Maestria

Crime and Punishment

It is a hot day in July and Rodion Raskolnikoff, who has been forced by poverty to
abandon his law studies, is making his way through the poorest areas of the city on his wayto pawn his silver watch. After taking the money and leaving the watch with Alena Ivanovna, Raskolnikoff goes to a tavern where he meets a drunkard called Marmeladoff. Marmeladoff tells him thetragic story of his life and his family. His daughter, Sonia, has been forced by poverty into prostitution. Raskolnikoff accompanies Marmeladoff home and sees the terrible state of poverty in which thefamily live. Ever more disgusted by society, he returns home, where he receives a letter from his mother telling him of his sister’s problems and her plan to marry a wealthy lawyer, Peter Looshin.Raskolnikoff wakes in the middle of the night and desperately tries to decide how to get rid of all the evidence of his crimes. He falls asleep again and is woken up when a porter brings him a policesummons. Raskolnikoff ’s mother and sister arrive in
St Petersburg, and Raskolnikoff announces his opposition to Dounia’s marriage. Sonia invites Raskolnikoff to her father’s funeral the next day.Thenext morning Raskolnikoff receives a visit from Svidrigaïloff – an unsavoury man who once almost ruined Dounia’s reputation. Svidrigaïloff is pursuing Dounia after his wife’s mysterious death.Raskolnikoff attends Marmeladoff’s funeral. He confesses the murder to Sonia, who professes her love for him. Raskolnikoff wants Sonia to run away with him, but Sonia, who is very religious, encourages him togive himself up to the police.
While they are talking in Sonia’s room, a neighbour arrives to tell Sonia that her stepmother has been evicted with her children for not
paying the rent. Sonia rushesoff to find her step-mother while Raskolnikoff, who can’t decide if he loves Sonia
or hates her, goes to his room. The widow’s neighbour comes to find him, and he goes to help Sonia take
her...