Part VI - Chapter III Practice Quiz — Crime and Punishment
by Fyodor Dostoevsky — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Part VI - Chapter III
Why does Raskolnikov hurry to find Svidrigailov at the beginning of Part VI, Chapter III?
He feels that Svidrigailov has "some hidden power over him" and is compelled to see him, though he cannot fully explain why. He also fears Svidrigailov may use knowledge of his crime against Dounia.
What fear torments Raskolnikov on his way to Svidrigailov?
He fears that Svidrigailov has learned his secret (the murder) and may use it as a weapon against his sister Dounia, or that Svidrigailov may have visited Porfiry to inform on him.
How does Raskolnikov discover Svidrigailov at the tavern?
Wandering near the Hay Market, Raskolnikov spots Svidrigailov sitting at a tea-table in an open window with a pipe. Each catches the other watching, and after a tense moment, Svidrigailov laughs and invites him in.
What direct threat does Raskolnikov make to Svidrigailov?
Raskolnikov tells Svidrigailov that if he pursues his "former intentions" regarding Dounia or tries to benefit from knowledge of the crime, "I will kill you before you get me locked up."
What does Svidrigailov reveal about Raskolnikov's arrival at the tavern?
Svidrigailov reveals he told Raskolnikov the tavern's address and hours twice before. Raskolnikov came there by unconscious memory, not miraculous coincidence.
Who is Katia in the tavern scene?
Katia is an eighteen-year-old street singer in a Tyrolese hat who performs for Svidrigailov. He dismisses her when Raskolnikov arrives, gives her a full glass of wine and a yellow banknote.
What does Svidrigailov offer to tell Raskolnikov at the end of their conversation?
He offers to tell the story of how a woman tried to "save" him -- referring to Dounia (Raskolnikov's sister), promising it will answer Raskolnikov's concerns.
How does Svidrigailov describe his own biography?
He says he is a "gentleman" who served two years in the cavalry, knocked about Petersburg, married Marfa Petrovna and lived in the country. He admits to being a card-sharper rather than a gambler.
Why does Raskolnikov avoid Sonia in this chapter?
Sonia represents an "irrevocable sentence" -- she demands confession and moral transformation. Raskolnikov does not feel equal to seeing her, preferring the morally ambiguous company of Svidrigailov.
What is Raskolnikov's psychological state at the opening of this chapter?
He is exhausted by the events of the past month, feeling "immense moral fatigue," yet his mind is working better than it has recently. He questions whether it is even worth continuing to conceal his crime.
How does Svidrigailov justify his pursuit of vice?
He argues that vice is "something permanent, founded indeed upon nature" -- like "an ever-burning ember" in the blood. Without it, he says, he would "have to shoot himself."
What physical description of Svidrigailov does Raskolnikov observe?
Svidrigailov's face is "like a mask" -- white and red, with bright red lips, flaxen beard, and thick flaxen hair. His blue eyes are "too heavy and fixed." He looks wonderfully young for his age but deeply unsettling.
How does the chapter explore the theme of fate versus free will?
Raskolnikov believes his arrival at the tavern is a miraculous coincidence, but Svidrigailov reveals he had given the address before. What seemed like fate was actually unconscious compulsion -- a pattern that recurs throughout the novel.
What does Svidrigailov represent as Raskolnikov's "double"?
Svidrigailov represents what Raskolnikov might become if he abandons his conscience entirely: an intelligent transgressor who has made peace with depravity, filling the void with sensual pleasure rather than moral anguish.
How does the chapter develop the theme of moral exhaustion?
Raskolnikov questions whether anything is worth the effort of concealment. Svidrigailov similarly admits he would shoot himself without distraction. Both men exhibit nihilistic fatigue, though they respond differently -- guilt versus hedonism.
What role does Petersburg play as a thematic element in this chapter?
Svidrigailov describes Petersburg as a city of "gloomy, strong and queer influences on the soul of man," suggesting the environment itself drives people toward madness and moral degradation.
What does the description of Svidrigailov's face as "like a mask" symbolize?
The mask imagery represents the gap between Svidrigailov's charming, youthful exterior and his corrupt interior. It suggests deception and the concealment of his true predatory nature.
How does Dostoevsky use dramatic irony in Svidrigailov's warning about Raskolnikov's street behavior?
Svidrigailov warns Raskolnikov that talking to himself and waving his arms in the street might attract unwanted attention. The irony is that Svidrigailov himself holds the secret that could destroy Raskolnikov.
What foreshadowing appears in Svidrigailov's reaction to the topic of suicide?
Svidrigailov recoils with genuine distress when Raskolnikov asks if he could shoot himself, admitting he fears death. This foreshadows Svidrigailov's eventual suicide later in the novel.
What does "obsequious" mean as used to describe the waiter Philip?
Obsequious means excessively eager to serve or please. Philip is described as "an old friend and very obsequious," indicating he fawns over Svidrigailov as a regular patron.
What does "patriarchal footing" mean in describing Svidrigailov's establishment at the tavern?
It means everything was arranged on a familiar, established basis -- as if Svidrigailov had been a respected household patriarch for years, despite having been in Petersburg less than a week.
What does "contralto" mean as used to describe Katia's singing voice?
Contralto is the lowest female singing voice. Katia sings "in a rather husky contralto," meaning her voice is deep and throaty for a woman, adding to the rough atmosphere of the tavern.
Who says: "If only we had scientific men, doctors, lawyers and philosophers might make most valuable investigations in Petersburg each in his own line"?
Svidrigailov says this while describing Petersburg as a city of madness and "gloomy, strong and queer influences on the soul of man." He suggests the city itself drives people to talk to themselves in the streets.
Who says: "In this vice at least there is something permanent, founded indeed upon nature and not dependent on fantasy"?
Svidrigailov says this to justify his pursuit of women. He argues that vice rooted in natural desire is more honest than other pursuits, comparing it to "an ever-burning ember" that cannot be extinguished.