Summary
Return to the Scene
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Raskolnikov wakes up feeling physically and emotionally shattered after committing the murders. His fevered state reflects the psychological aftermath of his crime - he's not the cold, calculating superior man he thought he'd become. Instead, he's paranoid, jumpy, and consumed with fear about being discovered. Every knock at the door, every conversation feels like a potential trap. His landlady's servant brings him a summons to the police station, and Raskolnikov's terror peaks - he's convinced they know everything. This chapter shows us that Raskolnikov's theory about extraordinary people being above moral law was completely wrong about himself. He's not Napoleon; he's just a young man who's destroyed his own peace of mind. The guilt isn't just eating at him - it's remaking him entirely. His physical illness mirrors his spiritual sickness. What makes this so powerful is how Dostoevsky shows us that consequences aren't just external (getting caught by police) but internal (living with what you've done). Raskolnikov thought he could commit murder and walk away unchanged, but he's learning that actions transform us whether we want them to or not. The chapter also introduces the theme that will run through the entire novel: the difference between intellectual theories about morality and the lived reality of moral choices. Raskolnikov is beginning a journey that will force him to confront not just what he's done, but who he really is versus who he thought he was.
Coming Up in Chapter 12
At the police station, Raskolnikov will face his first real test of whether he can keep his secret. But the conversation that awaits him there isn't what he expects, and his reactions might reveal more than he intends.
Share it with friends
An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
Zossimov was a tall, fat man with a puffy, colourless, clean-shaven face and straight flaxen hair. He wore spectacles, and a big gold ring on his fat finger. He was twenty-seven. He had on a light grey fashionable loose coat, light summer trousers, and everything about him loose, fashionable and spick and span; his linen was irreproachable, his watch-chain was massive. In manner he was slow and, as it were, nonchalant, and at the same time studiously free and easy; he made efforts to conceal his self-importance, but it was apparent at every instant. All his acquaintances found him tedious, but said he was clever at his work. “I’ve been to you twice to-day, brother. You see, he’s come to himself,” cried Razumihin. “I see, I see; and how do we feel now, eh?” said Zossimov to Raskolnikov, watching him carefully and, sitting down at the foot of the sofa, he settled himself as comfortably as he could. “He is still depressed,” Razumihin went on. “We’ve just changed his linen and he almost cried.” “That’s very natural; you might have put it off if he did not wish it.... His pulse is first-rate. Is your head still aching, eh?” “I am well, I am perfectly well!” Raskolnikov declared positively and irritably. He raised himself on the sofa and looked at them with glittering eyes, but sank back on to the pillow at once and turned to the wall. Zossimov watched him intently. “Very good.... Going on all right,” he said lazily. “Has he eaten anything?” They told him, and asked what he might have. “He may have anything... soup, tea... mushrooms and cucumbers, of course, you must not give him; he’d better not have meat either, and... but no need to tell you that!” Razumihin and he looked at each other. “No more medicine or anything. I’ll look at him again to-morrow. Perhaps, to-day even... but never mind...” “To-morrow evening I shall take him for a walk,” said Razumihin. “We are going to the Yusupov garden and then to the Palais de Cristal.” “I would not disturb him to-morrow at all, but I don’t know... a little, maybe... but we’ll see.” “Ach, what a nuisance! I’ve got a house-warming party to-night; it’s only a step from here. Couldn’t he come? He could lie on the sofa. You are coming?” Razumihin said to Zossimov. “Don’t forget, you promised.” “All right, only rather later. What are you going to do?” “Oh, nothing--tea, vodka, herrings. There will be a pie... just our friends.” “And who?” “All neighbours here, almost all new friends, except my old uncle, and he is new too--he only arrived in Petersburg yesterday to see to some business of his. We meet once in five years.” “What is he?” “He’s been stagnating all his life as a district postmaster; gets a little pension. He is sixty-five--not worth talking about.... But I am fond of him. Porfiry Petrovitch, the head of the Investigation Department here... But you know him.” “Is he...
Master this chapter. Complete your experience
Purchase the complete book to access all chapters and support classic literature
As an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats
Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to read your body's rejection of moral compromises—the sleeplessness, paranoia, and hypervigilance that signal you've acted against your core values.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Psychological realism
A writing style that focuses on the inner mental and emotional life of characters rather than just external events. Dostoevsky pioneered this approach, showing us exactly how guilt and fear work inside someone's mind. This helps us understand why people act the way they do in real life.
St. Petersburg tenements
Cramped, poorly maintained apartment buildings where working-class Russians lived in the 1860s. These spaces were hot, stuffy, and offered little privacy. The oppressive physical environment mirrors Raskolnikov's mental state and the social conditions that drove people to desperation.
