Crime and Punishment

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Raskolnikov’s Moral Awakening”

In this activity, students will use creative and critical thinking to write a continuation of Raskolnikov’s story.

Crime and Punishment ends with an epilogue describing Raskolnikov’s experiences in Siberia as Sonia provides him with moral support. But the Epilogue stops short of Raskolnikov’s moral awakening, with Dostoevsky promising to turn to this part of the story in another book. Of course, Dostoevsky never wrote this continuation of Raskolnikov’s story—but you will. Channeling Dostoevsky’s psychological, introspective style, write a few pages on Raskolnikov’s moral awakening during (or after) his time in Siberia. Make sure to think about the following:

• What people and/or ideas inspire Raskolnikov’s moral awakening
• Sonia’s role in Raskolnikov’s moral awakening
• How religion does (or does not) contribute to Raskolnikov’s moral awakening
• How Raskolnikov’s moral awakening enables him to better endure his experiences in Siberia

After completing your story, present it to your classmates. Listen to the work of others and share your thoughts afterward.

Teaching Suggestion: Christianity and the New Testament play an important role throughout the novel, and Dostoevsky suggests in the Epilogue that it is Christianity that will form the basis of Raskolnikov’s moral awakening. Discussing the role of redemption in Christianity as a class may be helpful before students begin working on the assignment, possibly reading selected passages from the New Testament to inspire students.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English-language learners, consider having students write one well-developed paragraph rather than a full multi-page story. To guide students, provide them with sentence frames and a word bank that they can use in crafting their paragraphs.

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Long before he confesses, Raskolnikov suffers from the psychological torments of anxiety and guilt.

• What role does psychological torment play in punishing Raskolnikov? (topic sentence)
• Discuss the psychological torment Raskolnikov experiences and how it evolves throughout the novel.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, reflect on whether Raskolnikov’s psychological torment or his state-imposed punishment is more severe.

2. Religion is very important throughout the novel, acting sometimes as an oppressive and sometimes as a redeeming force.

• How is religion represented in the novel and what is its significance to the different characters? (topic sentence)
• Choose two or three characters and discuss the role religion plays in their lives. Compare and contrast their views of salvation.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, evaluate the way religion brings suffering and/or comfort to the characters in the novel.

3. Alienation and Shame is one of the novel’s central themes, reflecting the experiences of many of the characters in the novel.

• Which characters experience public shame and which experience private shame? (topic sentence)
• Compare and contrast how the characters (especially Raskolnikov, Sonia, and Razumikhin) experience alienation and shame.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, evaluate the unifying role of public and private shame in the lives of the novel’s primary and secondary characters.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by textual details, and a conclusion.

1. Throughout the novel, Raskolnikov routinely dismisses society and social conventions as superficial or meaningless. What is Raskolnikov’s relationship with society? Why does Raskolnikov feel so alienated from the rest of society? How do his actions reflect his feelings of alienation?

2. Raskolnikov declares that “Power is only granted to the man who dares to stoop and pick it up” (Part 5, Chapter 4). What does Raskolnikov mean by this? How does this belief shape Raskolnikov’s actions throughout the novel? Does Raskolnikov manage to achieve true power by his actions, or does he do little more than increase his own suffering and alienation from society?

3. Discuss the role of love in the novel. Consider especially the blossoming romantic feelings between Raskolnikov and Sonia. Why are Raskolnikov and Sonia drawn to each other? How are they able to help each other? Is love represented as a redemptive force in the novel?

Multiple Choice and Long Answer Questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, exams, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. What does Marmaledov say drove Sonia to sex work?

A) Her desire for wealth

B) Her love of debauchery

C) Her family’s poverty

D) Her hatred of Katerina Ivanovna

2. Why does Raskolnikov’s landlord threaten to report him to the police?

A) For failing to pay rent

B) For breaking his engagement with her daughter

C) For murder

D) For stealing from her

3. Why does Luzhin prefer to marry a poor woman?

A) He wants a person who will be loyal to him.

B) He wants a wife who has grown strong from a life of poverty.

C) He values suffering in others.

D) He is a very charitable person.

4. Why does Raskolnikov kill Lizaveta as well as Aliona?

A) Because Lizaveta is a thief

B) Because Lizaveta threatens to call the police

C) Because Lizaveta was always rude to him

D) Because Lizaveta walks in during the murder

5. Who is initially arrested for the murders of Aliona and Lizaveta?

A) Sonia

B) Raskolnikov

C) The two painters

D) Razumikhin’s uncle

6. Who does Zametov think is the murderer?

A) An experienced killer

B) An amateur

C) An educated man

D) A thief who killed the sisters by accident

7. What does Svidrigailov offer Dunia 10,000 rubles to do?

A) Break off her engagement with Luzhin

B) Marry him

C) Forgive him

D) Turn in Raskolnikov to the police

8. Why does the stranger believe Raskolnikov was the murderer?

A) He heard him talking with Sonia.

B) He saw him reading about the murder obsessively.

C) He saw him return to Aliona’s apartment.

D) One of the painters saw him the night of the murder.

9. How does Lebeziatnikov know Sonia did not steal Luzhin’s money?

A) Because he is the one who stole the money

B) Because Luzhin did not have any money on him

C) Because he saw Luzhin slip her the money

D) Because he knows she would not steal from him

10. What does Sonia promise when Raskolnikov confesses his crime to her?

A) That she will avenge Lizaveta

B) That she will never forgive him

C) To report him to the police

D) To accompany him wherever he goes

11. What makes Raskolnikov realize Svidrigailov knows of his crime?

A) Raskolnikov sees Svidrigailov with the items he stole from Aliona’s apartment.

B) Svidrigailov echoes the words Raskolnikov used in his conversation with Sonia.

C) Raskolnikov sees Svidrigailov giving a statement to Porfiry.

D) Svidrigailov was at Aliona’s apartment the night of the murder.

12. What does Raskolnikov ask Razumikhin to do for him?

A) Take care of his family if anything happens to him

B) Marry his mother

C) Take care of Sonia

D) Report him to the police

13. Why does Porfiry say he wants Raskolnikov to confess to the crime of his own volition?

A) Because he needs more time to collect evidence

B) Because he is doing a favor for Svidrigailov

C) So that God will forgive him

D) So that he learns the value of suffering

14. Why does Svidrigailov let Dunia go?

A) He realizes she will never love him.

B) She threatens to report him to the police.

C) He hears someone coming.

D) He sees the ghost of his wife Marfa.

15. How does Raskolnikov’s mother react when she reads her son’s article?

A) She is disgusted.

B) She thinks he is a genius.

C) She realizes he is the murderer.

D) She thinks he is of unsound mind.

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating textual details to support your response.

1. What are the two personalities of Raskolnikov, according to Razumikhin?

2. What theory does Raskolnikov present in his article?