Crime and Punishment is told from a third-person perspective, but Dostoyevsky often changes the narrative focus throughout the novel. This work is widely regarded as the first psychological novel, and in many segments, Dostoyevsky explores the mental state of the main character, Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov. In passages that describe Raskolnikov's brooding, the murder, and his encounters with Inspector Porfiry Petrovich, Dostoyevsky immerses readers in Raskolnikov's mind. We see events through Raskolnikov's eyes and experience his frequently chaotic and conflicting thoughts. These sections feel more like a first-person confession than a distant third-person account. At the same time, Dostoyevsky depicts external events with vivid realism. Critics have observed that Dostoyevsky is essentially a dramatic novelist. He doesn't just tell a story; he stages it. Crime and Punishment is packed with dramatic scenes, with the murder of the pawnbroker being just one example. The novel also includes many intense confrontations between characters. Dostoyevsky's characters rarely engage in calm conversations; they often participate in heated arguments and verbal battles. Generally (though not always), Raskolnikov is involved in these confrontations. Opposing him in various scenes are characters such as his friend Razumikhin, his sister and mother, his sister's deceitful suitor Luzhin, the investigator Porfiry Petrovich, the innocent prostitute Sonya, and the cynical landowner Svidrigailov. These confrontations and pairings highlight the theme of the double, which is further discussed below.