3.2 “After all, he doesn't love anyone; maybe he never will”

In this chapter, we learn a bit about Rodion's past, his mother also has strange dreams, and Razumikhin is increasingly falling in love with Dunya.

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This chapter begins with Razumikhin, which is already unusual. Raskolnikov is not in this chapter, yet we learn a lot about his past and personality, as seen by other characters. There’s also some romance in this chapter. Razumikhin is clearly in love with Dunya and constantly thinks about her. He notices her watch and feels jealous of Luzhin, thinking he was the one who gave it to her.

"Eleven o'clock!" she exclaimed, glancing at her magnificent gold watch with enamel, hanging around her neck on a thin Venetian chain, terribly clashing with the rest of her outfit. "A gift from her fiancé," thought Razumikhin.

Perhaps here we can better understand why Dostoevsky gives Razumikhin such a surname—a derivation of the word reason. He perceives himself adequately. He precisely defines his actions. Yes, he doesn't behave perfectly; in the previous chapter, he was quite provocative at times. But he fully understands this and doesn't justify himself with various theories. Yet, he is impulsive—he strikes the stove with force, knocking out a brick! He also says, "In wine, there is truth!"

In vino veritas—an infamous Latin expression, meaning wine loosens tongues, corresponds to the Russian saying: what’s on a sober man's mind is on a drunk man's tongue

Sun dial in the Chateau de Pommard, France

This suggests that although he is aware of what was said and done, he is probably glad he spoke out.

Overall, the chapter is not very rich in symbols, but there are a few details that can be discussed and noted.

Luzhin. And his attitude towards Dunya

In general, the story with Luzhin is starting to gather new details. For now, he might give an impression similar to Zosimov's—why shouldn't Dunya marry him and solve her financial problems.

—Why is he so against this Luzhin? A man with money, and she doesn't seem to mind him... and they don't have a penny, do they?

—Why are you asking me? — Razumikhin shouted irritably. — How should I know, a penny or not a penny? Ask yourself, maybe you'll find out...

It's certainly a better fate than being force into prostitution like Sonya. But in this chapter, we read Luzhin's letter to Dunya and see that he's no more reasonable than Rodion. Both of them are issuing ultimatums to his sister. I won't retell the letter, but I will say that overall we begin to understand that Rodion immediately saw through Luzhin. Does he understand the true nature of people?

Let's see what happens at 8 PM. Will Rodion show up at this meeting, and how will Luzhin behave? But Dunya is not in the most pleasant situation right now. Two ultimatums at once! From both her brother and her fiancé!

Mysterious Engagement of Rodion

It has been mentioned several times. This was an unfulfilled engagement to the daughter of Praskovya, the landlady of Rodion's room. The girl died. It's not clearly stated how. But in reality, it remains mysterious and seemingly pointless. Apparently, none of the parents wanted this marriage to happen, and besides, the girl was not wealthy or beautiful. This leads me to think—perhaps Rodion truly loved her. Otherwise, what other reason could there be?

And why did Rodion continue living in the same room with this landlady after the fiancée's death? Because she wouldn't evict him, even if he didn't pay. But is that the only reason? There is a possibility that he truly loved her, that they had similar characters—maybe they had similar thoughts, lifestyles. Who knows what they could have agreed upon! And her death greatly affected him. Perhaps it was then that he became more withdrawn. But since Rodion does not reveal his true thoughts to friends and family, he might not have told Razumikhin about it. That's why he says a very cutting phrase:

"After all, he doesn't love anyone; maybe he never will," — Razumikhin cut off. —

"So he's incapable of love?"

Doesn't love now and won't love in the future because his love died? That's the question.

What do you think about Rodion's engagement?

Nervousness of Raskolnikov's Mother

First, she is constantly crying. Her nervous system is clearly strained. But what interests me most is why she was so against her son's engagement; surprisingly, she speaks very harshly about the deceased girl.

"God forgive me, but I was actually glad of her death, though I don't know which one would have ruined the other: him or her?"

This seems to be quite a cruel and sharp phrase—it doesn't match the character of the mother as Dostoevsky showed us. These strange relationships with God might have been passed on to Rodion. It also raises the thought that she might have been a cruel mother. Not in action, but in words. Psychological abuse. Yes, she gives a lot to her son, even her last money, but we haven't seen or known what was life like for Rodion with his parents.

And also, Rodion's psychological problems might be hereditary. After all, Pulcheria had a "living" dream about Marfa (Svidrigailov's wife), just as Rodion has vivid dreams.

Dream of Pulkheria

Suddenly, I dreamed of the deceased Marfa Petrovna... all in white... she approached me, took my hand, and shook her head at me so strictly, as if condemning...

Pulkheria Alexandrovna's account of her dream is a reminiscent of "The Queen of Spades". It is a novella by A. S. Pushkin, written in 1833. At the center of the plot is the story of a young officer named Hermann, obsessed with discovering the secret of three cards that bring victory in gambling.

