Crime and Punishment (Dostoevsky)
Short Summary
Saint Petersburg, Russia, 1860s. Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, a destitute former student tormented by isolation, poverty, and philosophical theories, planned the murder and robbery of an elderly pawnbroker. Believing her life worthless and his act justified if it later benefited humanity, he brutally killed the woman and accidentally took the life of her gentle sister, Lizaveta. Despite careful planning, the crime deeply unsettled him, plunging him into paranoia and depression.
Wracked by suspicion, Raskolnikov found solace and compassion in Sonia Marmeladov, a poor girl forced into prostitution to support her family. Exposure increased when detective Porfiry Petrovitch interviewed Raskolnikov, cleverly manipulating him until his guilt became evident. Meanwhile, Raskolnikov's sister Dounia rejected marriage to the arrogant Luzhin, and the strange but wealthy Svidrigaïlov, who knew Raskolnikov's secret, propositioned and threatened her. Dounia resisted courageously, prompting Svidrigaïlov’s ultimate suicide.
Driven by Sonia's urging, Raskolnikov eventually confessed his crimes to her and later turned himself in at the police precinct. Sentenced to exile in Siberia, he remained unremorseful initially, struggling deeply with pride and alienation. Sonia followed him there, offering love and unwavering support. One day, as they worked by the riverbank, Raskolnikov felt a profound shift within himself:
How it happened he did not know. But all at once something seemed to seize him and fling him at her feet. He wept and threw his arms round her knees... She understood, and a light of infinite happiness came into her eyes.
Detailed Summary by Parts
Part titles are editorial.
Part 1. Crime and Its Immediate Aftermath
On a sweltering July evening in St. Petersburg, a young man left his cramped garret apartment and walked toward the pawnbroker's flat. He was deeply in debt to his landlady and had been isolating himself from others due to his irritable, hypochondriac state.
Raskolnikov had been contemplating a terrible act for some time. He knew exactly how many steps it took to reach the pawnbroker's apartment—seven hundred and thirty. At the old woman's flat, he pawned his father's silver watch, carefully observing the layout of the rooms and noting where she kept her keys.
The next day, Raskolnikov overheard a conversation in a tavern between a student and an officer about the pawnbroker, Alyona Ivanovna. The student argued that killing such a vile, exploitative old woman might be justified if her money could help thousands of people.
Kill her, take her money and with the help of it devote oneself to the service of humanity and the good of all. What do you think, would not one tiny crime be wiped out by thousands of good deeds? For one life thousands would be saved.
This conversation eerily mirrored Raskolnikov's own thoughts. Later, he learned that the pawnbroker's sister, Lizaveta, would be away at a specific time, leaving the old woman alone. Taking this as a sign, Raskolnikov decided to carry out his plan.
On the appointed day, Raskolnikov stole an axe from the porter's room and made his way to the pawnbroker's apartment. He presented her with a fake pledge, then struck her on the head with the axe, killing her. As he searched for her money, Lizaveta unexpectedly returned. In panic, Raskolnikov killed her too. He managed to steal some items but left much of the money behind in his haste and terror.
Part 2. Guilt, Investigation, and Illness
After the murders, Raskolnikov fell into a feverish state, alternating between delirium and lucidity. He became obsessed with hiding evidence, cutting away bloodstained parts of his clothes and concealing the stolen items under a stone in a courtyard. His paranoia grew when he received a summons to the police station, though it turned out to be merely about his debt to his landlady.
During this period, Raskolnikov encountered a drunkard named Marmeladov, who told him about his family's desperate situation and his daughter who had been forced into prostitution to support them. When Marmeladov was later run over by a carriage, Raskolnikov helped take him home and gave money to his widow, Katerina Ivanovna.
At Marmeladov's deathbed, Raskolnikov met his daughter Sonia. Despite his own poverty, he left twenty roubles for the family. Meanwhile, he received a letter from his mother announcing that his sister Dounia was engaged to a wealthy man named Luzhin and that they would be visiting Petersburg soon.
Raskolnikov suspected that Dounia was sacrificing herself by marrying Luzhin for his benefit. In his distress, he sought out his old university friend Razumihin, though he quickly regretted this decision and left abruptly. His erratic behavior concerned Razumihin, who later visited him during his illness and took care of him.
Part 3. Family Tensions and Growing Suspicion
Raskolnikov's mother and sister arrived in Petersburg, and their first meeting was strained. He insisted that Dounia break off her engagement to Luzhin, declaring that he would not accept such a sacrifice. When Luzhin visited Raskolnikov, tensions escalated as Raskolnikov openly insulted him.
Sonia visited Raskolnikov to invite him to her father's funeral. Raskolnikov and Razumihin then went to see Porfiry Petrovitch, the investigating magistrate handling the pawnbroker's murder case. Raskolnikov had pawned items with the old woman and needed to reclaim them.
During their conversation, Porfiry brought up an article Raskolnikov had written about crime, in which he argued that extraordinary men have the right to transgress laws for the greater good.
In my article all men are divided into 'ordinary' and 'extraordinary.' Ordinary men have to live in submission, have no right to transgress the law, because, don't you see, they are ordinary. But extraordinary men have a right to commit any crime.
Porfiry's subtle questioning and knowledge of Raskolnikov's visit to the pawnbroker's apartment after the murder made Raskolnikov increasingly paranoid. He began to suspect that Porfiry was playing psychological games with him, trying to provoke a confession.
Meanwhile, Dounia received a letter from Luzhin demanding that Raskolnikov not be present at their next meeting. This ultimatum led to the final break between Dounia and Luzhin when they met at Pulcheria's lodgings. Dounia refused to choose between her brother and her fiancé, and Luzhin stormed out after making spiteful remarks.
