Part III - Chapter VI Practice Quiz — Crime and Punishment
by Fyodor Dostoevsky — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Part III - Chapter VI
What are Raskolnikov and Razumihin discussing as they walk to Bakaleyev's lodgings?
They are debating Porfiry Petrovich's interrogation tactics and whether the investigator genuinely suspects Raskolnikov of the murder.
Why does Raskolnikov suddenly leave Razumihin at the door of Bakaleyev's lodgings?
He is seized by panic that some overlooked piece of evidence—a chain, stud, or paper with the pawnbroker's handwriting—might remain in his hiding place and incriminate him.
What does Raskolnikov find when he searches the hole beneath his wallpaper?
Nothing. The hiding place is empty, and he draws a deep breath of relief, but his paranoia has already taken hold.
Who is the mysterious stranger who asks for Raskolnikov at his lodgings?
A stout, stooping artisan in a long coat and greasy cap, over fifty years old, whose identity is not revealed in this chapter. He later turns out to be a tradesman who saw Raskolnikov return to the crime scene.
What single word does the stranger say to Raskolnikov on the street?
"Murderer!" He says it "in a quiet but clear and distinct voice," then repeats it with "a smile of triumphant hatred."
What happens in Raskolnikov's nightmare in this chapter?
He follows the stranger to the pawnbroker's apartment, finds the old woman hiding behind a cloak, and strikes her repeatedly with the axe. She does not die but laughs silently, and crowds of watching people fill every doorway and staircase.
Who appears in Raskolnikov's room when he wakes from the nightmare?
Svidrigaïlov—a stout, fair-bearded man who sits silently in a chair, waiting for Raskolnikov to stop pretending to sleep, then introduces himself as Arkady Ivanovitch Svidrigaïlov.
What does Raskolnikov call the stranger who accused him?
He calls him "the man who sprang out of the earth," asking "Where was he, what did he see? He has seen it all, that's clear."
How does Razumihin react when Raskolnikov screams at him to go in alone?
Razumihin's hands drop and he stands on the steps watching Raskolnikov walk away, then grits his teeth and swears he will "squeeze Porfiry like a lemon" to get answers.
What does Raskolnikov think about Napoleon in his feverish monologue?
He concludes that true "extraordinary men" like Napoleon are "not of flesh but of bronze"—they can storm Toulon, massacre in Paris, and forget armies without remorse, while he cannot even kill one old woman without guilt.
How does Raskolnikov feel about his mother and sister in his delirium?
He admits he hates them now with "a physical hatred" and cannot bear them near him, even though he once loved them deeply. He considers that his mother "must be the same as I am."
Who are the "gentle" women Raskolnikov thinks of at the end of his monologue?
Lizaveta (the pawnbroker's half-sister whom he also killed) and Sonia. He calls them "poor gentle things, with gentle eyes" who "give up everything."
How is Svidrigaïlov described at his first appearance?
A man no longer young, stout, with a full, fair, almost whitish beard. He enters quietly, sits down, places his hat on the floor, and leans on his cane—"prepared to wait indefinitely."
What is Raskolnikov's "extraordinary man" theory, and how does he evaluate it in this chapter?
The theory holds that exceptional individuals have the right to transgress moral law. In this chapter, Raskolnikov concludes that he failed the test—he killed but could not "overstep" because he is consumed by guilt, proving he is a "louse" rather than a Napoleon.
What does Raskolnikov mean by "I killed the principle, but I didn't overstep"?
He means that the murder was supposed to prove he could transcend ordinary morality (the "principle"), but his guilt proves he remains bound by it. He stopped on the moral side he sought to leave behind.
How does the nightmare express the theme of inescapable guilt?
The old woman cannot be killed—she laughs as if "made of wood"—symbolizing that the crime cannot be undone. The silent watchers in every doorway represent Raskolnikov's fear that his guilt is visible to everyone.
What does Raskolnikov's phrase "I am an aesthetic louse" mean?
He considers himself worse than the "louse" he killed because he committed murder based on an intellectual theory but lacked the psychological strength to carry it through without remorse, making him both morally and practically a failure.
How does Dostoevsky use the dream sequence as a literary device in this chapter?
The nightmare externalizes Raskolnikov's subconscious guilt: the unkillable pawnbroker represents his inability to escape the crime, her silent laughter mocks his pretensions, and the watching crowd embodies his fear of exposure. The dream's imagery directly parallels the real murder scene.
What is the doubling motif in this chapter?
The mysterious stranger doubles as Raskolnikov's guilty conscience—a silent figure who shadows him through the streets and delivers the accusation Raskolnikov already directs at himself. Svidrigaïlov's arrival further doubles the pattern, presenting another morally transgressive figure.
How does the fly serve as a linking motif between the dream and reality?
A fly "struck the window pane with a plaintive buzz" just before the horror in the dream, and when Raskolnikov wakes to find Svidrigaïlov, "a big fly buzzed and fluttered against the window pane.” The repeated image blurs the boundary between nightmare and waking life.
What does "mirage" mean when Raskolnikov says Porfiry's suspicions are "all mirage"?
An illusion or something that appears real but has no substance. Raskolnikov argues that Porfiry has no hard evidence, only unsubstantiated impressions and psychological guesses.
What does "hypochondria" mean in Razumihin's defense of Raskolnikov?
In 19th-century usage, hypochondria referred to a state of morbid anxiety and depression (not just imaginary illness). Razumihin argues that Raskolnikov's suspicious behavior is explained by poverty and mental distress, not guilt.
What does "proleptic" mean in literary analysis of this chapter?
Anticipating or foreshadowing future events. The nightmare and Svidrigaïlov's entrance are proleptic, foreshadowing Raskolnikov's eventual confession and Svidrigaïlov's major role in the novel's final sections.
Who says "Murderer!" and in what context?
The mysterious stranger says it to Raskolnikov on the street, "in a quiet but clear and distinct voice," then repeats it "still more articulately and emphatically, with a smile of triumphant hatred."
What does Raskolnikov mean when he says "The more cunning a man is, the simpler the trap he must be caught in"?
He is explaining Porfiry's strategy: clever criminals overthink simple questions and trip themselves up trying to appear natural. Porfiry counts on Raskolnikov's intelligence to be his undoing.
What is the significance of Raskolnikov's words: "I didn't kill a human being, but a principle"?
In his feverish reasoning, Raskolnikov tries to reframe the murder as an ideological act—testing whether he could transcend morality. But he immediately admits he failed: "I killed the principle, but I didn't overstep, I stopped on this side."