The epigraph to the fifth chapter of "The Queen of Spades" is a fictional quote from the Swedish philosopher and mystic Emanuel Swedenborg:

"That night the deceased Baroness von V appeared to me. She was all in white and said to me: 'Hello, Mr. Advisor!'"

Researchers note the particular irony of this epigraph: "the comic disparity between the mysterious apparition of the deceased and the insignificance of her words" contrasts with the important message of the countess's ghost.

In the artistic system of "Crime and Punishment," this dream precedes Svidrigailov's story, for after all, it was his wife who died. We will soon learn why and what her widower thinks about it. Moreover, there are parallels between Marfa Petrovna and Alena Ivanovna (Rodion's victim). We will observe them soon.

Razumikhin's thoughts about Dunya and her poor outfit

“Razumikhin looked at Dunechka with reverence and was proud to lead her. 'That queen,' he thought to himself, 'who mended her stockings in prison, certainly at that moment looked like a true queen and even more so than during the most splendid celebrations and outings.'”

Here it refers to the French Queen Marie Antoinette (1755-1793), the wife of French King Louis XVI. After the overthrow of the monarchy during the French Revolution, on August 10, 1792, the royal couple was arrested and imprisoned in the Temple fortress. Louis XVI was guillotined on January 21, 1793, and Marie Antoinette on October 16, 1793. Dostoevsky mentions one of the circumstances of the deposed queen's imprisonment. As Louis Blanc writes: 'The daughter of Maria Theresa, always so brilliant, walked in a dress hanging in tatters. <...> Once, wishing to weave herself a garter, she was forced to pull threads from the curtain by the bed and instead of knitting needles, use two toothpicks!”

Queen Marie Antoinette in the Concierge Prison - in “French Revolution” by Thiers. 19th century

A variation of this story is contained in "History of the Girondists" by A. Lamartine - a book that was in Dostoevsky's library and which the writer considered an "extremely talented work."

In the original plans of the novel, the tragic fate of the French queen was apparently supposed to play a more notable role. Dostoevsky repeatedly mentions her name in the draft sketches of the early version: "widow Capet," "veuve Capet" (thus emphasizing that his attention was drawn to the deposed queen, the queen-prisoner, awaiting her fate after the execution of her husband).

The parallel drawn by Razumikhin between Dunechka and Marie Antoinette introduces for the first time a motif that will have a reflection later in the novel, when Raskolnikov's sister will be compared to the martyrs of the early Christian centuries. Initially, Dunya was likely destined for a more tragic fate. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

About the Landlady

At the beginning of the chapter, Zosimov told Razumikhin that he couldn't talk to Raskolnikov's landlady, Praskovya Pavlovna, because she locked herself away from him. But Razumikhin managed to befriend her on the first day. It's interesting why that is.

The ladies quietly followed Razumikhin, who was going up the stairs ahead, and when they reached the landlady's door on the fourth floor, they noticed that the door was open just a crack and that two quick black eyes were watching them from the darkness. When their gazes met, the door suddenly slammed shut with such a bang that Pulcheria Alexandrovna almost screamed in fright.

And as mentioned before, there is an theory that the landlady may personify Raskolnikov's soul. At the very beginning of the novel, Rodion doesn't want to meet her (the landlady) and avoids her: that is, he may be avoiding what’s inside of him, something that’s still salvageable, as the thoughts of the crime, ruinous to his soul, overtook him. And then his second nightmare, where a policeman seems to beat the landlady on the stairs, can also symbolize how the image of justice and of his soul interact. Rodion himself has surrendered his soul to be torn apart.

And in general, she is timid and tends to hide somewhere all the time. At the end of the chapter, she, like a Gollum from a cave, peeks out from a dark corner with her dark eyes and looks from the darkness at the approaching Dunya and Pulcheria Alexandrovna. It's unlikely that just a woman would frighten Pulcheria so much (although she might, as she is quite neurotic), but to see what her criminal son's soul has become—that is truly frightening.

What do you think about the theory that Raskolnikov's soul is reflected in the character of Praskovya (the landlady)?

And also this week, we caught up in reading with another Crime and Punishment book club that I occasionally reference Cams Campbell Reads , which focuses on comparing translations.

"He Would Have Stepped Over All the Obstacles without a Care in the World"

And this time, it provides an example—the translation of the word "step over." This is a very important verb, and I think we will discuss it in more detail later, along with synonyms and related words. This is because the main concept of Rodion's behavior and the overall meaning of the novel are based on it. Therefore, I suggest exploring the issue with Cam and figuring out which translation suits you best among the available ones.

What details in this chapter stood out to you?

What thoughts and theories are you forming?

In the next chapter 3.3, Rodion will meet with his family again, let's see how it goes.

Happy reading!