Police summons
An official notice requiring someone to appear at the police station, usually for questioning or legal matters. In 19th century Russia, this carried extra weight because the police had broad powers. For someone with a guilty conscience, any contact with authorities feels threatening.
Fever as metaphor
Dostoevsky uses physical illness to represent emotional and spiritual sickness. When Raskolnikov burns with fever, it shows how guilt literally makes him sick. This technique helps readers understand that moral choices affect our whole being, not just our minds.
Extraordinary man theory
Raskolnikov's belief that certain superior people have the right to break moral laws for the greater good. He thought he was like Napoleon, above ordinary morality. This chapter shows how wrong he was about himself and how dangerous such thinking can be.
Paranoia
The irrational fear that everyone knows your secrets and is plotting against you. Raskolnikov experiences this intensely after the murders, jumping at every sound and suspicious of every conversation. It's a common psychological response to guilt and shame.
Characters in This Chapter
Raskolnikov
Tormented protagonist
Wakes up physically and mentally destroyed after committing murder. His fevered, paranoid state shows that he's not the superior man he thought he was, but just a young person overwhelmed by guilt and fear.
Nastasya
Landlady's servant
Brings Raskolnikov the police summons that sends him into a panic. Her casual, everyday manner contrasts sharply with his terror, showing how his guilt makes normal interactions feel threatening.
Ilya Petrovich
Police official
The police clerk who summoned Raskolnikov. Though he appears only briefly in this chapter, his summons represents Raskolnikov's worst fears about being discovered and punished.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"Am I really going to tell? Am I really going to confess?"
Context: His panicked thoughts when he receives the police summons
Shows how guilt creates its own torture. He's terrified of being caught but also drawn to confession. This internal conflict will drive much of the novel's action.
"If they question me, perhaps I'll simply tell. I want to tell."
Context: His contradictory impulses about confessing to the police
Reveals the psychological burden of keeping such a massive secret. Part of him wants to be caught because carrying this alone is unbearable. It shows how isolation makes guilt worse.
"His heart was beating so violently that it was painful."
Context: Describing Raskolnikov's physical reaction to stress and guilt
Demonstrates how emotional turmoil manifests physically. Dostoevsky shows that we can't separate mind and body - moral choices affect our entire being, making guilt a form of illness.
Thematic Threads
Identity
In This Chapter
Raskolnikov discovers his self-image as a superior person was completely wrong—he's not above moral consequences
Development
Evolving from his earlier arrogant theorizing to confronting who he actually is versus who he imagined himself to be
Class
In This Chapter
His poverty-driven crime hasn't elevated him above his circumstances—it's trapped him in a worse psychological prison
Development
Developing from seeing poverty as justification for extraordinary action to realizing class doesn't determine moral capacity
Consequences
In This Chapter
The real punishment isn't external detection but internal transformation—he's become someone he doesn't recognize
Development
Introduced here as the central mechanism that will drive the entire novel's exploration of guilt and redemption
Self-Deception
In This Chapter
His intellectual theories about extraordinary people crumble when faced with the reality of his own moral nature
Development
Evolving from confident rationalization to the beginning of painful self-awareness
Fear
In This Chapter
Every interaction becomes potentially threatening because he's living in opposition to his true self
Development
Introduced here as the natural result of moral compromise—paranoia as the price of violating authentic values
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What physical and emotional symptoms does Raskolnikov experience after the murders, and how do they affect his daily life?
- 2
Why does Raskolnikov react with such terror to a simple police summons, even though it might be about something unrelated?
- 3
Where have you seen someone become paranoid or physically sick after doing something that went against their values?
- 4
If you were advising someone who was considering a major moral compromise 'for good reasons,' what questions would you ask them?
- 5
What does Raskolnikov's breakdown teach us about the relationship between our actions and our sense of self?
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Moral Compass
Think of a time when you did something that felt wrong to you, even if others said it was justified or necessary. Write down the physical and emotional symptoms you experienced afterward - trouble sleeping, jumpiness, irritability, obsessive thoughts. Then identify what core value you violated. Finally, trace how that violation affected your behavior and relationships in the days that followed.
Consider:
- •Notice how your body responded before your mind fully processed what happened
- •Consider whether the 'good reasons' for your action actually protected you from internal consequences
- •Reflect on whether trying to ignore or rationalize the discomfort made it stronger or weaker
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 12: Razumikhin's Care
The coming pages reveal the value of genuine friendship during crisis, and teach us kindness becomes unbearable to the guilty. These discoveries help us navigate similar situations in our own lives.