Crime and Punishment is organized into six main sections plus an epilogue, with each section containing multiple chapters. Typically, each chapter centers around a distinct dramatic event. This episodic format is largely due to the novel's initial publication as a serial in a magazine. Magazine readers favored installments that were complete in themselves and rich with dramatic incidents. Many chapters end with the sudden and unexpected introduction of a new character. By incorporating such surprises at the close of many chapters, Dostoyevsky kept the suspense high. He knew his audience would be eager to discover what unfolds next and would look forward to the following installment. Additionally, leaving a conflict unresolved at a chapter's end would inspire Dostoyevsky to continue writing the next part. This approach to writing helps explain the frequent sudden shifts in the story's focus.