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Crime and Punishment

by Fyodor Dostoevsky

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Crime and Punishment Characters

The main characters in Crime and Punishment are Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov, Pulcheria Alexandrovna, Duonia, Dmitri Razumihin, Piotr Petrovitch Luzhin, Sonia, and Profiry Petrovitch.

  • Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov is an impoverished former law student who murders a pawnbroker.
  • Pulcheria Alexandrovna is Raskolnikov's mother, who is tormented by knowledge of Raskolnikov's crime.
  • Duonia is Raskolnikov's sister, who tries to save him from himself.
  • Dmitri Razumihin is Raskolnikov's friend, who pines for Duonia.
  • Piotr Petrovitch Luzhin is a government official engaged to Duonia.
  • Sonia is the daughter of Raskolnikov's friend. Raskolnikov confides to her.
  • Porfiry Petrovich is a detective who elicits Raskolnikov's confession. 

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Characters Discussed

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Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov

Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov (ROH-dyon roh-MAH-noh-vihch ras-KOL-nih-kov), called Rodya, a psychologically complex young law student who murders not for wealth but as an experiment, to see if he is one of those who can circumvent society’s restrictions. Impoverished and weakened by illness and hunger, he decides to rid society of a worthless person in order to preserve his genius for posterity, to relieve his devoted mother and sister from compromising themselves, and to prove that he is above conscience. He kills Alonya Ivanovna, a miserly old crone, and her sister. Later, in his loss of illusions, of peace of mind, and of the wealth he sought, he learns through suffering. Important changes result from acceptance of his inward punishment. His humanitarian instincts are brought out; his deep love of family and friends is revealed, and his belief that life must be lived is renewed. The study of his psychoses from the time he conceives his mad theory to his attempt at expiation in Siberia provides a masterly characterization of a tormented mind and shattered body.

Pulcheria Alexandrovna

Pulcheria Alexandrovna (pewl-CHEH-ryah ah-lehk-SAHN-drov-nah), his long-suffering mother, whose faith in her son sustains her but whose mind gives way under the strain of his deed and guilt. A handsome, middle-aged woman of distinction, a widow who has supported her family and urged her son to make his way in life, Pulcheria is a study of motherhood thwarted, a woman tortured by her inability to fathom her favorite’s depravity.

Avdotya Romanovna

Avdotya Romanovna (ahv-DOT-yah roh-MAH-nov-nah), called Dounia (DEW-nyah), her daughter and the younger sister who has aided in her mother’s effort to make something of her brother through working and skimping. A mirror of her mother’s fortitude and faith, Dounia is the beautiful, impoverished, clear-sighted savior of her family.

Dmitri Prokofitch Razumihin

Dmitri Prokofitch Razumihin (DMIH-tree proh-KOH-fihch rah-zew-MEE-hihn), Raskolnikov’s devoted friend. Enamored of Dounia, he is the savior of the family honor. Like Dounia, he has all the normal responses of a generous nature and works unceasingly to discover and repair the tragic situation of his friend. Affianced to the beautiful Dounia, he founds a publishing company to aid the hapless girl, mother, and brother. He is one of the few characters with a sense of humor; his good deeds lighten a psychologically gloomy and depth-insighted plot.

Piotr Petrovitch Luzhin

Piotr Petrovitch Luzhin (pyohtr peh-TROH-vihch LEW-zhihn), a minor government official betrothed to Dounia, a man filled with a sense of his own importance. Raskolnikov objects to his suit. Dounia herself loses interest in him after she meets Razumihin, whom she later marries.

