Summary
Svidrigailov Appears
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
The psychological pressure reaches a breaking point in this chapter. After his near-confession to Zamyotov and his visit to the murder scene, our protagonist finds himself in a strange, dreamlike state. He wanders to a bridge where he witnesses a woman's suicide attempt - a moment that mirrors his own internal death wish. The scene forces him to confront his own mortality and the consequences of his actions. When he returns home, he discovers his mother and sister have arrived in Petersburg, summoned by Razumikhin's letter about his illness. The reunion is emotionally overwhelming. His mother's joy and Dunya's concerned scrutiny create an unbearable tension - he can barely look at them knowing what he's done. Their love feels like an accusation. This chapter brilliantly shows how guilt creates distance even in moments of reunion. The people who love us most become the hardest to face when we're carrying terrible secrets. His sister's perceptive eyes seem to see through his facade, adding another layer of psychological pressure. The arrival of his family marks a new phase in his torment - now he must maintain his mask not just with strangers and acquaintances, but with the people who know him best.
Coming Up in Chapter 22
Raskolnikov's wandering brings him to a crucial crossroads where he must finally choose between continuing to live with his secret or taking the irreversible step toward public confession. The moment of truth approaches as he faces the ultimate test of his resolve.
Share it with friends
An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
C“an this be still a dream?” Raskolnikov thought once more. He looked carefully and suspiciously at the unexpected visitor. “Svidrigaïlov! What nonsense! It can’t be!” he said at last aloud in bewilderment. His visitor did not seem at all surprised at this exclamation. “I’ve come to you for two reasons. In the first place, I wanted to make your personal acquaintance, as I have already heard a great deal about you that is interesting and flattering; secondly, I cherish the hope that you may not refuse to assist me in a matter directly concerning the welfare of your sister, Avdotya Romanovna. For without your support she might not let me come near her now, for she is prejudiced against me, but with your assistance I reckon on...” “You reckon wrongly,” interrupted Raskolnikov. “They only arrived yesterday, may I ask you?” Raskolnikov made no reply. “It was yesterday, I know. I only arrived myself the day before. Well, let me tell you this, Rodion Romanovitch, I don’t consider it necessary to justify myself, but kindly tell me what was there particularly criminal on my part in all this business, speaking without prejudice, with common sense?” Raskolnikov continued to look at him in silence. “That in my own house I persecuted a defenceless girl and ‘insulted her with my infamous proposals’--is that it? (I am anticipating you.) But you’ve only to assume that I, too, am a man _et nihil humanum_... in a word, that I am capable of being attracted and falling in love (which does not depend on our will), then everything can be explained in the most natural manner. The question is, am I a monster, or am I myself a victim? And what if I am a victim? In proposing to the object of my passion to elope with me to America or Switzerland, I may have cherished the deepest respect for her and may have thought that I was promoting our mutual happiness! Reason is the slave of passion, you know; why, probably, I was doing more harm to myself than anyone!” “But that’s not the point,” Raskolnikov interrupted with disgust. “It’s simply that whether you are right or wrong, we dislike you. We don’t want to have anything to do with you. We show you the door. Go out!” Svidrigaïlov broke into a sudden laugh. “But you’re... but there’s no getting round you,” he said, laughing in the frankest way. “I hoped to get round you, but you took up the right line at once!” “But you are trying to get round me still!” “What of it? What of it?” cried Svidrigaïlov, laughing openly. “But this is what the French call _bonne guerre_, and the most innocent form of deception!... But still you have interrupted me; one way or another, I repeat again: there would never have been any unpleasantness except for what happened in the garden. Marfa Petrovna...” “You have got rid of Marfa Petrovna, too, so they say?” Raskolnikov interrupted rudely. “Oh, you’ve heard...
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 identify and navigate the psychological suspension that occurs between making major life decisions and acting on them.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Psychological realism
A literary technique that focuses on the inner workings of characters' minds rather than just their actions. Dostoevsky pioneered showing how people actually think - with contradictions, sudden changes, and circular reasoning. This helps us understand why people make seemingly irrational decisions.
Confession
In Russian Orthodox culture, confession wasn't just admitting wrongdoing - it was believed to spiritually cleanse the soul. For Raskolnikov, the act of confessing represents both punishment and potential redemption. It's about facing truth, not just avoiding consequences.
