Part III - Chapter IV Practice Quiz — Crime and Punishment
by Fyodor Dostoevsky — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Part III - Chapter IV
Why does Sonia come to Raskolnikov's apartment?
She comes on behalf of Katerina Ivanovna to invite Raskolnikov to Marmeladov's funeral service at Mitrofanievsky and to the memorial dinner afterward.
What spontaneous remark does Sonia make that moves everyone in the room?
"You gave us everything yesterday" — she realizes Raskolnikov donated all the money he had to the Marmeladov family, leaving himself with nothing.
What does Raskolnikov ask Sonia before she leaves?
He asks for her address so he can visit her later, and she gives it to him despite her embarrassment.
What excuse does Raskolnikov give for wanting to visit Porfiry Petrovitch?
He says he needs to recover items he pawned with the murdered old woman — a ring from his sister and his father's silver watch, worth five or six roubles.
What happens when Sonia walks home after leaving Raskolnikov's room?
A mysterious stranger (Svidrigailov) follows her, discovers they are neighbors at the Kapernaumov lodging house, and introduces himself as her next-door neighbor.
What does Raskolnikov do to appear natural as he enters Porfiry's apartment?
He teases Razumikhin about his attraction to Dunya, making them both laugh uproariously. They enter Porfiry's flat still guffawing — exactly what Raskolnikov intended.
How does Pulcheria Alexandrovna fail to greet Sonia when leaving?
She "meant to greet Sonia, too; but it somehow failed to come off, and she went in a flutter out of the room" — unable to bring herself to acknowledge the girl.
What does Raskolnikov say to Sonia that signals a shift in his outlook?
"God give peace to the dead, the living have still to live" — an affirmation of life that suggests Sonia's presence is drawing him back from his nihilistic despair.
How does Dostoevsky describe Sonia's physical appearance in this chapter?
A thin, pale little face, rather irregular and angular, with a sharp nose and chin. Her blue eyes are clear, and when they light up, there is such kindliness and simplicity that one cannot help being attracted. Despite being eighteen, she looks almost like a child.
How does Dunya (Avdotya Romanovna) treat Sonia compared to their mother?
Dunya gives Sonia an attentive, courteous bow upon leaving and later defends her to their mother, calling Luzhin a "contemptible slanderer." Pulcheria Alexandrovna, by contrast, is suspicious and frightened of Sonia.
How does the mysterious stranger (Svidrigailov) appear in this chapter?
He is about fifty, tall, thickly set, wearing fashionable clothes, carrying a handsome cane. He has a broad pleasant face, flaxen hair, blue eyes with a cold and thoughtful look, and crimson lips. He looks much younger than his years.
What does Pulcheria Alexandrovna say about Dunya and Raskolnikov's similarities?
She says they are "the very portrait" of each other, not in face but in soul — both melancholy, morose, hot-tempered, haughty, and generous.
How does Razumikhin describe Porfiry Petrovitch before the visit?
As an intelligent, polished man who is incredulous, skeptical, and cynical — one who likes to make fun of people, uses the old circumstantial method, and thoroughly understands his work. He notes that Porfiry recently solved a murder case with barely any clues.
How does the chapter explore the theme of social stigma versus moral worth?
Sonia's genuine goodness, humility, and self-sacrifice clash with society's judgment of her as a woman of "notorious behaviour." Her moral purity is contrasted with the prejudice of Pulcheria Alexandrovna and the slander of Luzhin.
How does the motif of surveillance and pursuit function in this chapter?
Svidrigailov secretly follows Sonia home, learning both Raskolnikov's address and Sonia's residence. This motif of being watched intensifies Raskolnikov's world of paranoia, while Sonia is unaware she is being tracked.
What does Raskolnikov's inner monologue reveal about his psychological state as he approaches Porfiry?
He is torn between compulsion and dread: "The butterfly flies to the light. My heart is beating, that's what's bad!" He obsesses over how to act naturally, realizing that trying to be careful would itself seem unnatural.
How does the chapter develop the theme of guilt and concealment?
Raskolnikov fabricates a story about pawned items to justify visiting Porfiry, worries his mother might ask to see his father's watch, and carefully plans how to appear nonchalant. Every social interaction becomes a performance designed to hide his crime.
What dramatic irony operates when Razumikhin takes Raskolnikov to visit Porfiry?
Razumikhin is "more than ecstatic" and "glad" to bring his friend to the investigator, not knowing that Raskolnikov is the very murderer Porfiry is investigating. The reader understands what the loyal friend does not.
How does Raskolnikov's forced laughter serve as a literary device?
It is an example of performative behavior: Raskolnikov deliberately manufactures the laughter by teasing Razumikhin so they arrive at Porfiry's door sounding carefree. The text states explicitly: "This is what Raskolnikov wanted."
What role does Sonia play as a foil to Raskolnikov?
Both are transgressors — Sonia through prostitution, Raskolnikov through murder — but Sonia sacrificed herself selflessly for her family while Raskolnikov acted from intellectual pride. Her humility contrasts with his arrogance.
What foreshadowing occurs in Svidrigailov's discovery of Sonia's address?
His learning that he is Sonia's next-door neighbor at Kapernaumov's sets up his later eavesdropping on Raskolnikov's confession to Sonia through the thin wall, which becomes a critical plot point.
What does Raskolnikov mean when he says his room is "like a tomb"?
His mother used the comparison. The cramped, dark, coffin-like room symbolizes Raskolnikov's psychological state — isolated, deathlike, cut off from normal human life. The image connects to the novel's recurring motif of burial and resurrection.
What is a "funeral lunch" (pominkí) in the context of this chapter?
A traditional Russian memorial meal held after a funeral service, where family and acquaintances gather to eat and remember the deceased. Katerina Ivanovna insists on hosting one despite her extreme poverty.
Who says "God give peace to the dead, the living have still to live" and what is its significance?
Raskolnikov says this to Sonia after his family departs. It marks a rare moment of warmth and affirms that despite death and suffering, life must continue. It signals Sonia's emerging influence on Raskolnikov's moral recovery.
What does Sonia think as she hurries home: "Dimly and unconsciously a whole new world was opening before her"?
This passage reveals that meeting Raskolnikov has awakened something entirely new in Sonia — a sense of connection and possibility she has never experienced. It suggests the beginning of a transformative bond between them.