Crime and Punishment Lesson Plan

Why does Raskolnikov attack Sonia? Do his arguments have validity? Does his apology make sense?

Most students will say that Raskolnikov’s arguments do not have validity and are unfair to Sonia. However, they do have a certain cynicism that students might bring to the novel, especially those who reject the book’s Christian viewpoint. If there is no God, then suffering has no inherent meaning and Sonia is foolish to accept it. However, the novel ultimately wants Raskolnikov to accept the existence of God, and so his apology makes sense within the world of the story, even if it doesn’t make sense to some readers.

What does Raskolnikov mean when says he bows down to the “...