Journal Entries Of Crime And Punishment English Literature Essay

Entry 1: The novel opens with the introduction of the novel’s protagonist, Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, who is a handsome young student in St. Petersburg during a bad heat wave at the moment. Because of his student debt, he is in debt to his landlord ‘ hence why he is going to see a ‘pawnbroker’ (basically pawn shop), planning to murder the pawnbroker, named Alyona Ivanovna, in spite of the fact that committing such a crime is revolting to him. Afterwards, he visits a tavern, why he meets a drunken clerk, Semyon Marmeladov, who rambles drunkenly to him. In chapter three, we are introduced to the squalid condition of Raskolnikov’s home. While his house disgusts him, it also serves him the isolation that he so desires. His mother has sent him a letter regarded his sister Dounia, who has been introduced by Marfa Petrovna to Pyotr Luzhin, a man who wants an honorable wife. Raskolnikov’s mother goes on to explain to the marriage will be in St. Petersburg and that she and his sister will soon be in town soon, and wants him to be Luzhin’s partner in law. He is angered by this prospect. In the fourth chapter, he decides to break off his sister’s wedding, seeing as it seems that his mother is pinning the hopes on Luzhin. Because of his anxiety, he decides to visit Razhumikin, who is one of his few friends from the university he went to.

* Why does Raskolnikov desire isolation so much?

* Why does Raskolnikov resent Luzhin?

* What does the word ‘scaffolding’ mean?

* What is a Titular Councilor, and what do they do?

* What are ‘the convictions of the younger generation’ that Peter Petrovich mentions on page 33?

Entry 2: Raskolnikov decides to delay his visit to Razhumikin until he murders the pawnbroker. Soon, he has a dream about his childhood about visiting his mother’s grave. On the way to gravesite, they encounter a wagon full of people, the driver of which is viciously beating the old horse who cannot pull the cart. Raskolnikov takes his dream as a sign of how to murder the pawnbroker, and finds out when her sister will be out of the apartment, leaving Alyona Ivanovna alone and vulnerable. In chapter six, Raskolnikov weighs the options on the murder, and decides that thousands of good deeds will account for one murder and feels that the pawnbroker has caused nothing except bad deeds to society. He is confident he will not be caught and that this is not truly a crime. Despite his previous convictions, he is in a rampaging frenzy by the time he reaches the apartment. He attacks Ivanovna, hitting her in the head twice with the blunt end of an ax, killing her. He then searches the apartment for her keys and the money, but he discovered by Lizaveta, her sister, and in his panic, he kills her too by hitting her once in the head with the sharp end of the ax. He escapes soon after and returns home. Upon waking up, he is furious with himself for not locking his door and hiding what few things he did steal, and fears being discovered as a result. His maid arrives with a police officer, who gives him a summons to appear at the local police station. Raskolnikov sees this as a trick to get him to confess, and mocks the assistant superintendent at the station. It turns out to be a summons to sign an IOU for the money he owns his landlady. He faints after overhearing a conversation about the murders he had committed, and after he awakens, is terrified of being suspected of being the murderer.

* What is the true significance of Raskolnikov’s bizarre dream?

* Why is Raskolnikov so intent on murdering the pawnbroker?

* Why is he convinced that the murder would not truly be a crime and he won’t be caught for it?

* Why aren’t the police suspicious of his unusual behavior?

* What’s a horn comb? (p. 75)