Alienation
The feeling of being disconnected from other people and society, even when surrounded by crowds. Raskolnikov experiences this intensely - he's physically present in the world but feels completely separate from it. Many people today recognize this feeling of being alone in a crowd.
Moral crisis
When someone's beliefs about right and wrong are completely shaken, usually after a major event. Raskolnikov is experiencing this - his old way of thinking has collapsed, but he hasn't yet built a new moral framework to guide him.
St. Petersburg
Russia's capital city in the 1860s, known for its oppressive atmosphere, poverty, and social tensions. The city itself becomes almost like a character in the novel, with its cramped apartments and crowded streets reflecting the psychological pressure on the characters.
Liminal state
Being caught between two phases of life - no longer who you were, but not yet who you'll become. Raskolnikov is in this in-between space after deciding to confess but before actually doing it. It's like being suspended in time.
Characters in This Chapter
Raskolnikov
Protagonist in crisis
Wanders the streets in a dreamlike state after confessing to Sonya, caught between his old life and whatever comes next. His detachment from reality shows how the mind processes enormous life changes - cycling between clarity and confusion.
Sonya
Spiritual guide
Though not physically present in this chapter, her influence weighs heavily on Raskolnikov's mind. Her love and support have given him the strength to consider confession, but he realizes he must ultimately face the consequences alone.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"It was as if he had cut himself off from everyone and everything with a knife."
Context: Describing Raskolnikov's psychological state as he walks through the city
This powerful image captures the complete isolation that comes with carrying a terrible secret. The knife metaphor connects to his crime while showing how guilt literally cuts us off from human connection.
"Everything seemed strange and wonderful, as if he were seeing it all for the first time."
Context: Raskolnikov observing familiar streets with new eyes after his confession to Sonya
Major decisions change how we see the world - familiar places suddenly look different because we ourselves have changed. This captures that surreal feeling of being the same person in the same place, but everything feeling transformed.
"He felt that he had cut himself off from everyone and from everything at that moment."
Context: Raskolnikov realizing his complete isolation despite being surrounded by people
This shows how guilt and major life changes can make us feel completely alone, even in a crowded city. It speaks to the universal experience of feeling disconnected when going through personal crisis.
Thematic Threads
Isolation
In This Chapter
Raskolnikov realizes he must face consequences alone despite support
Development
Evolved from physical isolation to psychological isolation even with connection
Personal Responsibility
In This Chapter
Understanding that others can guide but some journeys are solitary
Development
Deepened from avoiding responsibility to accepting its individual nature
Identity Transformation
In This Chapter
Familiar places feel foreign as his worldview shifts
Development
Advanced from questioning identity to experiencing active transformation
Social Disconnection
In This Chapter
Observing normal life while feeling completely separate from it
Development
Intensified from feeling superior to society to feeling removed from it
Internal Conflict
In This Chapter
Cycling between resolve and doubt about confession
Development
Evolved from moral confusion to decision-making anxiety
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What does Raskolnikov experience as he wanders the streets after confessing to Sonya, and how do familiar places now feel to him?
- 2
Why does making a major decision create this dreamlike, disconnected feeling where everything seems foreign even though nothing has actually changed yet?
- 3
When have you experienced this 'limbo state' after making a big decision but before acting on it - maybe deciding to quit a job, end a relationship, or make a major move?
- 4
How would you help someone navigate the emotional whiplash between certainty and doubt that comes with life-changing decisions?
- 5
What does this chapter reveal about why anticipating consequences is often more torturous than facing the actual consequences?
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Decision Limbo
Think of a major decision you're currently considering or recently made but haven't fully acted on. Write down three ways your daily environment feels different now that this decision is in your mind. Then identify one concrete step you could take this week to move from thinking about the change to preparing for it.
Consider:
- •Notice how your perspective on familiar people and places shifts when you're mentally preparing for change
- •Consider whether you're using this limbo time productively for planning or just cycling through doubt
- •Remember that the floating, unreal feeling is temporary - action breaks the psychological suspension
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 22: The Second Interview
The coming pages reveal the pressure of psychological warfare, and teach us to maintain composure under attack. These discoveries help us navigate similar situations in our own lives.