Sofya Semyonovna Marmeladov

Sofya Semyonovna Marmeladov (soh-FYAH seh-MYOH-nov-nah mahr-meh-LAH-dov), called Sonia, the daughter of a drunken clerk and stepdaughter of the high-strung Katerina Ivanovna. It is her father who brings the luckless prostitute to Rodya’s attention and whose funeral the unstable student finances. From gratitude, the benevolent though soiled child of the streets comforts the murderer and supports him in his transgressions so that he finally will confess. Forced to support her father, her stepmother, and their three children, she remains unsullied, and her spirit transcends these morbid conditions. With great depth of character and faith, Sonia follows the criminal to Siberia, where she inspires the entire prison colony with her devotion and goodness.

Marmeladov

Marmeladov, an impoverished ex-clerk and drunkard, Sonia’s father. He is killed when struck by a carriage. Raskolnikov, who witnesses the accident, gives Marmeladov’s wife some...

(This entire section contains 762 words.)

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money to help pay for his friend’s funeral expenses.

Katerina Ivanovna

Katerina Ivanovna (kah-teh-RIH-nah ee-VAH-nov-nah), Marmeladov’s wife, slowly dying of tuberculosis. She collapses in the street and dies a short time later.

Arkady Ivanovitch Svidrigailov

Arkady Ivanovitch Svidrigailov (ahr-KAH-dee ee-VAH-noh-vihch svih-drih-GAY-lov), the sensualist in whose house Dounia had been a governess. He is both the would-be seducer and savior of Dounia, and through her of Sonia’s orphaned half sisters and brother, when he gives her money as atonement for his conduct. A complicated character, sometimes considered, with Raskolnikov, one of the alter egos of the writer, he is obsessed by guilt and driven by libido.

Porfiry Petrovitch

Porfiry Petrovitch (pohr-FIH-ree peh-TROH-vihch), a brilliant detective more interested in the rehabilitation than the prosecution of the murderer. Somewhat disturbed and neurotic himself, Porfiry seconds Sonia’s influence and causes Raskolnikov to confess his crime and thus begin his redemption.

Alonya Ivanovna

Alonya Ivanovna (ah-LOH-nyah ee-VAH-nov-nah), a miserly old pawnbroker and usurer murdered by Raskolnikov.

Lizaveta Ivanovna

Lizaveta Ivanovna (lee-zah-VYEH-tah), a seller of old clothes and Alonya Ivanovna’s sister, also killed by Raskolnikov.

Characters

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In discussing "flat" characters—those with only one dimension, consistently seen from a single perspective—and "round" characters—those who mirror real life with multiple dimensions and behaviors—E. M. Forster highlights a key distinction: the capacity for genuine change. Using this criterion, the main characters in Crime and Punishment can be assessed based on how their behavior evolves or remains static.

Raskolnikov, Svidrigaylov, and Dunya Raskolnikov emerge as truly round characters, while Razumikhin, Sonia, Porfiry Petrovich, and Marmeladov stay relatively unchanged and flat. Raskolnikov's most significant transformation is his acceptance of what could be seen as Divine Grace at the novel’s conclusion. Throughout the story, he experiences a tumultuous range of emotions, from the agonizing uncertainty early on—"He had to make up his mind at all costs, do something, anything or—'Or renounce life altogether,' he suddenly cried, beside himself. 'Humbly accept my fate, such as it is, and for ever give up every right to act, to live, and to love!'"—to grappling with his guilt (often rationalized away)—to ultimately coming to terms with his actions, punishment, and love: "How it happened he did not know, but suddenly something seemed to seize him and throw him at her [Sonia's] feet. He embraced her knees and wept." This portrayal is a far cry from the arrogant and prideful man who commits murder, verbally spars with the police, and believes himself above the law.

Throughout his emotional and psychological turmoil—marked, for example, by his dream of a draft horse being brutally beaten to death, often considered an autobiographical detail of the author—Raskolnikov confronts numerous challenges. These include his illnesses, difficulties in interacting with others (such as Luzhin and Svidrigaylov), and his "distance" from society due to his crime. Although Raskolnikov undergoes significant changes, they remain consistent and believable, given the context and his backstory provided through antecedent information.

