, turning routine conversations into imagined threats.
See in Chapter 4 →Recognizing Psychological Aftermath
This chapter teaches how crossing moral boundaries creates predictable patterns of guilt, paranoia, and physical symptoms that can be identified and managed.
See in Chapter 5 →Recognizing Guilt-Driven Isolation
This chapter teaches how to identify when shame is creating walls between you and genuine human connection.
See in Chapter 6 →Recognizing Crisis Clarity
This chapter teaches how to identify when someone shifts from chaotic guilt to calculated damage control - a crucial skill for reading workplace politics and personal relationships.
See in Chapter 7 →Recognizing Psychosomatic Patterns
This chapter teaches how to identify when physical symptoms are your body's way of processing psychological burdens you haven't consciously acknowledged.
See in Chapter 8 →Reading Psychological Pressure
This chapter teaches how to recognize when someone is using indirect questioning and psychological positioning to extract information or confessions.
See in Chapter 9 →Recognizing Guilt-Induced Self-Sabotage
This chapter teaches how guilt transforms innocent interactions into psychological minefields, helping readers identify when their own conscience is creating the problems they fear.
See in Chapter 10 →Discussion Questions (205)
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?
6. What does Raskolnikov's mother reveal in her letter about Dunya's situation and upcoming marriage?
7. Why does Raskolnikov see through his mother's cheerful tone about Dunya's engagement to Luzhin?
8. Where do you see people today making sacrifices that slowly compromise their values for survival or family needs?
9. If you were advising Dunya, what alternatives to this marriage might you suggest, and what would each option require?
10. What does this chapter reveal about how poverty doesn't just limit money, but forces people to trade away pieces of themselves?
11. What does Raskolnikov overhear in the tavern, and why does this conversation affect him so powerfully?
12. Why does hearing strangers voice his own thoughts make Raskolnikov feel like his plan is justified rather than making him question it?
13. Where do you see people today using others' agreement as proof they're right, especially when making questionable decisions?
14. How can you tell the difference between genuinely good advice and people just telling you what you want to hear?
15. What does this chapter reveal about how isolation and desperation can warp our ability to judge right from wrong?
16. What ordinary situation becomes terrifying for Raskolnikov when he returns home, and why?
17. How does carrying his secret change the way Raskolnikov interprets normal interactions with his landlady and the police officer?
18. 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?
19. If you were Raskolnikov's friend and noticed his paranoid behavior, what would be the most helpful way to approach him?
20. What does this chapter reveal about how secrets and guilt operate in our minds, even when no one else knows what we've done?
+185 more questions available in individual chapters
Suggested Teaching Approach
1Before Class
Assign students to read the chapter AND our IA analysis. They arrive with the framework already understood, not confused about what happened.
2Discussion Starter
Instead of "What happened in this chapter?" ask "Where do you see this pattern in your own life?" Students connect text to lived experience.
3Modern Connections
Use our "Modern Adaptation" sections to show how classic patterns appear in today's workplace, relationships, and social dynamics.
4Assessment Ideas
Personal application essays, current events analysis, peer teaching. Assess application, not recall—AI can't help with lived experience.
Chapter-by-Chapter Resources
Chapter 1
The Garret
Chapter 2
Marmeladov's Confession
Chapter 3
The Letter
Chapter 4
Dunya's Sacrifice
Chapter 5
The Dream of the Mare
Chapter 6
Overhearing Fate
Chapter 7
The Deed
Chapter 8
Fever and Flight
Chapter 9
The Summons
Chapter 10
At the Police Station
Chapter 11
Return to the Scene
Chapter 12
Razumikhin's Care
Chapter 13
The Visitors
Chapter 14
Luzhin's Proposal
Chapter 15
Porfiry's Game Begins
Chapter 16
Cat and Mouse
Chapter 17
The Painter's Confession
Chapter 18
Sonia's Room
Chapter 19
Marmeladov's Death
Chapter 20
The Funeral Dinner
Ready to Transform Your Classroom?
Start with one chapter. See how students respond when they arrive with the framework instead of confusion. Then expand to more chapters as you see results.