Entry 3: Raskolnikov, thinking that he may soon be caught, is delirious with panic. He hides the loot stolen until a large rock, and is giddy after doing so. He decides to finally make his visit to his old friend Razhumikin and immediately regrets it, who though he is offered a translating job, which he refuses. His delirium is worsening, and begins hallucinating. When he reaches home, he believes that he hears a police officer beating his landlady, even though his maid, Nastasya, insists that no such thing occurred and he soon lapses back into unconsciousness. Raskolnikov is suffering from a fever and had forgotten about the murder.’ A man comes to see Raskolnikov with 35 roubles from his mother.’ He initially refuses it, but soon takes it.’ Raskolnikov is not sure that he’s fully conscious and decides to lay low until he knows the full situation.’ He is afraid that Razhumikin and the others know he is guilty, and considers escaping to America.’ Razhumikin shows him that he has recovered the IOU and tears it up, then leaves to buy Raskolnikov some new clothes. A doctor, Zossimov, and an investigator named Porfiry Petrovich pay him a visit, where Razhumikin discusses the murder with the doctor. The local painters are being accused, and Razhumikin has most of it sorted out ‘ except that Raskolnikov is the murderer, who is excited by this conversation. Zossimov sees his excitement, but mistakes it as a sign that he is recovering from his illness. Luzhin comes to see Raskolnikov, who openly dislikes him, but Luzhin ignores it.’ Luzhin is staying with Lebeziatnikov and has made bad living arrangements for Dounia and Pulcheria Alexandrovna.’ The conversation turns to the murders and Raskolnikov learns that all people who had left pledges with the pawnbroker will be examined.’ Razhumikin comments that the murderer must have been a novice who escaped by luck.’ Raskolnikov accuses Luzhin of only wanting Dounia to feel indebted to him, causing Luzhin to accuse Pulcheria Alexandrovna of misrepresenting him.’ Raskolnikov threatens Luzhin if he ever mentions his mother again, and is offended.’ Razhumikin and Zossimov notice that Raskolnikov seems to care only about the murders.

* What is wrong with Raskolnikov?

* If Raskolnikov is so guilty about committing the murders, why is he so excited by the exchange between Zossimov and Porfiry?

* Why is Raskolnikov still so hostile to Luzhin?

* Does the heat and rain symbolize something, perhaps?

* What are ‘roubles?’

Entry 4: Despite his illness, Raskolnikov leaves his apartment, deciding that life, no matter what, is better than death. He goes to the Crystal Palace (Palais de Cristal in the book) and requests the newspapers of the week, while doing so he meets Zametov, who is a police officer and a friend of Razhumikin. He tells him that an amateur must have committed the murders. Raskolinov asks him if he thinks that he committed the murders. Zametov is at first frightened and confused, but then decides that he can’t be the killer. Still somewhat delirious, he decides

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to finally confess to the police and heads for the police station. On the way there, he runs into Marmeladov, who had been run over by a carriage after drunkenly stumbling in front of it. Raskolnikov takes him back to his apartment, where he dies. Some think he is going insane, and he returns home to discover that his mother and sister are waiting for him. Raskolnikov declares that he won’t permit Dounia and Luzhin’s wedding to happen. Both are thankful for Razhumikin for taking care of Raskolnikov while he is ill.

* Why is Raskolnikov asking the police officer about himself in regards to the murders?

* Why do his mother and sister show up unexpectedly at his apartment? Are they suspicious?

* If he is so afraid of being caught, why leave the apartment and be out in the open the way he is?

* Why does he feel that jumping off a bridge would not be a dignified enough of a death for him?

* Why does Zametov believe that Raskolnikov cannot be the murderer?

Entry 5: In the next chapter, Razhumikin is beating himself up for playing to Dounia’s emotion. Meanwhile, doctor Zossimov says that Raskolnikov is something called a ‘monomaniac’ ‘ but he is not insane. Razhumikin goes to visit Raskolnikov’s mother and sister, surprised to find that she is not angry with him, and tells them Raskolnikov’s life from the past two years that they have known each other, then they show him a letter from Luzhin requesting Raskolnikov’s absence at their first meeting. Dounia and Pulcheria Alexondrovna (his mother) visit him, where he fakes being sentimental. His mother is afraid of him, and he sees that. Raskolnikov is in a deep state of despair and panic because he feels that he can never speak freely again without the risk of revealing the crimes that he has recently committed. He then tells Dounia that he believes she is selling herself for money and forces her to choose between him and Luzhin.

* What is a ‘monomaniac?’

* Why had Luzhin requested in his letter that Raskolnikov not be present at the first meeting?

* Why does Raskolnikov fake being ‘sentimental’ at his mother and sister’s arrival at his apartment?

* Why does Raskolnikov feel that Dounia is selling herself off for money? Better yet, why does he propose an ultimatum?

* Is his mother afraid of him because of his illness, or does she sense something more sinister?