Part 4. Svidrigailov's Arrival and Confession to Sonia
A new figure appeared in Raskolnikov's life—Arkady Ivanovitch Svidrigailov, a former employer of Dounia who had harassed her. Svidrigailov claimed to have overheard Raskolnikov's confession to Sonia and hinted at using this knowledge. He revealed that his wife Marfa Petrovna had died and left Dounia three thousand roubles in her will.
Tormented by guilt and the fear of discovery, Raskolnikov visited Sonia in her room. He was drawn to her suffering and purity amid degradation. He asked her to read the biblical story of Lazarus, then abruptly told her he knew who killed Lizaveta, promising to reveal more later.
The next day, Raskolnikov went to see Porfiry again. The investigator engaged him in a psychological duel, hinting that he knew Raskolnikov was the murderer. Just as Raskolnikov was about to break down, a painter named Nikolay unexpectedly confessed to the murders, temporarily saving Raskolnikov from exposure.
Later, Raskolnikov returned to Sonia's room and confessed that he had killed the pawnbroker and her sister. He tried to explain his motives—that he wanted to prove he was an extraordinary man, above ordinary morality.
I wanted to find out then and quickly whether I was a louse like everybody else or a man. Whether I can step over barriers or not, whether I dare stoop to pick up or not, whether I am a trembling creature or whether I have the right...
Sonia, horrified but compassionate, urged him to confess publicly and accept his punishment as a path to redemption. She promised to follow him to Siberia if necessary.
Go at once, this very minute, stand at the crossroads, bow down, first kiss the earth which you have defiled and then bow down to all the world and say to all men aloud, 'I am a murderer!' Then God will send you life again.
Part 5. Luzhin's Scheme and Katerina Ivanovna's Death
Luzhin, seeking revenge for his rejection, devised a plan to discredit Sonia. He gave her ten roubles, then secretly planted a hundred-rouble note in her pocket. At Katerina Ivanovna's memorial dinner for her husband, he publicly accused Sonia of theft.
Fortunately, Lebeziatnikov, who had witnessed Luzhin planting the money, exposed the scheme. Raskolnikov revealed Luzhin's motive—to discredit Sonia and, by extension, himself. Humiliated, Luzhin left, and Katerina Ivanovna was evicted from her lodgings by her landlady.
Driven to desperation, Katerina Ivanovna took her children to the streets to beg, forcing them to sing and dance. Her consumption worsened, and she collapsed from a hemorrhage. She was carried to Sonia's room, where she died after entrusting her children to Sonia's care. Svidrigailov, who had overheard Raskolnikov's confession to Sonia, offered to provide for the children.
Part 6. Final Decisions and Confession
Raskolnikov entered a period of mental fog, wandering the city aimlessly. Porfiry visited him and revealed that he knew Raskolnikov was the murderer, despite Nikolay's confession. He advised Raskolnikov to confess, promising a reduced sentence if he did so voluntarily.
Meanwhile, Svidrigailov lured Dounia to his lodgings by claiming he had information about her brother. He confessed his obsession with her and tried to force himself upon her. Dounia resisted, even threatening him with a revolver. Moved by her absolute rejection, Svidrigailov let her go. Later that night, having lost all hope, he committed suicide.
Before his death, Svidrigailov had arranged for Katerina Ivanovna's children to be placed in good institutions and had given Sonia three thousand roubles, anticipating that she would need it to follow Raskolnikov to Siberia.
Raskolnikov visited his mother for the last time, knowing he would soon be separated from her. Though he couldn't bring himself to confess his crime to her, he asked for her prayers and promised to return. He then met with Dounia, who had learned of his crime from Svidrigailov. Despite her horror, she still loved her brother.
Raskolnikov continued to justify his actions, claiming he had killed a "louse" and not a human being.
The old woman is of no consequence. The old woman was a mistake perhaps, but she is not what matters! I didn't kill a human being, but a principle! I killed the principle, but I didn't overstep, I stopped on this side... I was only capable of killing.
Finally, Raskolnikov went to Sonia, who gave him a cypress cross to wear. Together they went to the police station, where Raskolnikov confessed to the murders.
Epilogue. Redemption in Siberia
Raskolnikov was sentenced to eight years of penal servitude in Siberia. The court had been lenient due to his confession and evidence of his past good deeds. Dounia married Razumihin, and they planned to join Raskolnikov in Siberia after establishing themselves.
Pulcheria Alexandrovna fell ill and died without knowing the full truth about her son. Sonia followed Raskolnikov to Siberia, settling in the town near the prison. She visited him whenever possible and corresponded regularly with Dounia and Razumihin.
In prison, Raskolnikov remained isolated from other convicts, who disliked and distrusted him. He still clung to his theory that he had merely failed in execution, not in principle. He couldn't understand why his fellow prisoners loved Sonia, who had become like a mother to them.
After falling ill, Raskolnikov had a dream about a plague of madness spreading across the world, with each infected person believing they alone possessed the truth. Upon recovery, he found Sonia waiting for him outside the hospital. Suddenly overcome with emotion, he threw himself at her feet, weeping. He realized he loved her, and this love marked the beginning of his moral regeneration.
Though he knew that great suffering still lay ahead, Raskolnikov had finally begun his journey toward redemption. His love for Sonia and his gradual acceptance of his guilt opened the door to a new life.
That is the beginning of a new story—the story of the gradual renewal of a man, the story of his gradual regeneration, of his passing from one world into another, of his initiation into a new unknown life.