Raskolnikov
The protagonist. A former student who commits murder to test his theory about extraordinary men. Intelligent and proud, he spends the novel being undone by the gap between what he believed about himself and what he actually is.
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Characters
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Characters
Who matters and what they help you prove.
Sonya Marmeladova
The moral center of the novel. She survives poverty and prostitution through religious faith and love for her family. She is the first person Raskolnikov confesses to, and she pushes him toward public confession and acceptance of punishment.
Porfiry Petrovich
The magistrate investigating the murders. He suspects Raskolnikov early and uses psychological pressure instead of physical evidence. He is not cruel; he genuinely seems to want Raskolnikov to confess voluntarily and save himself.
Svidrigailov
A man from Dunya's past with a history of predatory behavior. He represents the logical end of Raskolnikov's philosophy: a person who has actually stepped over every moral line. His suicide removes any illusion that this path leads somewhere livable.
Dunya
Raskolnikov's sister. She is practical, loyal, and willing to sacrifice herself for her family, which is why she nearly marries Luzhin. She handles Svidrigailov directly and without breaking. She functions as a contrast to her brother's paralysis.
Marmeladov
Sonya's father. A drunk who has ruined his family and knows it. He appears early in the novel and his death by carriage triggers Raskolnikov's first impulsive act of generosity. He represents the cost of self-destruction on everyone around you.
Luzhin
The lawyer who wants to marry Dunya. He is calculating and self-serving, and he tries to frame Sonya for theft when the engagement falls apart. He is a smaller-scale version of someone who treats other people as instruments.
Razumikhin
Raskolnikov's loyal friend. He is practical, warm, and grounded in ways Raskolnikov is not. He helps Raskolnikov's family when Raskolnikov cannot, and he eventually falls for Dunya. He shows what a decent person looks like under the same pressures.
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