Raskolnikov’s promise to marry his landlady’s daughter, Natalya Yegorovna, is significant because it speaks to his desperation and poverty. It doesn’t appear as if Raskolnikov sought to wed Natalya out of love. It looks like the marriage was a business transaction. Raskolnikov owed Natalya’s mom, Praskovya Pavlovna, a lot of money. As a way to avoid paying her, Raskolnikov offers to marry her daughter.

If Praskovya’s daughter had not died, it could be reasoned that Raskolnikov’s financial distress would have been somewhat obviated, and perhaps he wouldn’t have been as determined to kill the two sisters. Then again, if Raskolnikov doesn’t kill the two sisters, Crime and Punishment would probably have to take on an entirely different narrative arc.

Additionally, Natalya’s death could be an act of mercy. Considering the disposition of Raskolnikov and the reasons why he wanted to marry her, it’s unlikely that the two of them would have had a happy life together. Taking into account the fates of the other female characters in the novel, death, once again, comes off as a charitable option. At least Natalya wasn’t continually sexually harassed by her employer or forced into sex work by her family, as other characters had to endure.