Plot Summary
Part III, Chapter II of Crime and Punishment opens the morning after Razumihin's drunken visit to Raskolnikov's mother and sister. Razumihin wakes at eight o'clock consumed with shame over his boorish behavior the previous night—especially his jealous attacks on Luzhin, Dunya's fiancé, and his reckless flirtation with Avdotya Romanovna (Dunya). He washes and dresses carefully, then checks on Raskolnikov with Dr. Zossimov, who warns about the patient's monomaniac tendencies and advises Razumihin to tell the family to be careful with him.
At nine o'clock Razumihin arrives at the Bakaleyev lodgings, where Pulcheria Alexandrovna and Dunya greet him warmly—far more graciously than he expected. Over breakfast he spends three-quarters of an hour describing Raskolnikov's life over the past year, his proud and contradictory character, and his failed engagement to his former landlady's sickly daughter. The women press him for details about Raskolnikov's personality, and Razumihin provides a penetrating assessment: "He is morose, gloomy, proud and haughty... it's as though he were alternating between two characters."
Character Development
This chapter is pivotal for Razumihin's characterization. His internal monologue reveals a man torn between self-loathing and idealism. He recognizes that Dunya is far above him socially and intellectually, yet he cannot suppress his feelings. His careful grooming—washing scrupulously but refusing to shave, lest it seem calculated—captures his earnest but awkward sincerity. Meanwhile, his revised opinion of Luzhin shows moral growth: he publicly retracts his insults, declaring that Dunya's choice of husband deserves respect.
Pulcheria Alexandrovna and Dunya emerge as strong, perceptive women. Dunya's quiet authority is evident when she overrides her mother's plan to exclude Raskolnikov from the meeting with Luzhin, insisting he must attend. Their worn gloves and shabby lodgings emphasize their poverty, yet Razumihin notes they carry themselves with "special dignity."
Themes and Motifs
The chapter develops several key themes. Duality and contradiction dominate, from Razumihin's description of Raskolnikov's "two characters" to his own oscillation between self-abasement and bold confidence. Pride and poverty intertwine as both the Raskolnikov women and Razumihin navigate social humiliation with dignity. Luzhin's letter—demanding that Raskolnikov be excluded from their evening meeting and insinuating he gave money to a woman "of notorious behaviour"—introduces the theme of manipulation through propriety, as Luzhin uses formal politeness to assert control.
Literary Devices
Dostoevsky employs free indirect discourse extensively in Razumihin's morning monologue, blending the narrator's voice with Razumihin's frantic self-criticism. The chapter uses dramatic irony: Zossimov and Razumihin discuss Raskolnikov's "monomania" about the murders without knowing he committed them. Symbolism appears in the worn gloves with holes and the expensive gold watch—a gift from Luzhin—that looks "entirely out of keeping" with Dunya's poor dress, foreshadowing the mismatch of the engagement itself. Pulcheria Alexandrovna's dream of the dead Marfa Petrovna "all in white" introduces a motif of prophetic dreams that recurs throughout the novel.