Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky | Part 1, Chapter 7

Course Hero Literature Instructor Russell Jaffe provides an in-depth summary and analysis of Part 1, Chapter 7 of Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel Crime and Punishment.


Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky's canonical exploration of the ramifications of a single immoral act, traces the tale of Raskolnikov, a down-and-out law student who decides to commit a murder.

Justifying his fatal attack on a pawnbroker by citing her immorality and the financial benefit of robbing her, Raskolnikov nonetheless descends into a spiral of guilt and must ultimately come to terms with his crime.

Many of the characters also embody both virtue and vice, leaning toward one or the other as the situation dictates.

Believing even a murderer has the potential to be a productive member of society, Porfiry presents a path to redemption. Sonia represents a path to confession and forgiveness; her compassion speaks to the importance of all humanity.

Set in an era of conflict between religious and secular morality, this parable provides harrowing psychological insight into the consequences of moral relativism.

Russian writer Dostoevsky is widely considered to be one of the great psychological novelists. In Crime and Punishment, first published in 1866, he explores anguish, analyzes human dilemmas, and examines the struggle between harsh social realities and religious belief. As a young man, Dostoevsky belonged to a radical socialist group, but in prison he returned to Christianity.

The drama contains many enduring themes, including the conflict between "rational" concepts of morality and religious morality; suffering, and whether it is necessary for redemption; and alienation, as isolation from society can breed unstable thoughts. Important symbols include Napoleon as the “exceptional man,” Sonia’s cross, and Raskolnikov's garret.


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[saidsaid-nnqk]

He was not actually carrying around his axe so conspicuously ) he puts it in the noose inside his coat )

[aidenjoe]

This chapter is basically my daily warzone experience

[eddysu]

I just learned basic conversational Russian over the last couple of years after marrying a woman from Turkmenistan and one of my Russian speaking friends scolded me after he found out I was reading Dostoyevsky's "Queen of Spades" in English. He basically said it's a sin not to read Dostoyevsky in the original language. I decided to take up the challenge and read "Crime and Punishment" and I was able to get the main context and plotline but missed a lot of the smaller details due to my limited knowledge of the vocabulary, to which the 19th century Russian that it was written in, only added more difficulty. After finishing part 1 I wanted to find an English summary of it and your videos came as a blessing. Short but so rich in detail, I can't express how helpful this was. Thank you!

[sarahmellinger]

I would have flipped the axe for the first kill to show it was done by the blunt side.

[dxqth]

why doesnt he chop up the dressor with the axe