Part II - Chapter III Practice Quiz — Crime and Punishment
by Fyodor Dostoevsky — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Part II - Chapter III
What condition is Raskolnikov in at the beginning of Part II, Chapter III?
He is recovering from several days of feverish delirium, sometimes unconscious, sometimes half-conscious, following the murders of the pawnbroker and Lizaveta.
Who delivers money to Raskolnikov, and how much?
A messenger from the merchant Shelopaev delivers thirty-five roubles, sent by Raskolnikov's mother through Afanasy Ivanovitch Vahrushin.
How does Raskolnikov initially react when asked to sign for the money?
He pushes away the pen, refuses to sign, and says he does not want the money. Razumihin eventually persuades him to sign.
What did Razumihin do to resolve Raskolnikov's debt with the landlady?
He paid the businessman Tchebarov ten roubles to recover Raskolnikov's promissory note (IOU), stopping the legal action against him. He then tore up the note.
What does Razumihin buy for Raskolnikov with the remaining money?
A complete new outfit: a cap (80 copecks), trousers and waistcoat (2 roubles 25 copecks), boots (1 rouble 50 copecks), and underclothes (5 roubles)—totaling nine roubles fifty-five copecks.
What does Raskolnikov do the moment he is left alone in his room?
He leaps out of bed and frantically searches the room for incriminating evidence—checking the hole under the wallpaper, rummaging in the stove ashes for cloth fragments, and examining his sock for bloodstains.
What does Raskolnikov consider doing in his paranoid monologue after being left alone?
He considers escaping—taking the money and the IOU, finding a new lodging, or fleeing "far away... to America," convinced that the police have set a watch for him.
What kind of friend is Razumihin to Raskolnikov in this chapter?
He is selflessly devoted: he tracked Raskolnikov through the address bureau, brought a doctor, fed him soup and tea by the spoonful, settled his debts, and bought him new clothes—all while maintaining good humor.
What is Raskolnikov's psychological strategy when he regains consciousness?
He conceals his returning strength with "almost animal cunning," pretending to be weaker than he is so he can observe what others know about him and whether his crime has been discovered.
Who is Zossimov, and what role does he play?
Zossimov is a young doctor whom Razumihin brought to examine Raskolnikov twice during his illness. He diagnosed Raskolnikov's condition as nervous nonsense caused by bad feeding, not anything serious.
Who is Praskovya Pavlovna (Pashenka)?
She is Raskolnikov's landlady—a shy, forty-year-old woman described as fat, buxom, good-natured, and "absurdly bashful." Razumihin has charmed her into being cooperative about Raskolnikov's situation.
Who is Zametov, and why does his visit alarm Raskolnikov?
Zametov is the head clerk at the police office. Razumihin brought him to visit, and Raskolnikov is alarmed because Zametov heard his delirious ravings and handled his blood-stained sock.
How does the chapter develop the theme of guilt and psychological punishment?
Raskolnikov's illness physically manifests his inner torment. His delirium causes him to rave about details connected to the murder, and upon waking, he is consumed with paranoid fear that he has exposed himself.
How does the chapter explore the conflict between isolation and human connection?
Raskolnikov's refusal of money and resistance to Razumihin's care reflect his desire for radical independence, while Razumihin's devoted friendship represents the human bonds Raskolnikov's extraordinary-man theory rejects.
What does the theme of dependence and obligation reveal about Raskolnikov?
Despite his ideology of self-sufficiency, Raskolnikov is forced to depend on his mother's money, Razumihin's care, and the landlady's patience—exposing the gap between his philosophical ideals and practical reality.
How does Dostoevsky use dramatic irony in this chapter?
Razumihin innocently recounts Raskolnikov's delirious ravings about earrings, chains, Krestovsky Island, and the police—details loaded with criminal significance that only Raskolnikov and the reader understand.
What literary technique does Dostoevsky use in Raskolnikov's frantic room search?
Stream of consciousness—Raskolnikov's panicked interior monologue rushes between checking hiding places, questioning what others know, and planning escape, conveying his psychological disintegration with urgent immediacy.
What does the new clothing Razumihin buys symbolize?
The new clothes symbolize the possibility of renewal and a fresh start—a new identity that could replace the one contaminated by the murders. They contrast with the old, blood-stained garments Raskolnikov clings to.
What does "remittance" mean as used in this chapter?
A sum of money sent as payment or gift, especially through a third party. The messenger describes the thirty-five roubles as a "remittance" sent by Raskolnikov's mother through the merchant Vahrushin.
What does "capriciously" mean in the context of Raskolnikov pushing away his tea?
Acting on a sudden, unpredictable whim. After sipping a dozen spoonfuls of tea, Raskolnikov "suddenly released his head, pushed the spoon away capriciously, and sank back on the pillow."
"I believe I am not wandering. I believe it is reality." What does this reveal about Raskolnikov?
This quote reveals that after days of delirium, Raskolnikov cannot fully distinguish between fever dreams and waking life. It underscores his fragile mental state and the psychological damage inflicted by his crime.
"Good God, only tell me one thing: do they know of it yet or not?" What is Raskolnikov referring to?
He is referring to the murders. This desperate question, asked the moment he is alone, reveals that his overwhelming preoccupation is whether his crime has been discovered and whether those around him are merely pretending ignorance.
"It was base of me to say that... My mother herself is almost a beggar." What does Raskolnikov confess?
He confesses that he lied to his landlady, promising his mother would pay his debts, knowing his mother was nearly destitute herself. This moment of honesty reveals his guilt extends beyond the murders to his exploitation of his family.