Although Svidrigaylov doesn't appear on stage as frequently as Raskolnikov, he is central to the subplot involving Dunya's struggles with the two men vying for her affection. She nearly marries Luzhin but ultimately resists, and she manages to turn away Svidrigaylov, though it involves significant violence and suffering. Initially, this proud young man, whose wife has passed away (Dunya had once worked as a governess in his household), follows Dunya from the provinces to St. Petersburg. It is only when he realizes that she cannot love him but can stand up to him that he transforms into a more sensitive and depressed, yet in some ways more admirable, individual. On the eve of his suicide, he visits Sonia, claims he is "going to America" (a recurring symbol he uses to signify his departure from life), and gives her a substantial amount of money (an action previously unthinkable for him unless it was to secure sexual favors). In his cheap hotel room, he reflects on the violent encounter with Dunya and feels a deep sorrow for her—but it is too late. He resigns himself, saying, "Oh to hell with it! Again the same thoughts. I must chuck it all. Chuck it!" After enduring several harrowing nightmares and wandering through the city's fog, he ends his life with a pistol to his head.

Dunya's appearances in the plot are limited, but both Raskolnikov and their mother think about her extensively. Her previous distressing experience at Svidrigaylov's house is recounted in the backstory, and the scenes she participates in are memorable. The fundamental shift in her behavior and attitude is notable: initially, she appears passive and merely an extension of her brother and mother. However, as Luzhin's persistent attentions become more irritating (exacerbated by Raskolnikov's insistence that she reject this suitor), and as Svidrigaylov's renewed advances become more painful, Dunya grows stronger. This strength is evident in the pivotal scene where she decisively rejects Svidrigaylov and even manages to fire a shot at him—an action that would have been unthinkable for this refined young woman at the beginning of the novel.

Among the "flat" characters, Sonia Marmeladov holds the most significance. Her positive influence on Raskolnikov is crucial and begins early in the story. Throughout the novel, she remains consistently humble, loving (developing a deep affection for Raskolnikov early on), and devout. Sonia sacrifices her "virtue" for the sake of her family, which includes her ineffective mother and her dissolute father. She is ready to sacrifice her own comfort and safety again by following Raskolnikov to Siberia, intending to stay close to him and, as the conclusion reveals, help him adopt a more reasonable and "healthy" outlook on life. She achieves this partly through the innocent fondness she inspires in the other prisoners, which greatly impresses Raskolnikov, aligning with her gentle and tender demeanor throughout the text.

Razumikhin serves as a male counterpart to Sonia, representing another positive influence in Raskolnikov's life. He is a loyal friend who remains unchanged. His marriage to Dunya later in the story is both fitting and predictable. While he lacks significant intellectual achievements (reminiscent of Horatio's relationship to Hamlet), he is practical and steadfast. His clumsy attempt to explain crime through the socialist theory of "environment" reveals his somewhat shallow thinking but also his loyalty to his friend. Some readers might question the motivation behind this friendship, as the novel provides no substantial reason for Razumikhin's attachment to Raskolnikov other than their long acquaintance. Nonetheless, his unwavering devotion to the young murderer encourages readers to feel greater sympathy for Raskolnikov.

Porfiry Petrovich is a memorable character, though he remains essentially the same throughout the book. His two pivotal scenes—one where he subtly hints that he knows Raskolnikov is guilty, and the other where he directly accuses him—are executed masterfully. Porfiry's annoying laugh and pretense of camaraderie—"my dear fellow"—fray Raskolnikov's nerves, which is precisely what the examining magistrate intends. Despite this, Porfiry is consistently portrayed as a calculating, insightful, and somewhat irritating policeman in all his appearances.

Marmeladov serves primarily as a plot device. He provides a reason for Sonia's loss of virtue and highlights the theme of poverty that recurs throughout the novel. His erratic behavior is consistent, remaining unchanged from his first appearance to the day he dies.

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