How Does Raskolnikov's View Of Room

People often judge others based on physical appearances, such as what they wear or how they style their hair. The style and condition of their home and room can also reveal their character, as homes are the place where people spend most of their time. In Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novel titled Crime and Punishment, translated by David McDuff, the author includes descriptions of rooms to influence the reader’s interpretation of the characters. Specifically, Dostoevsky reveals the characters by describing the furnishing and size of the rooms of Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, the protagonist, Sonya Marmeladov, the prostitute, Alyona Ivanovna, the pawnbroker, and Porfiry Petrovitch, the police inspector. In Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky reveals
the wealth, social status, and personalities of the characters by using symbols, connotations, and metaphors to describe their rooms.
After the emancipation of the serfs in 1861, serfs were freed from their landlords and were able to buy plots of land. However, they were only able to purchase leftover land, therefore the serfs could not gain a profit and were forced to move and search for jobs in large cities such as St. Petersburg. Crime and Punishment is mainly set in St. Petersburg, where there was a high rate of poverty as well as a divide between the social classes. In the novel, the descriptions of furniture juxtapose the poverty-stricken lives of Raskolnikov and Sonya with the wealthy, Alyona and Porfiry. Raskolnikov’s room contains “a big, ungainly sofa … [that] serve[s] as Raskolnikov’s bed” (35), revealing Raskolnikov’s poverty as he does not have a bed to sleep on. Additionally, the sofa “at one time had an upholstering of chintz” (35) but has since deteriorated, reflecting Raskolnikov’s financial situation as he is “crushed by poverty” (5). In addition to the sofa, Raskolnikov’s pillow symbolizes his impoverished life as his pillow consists of “all the linen he possesse[s], clean and soiled” (35). By using all of his clothes, whether clean or dirty, to fill his pillowcase, Raskolnikov’s impoverished life is highlighted as he does not care about sanitation and does not have the money to afford an actual pillow or clean clothes. Similarly, Sonya lives an impoverished life, and her room reveals her poverty as it “contain[s] hardly any furniture” (375). Furniture symbolizes wealth as the rich often have more furniture because they have the money to purchase luxurious items. Sonya’s bare room contrasts Alyona’s apartment because it is filled with furniture, as Raskolnikov comments that Alyona has “a sofa … an oval table … a mirrored dressing-table … chairs along the walls” (10) and “a chest of considerable dimensions” (96). Alyona is a rich pawnbroker, so she is able to afford fancy furniture. Likewise, Porfiry’s furniture represents his wealth as his “oilcloth-covered sofa” (395) strikes a contrast with Raskolnikov’s sofa, as Porfiry’s sofa is intact and solely used to sit on. The furniture in each character’s rooms symbolizes the character’s wealth as the deteriorating sofa and the lack of furniture highlight Raskolnikov and Sonya’s impoverished lives, while the amount of furniture and the oilcloth sofa demonstrate Alyona and Porfiry’s wealth.
While furniture is used to juxtapose the poor and the wealthy, the connotations used to describe their rooms depict the social status of the characters.
Even though Raskolnikov takes pride in stating that he is an “ex-university student” (59), he is unemployed and only sources money from his mother and Alyona. Because of this, Raskolnikov is only able to afford a tiny room, which is referred to as “a tiny … cell” (35). Not only does the description of his room reveal his low status, it also foreshadows that Raskolnikov will become a criminal, as cells are usually associated with prisons. His small room is further highlighted with the description of the sofa, as his “little couch” (506) still takes “up practically the whole of one wall and half the width of the room” (35). Like Raskolnikov, Sonya has a low status because she is a prostitute, and is considered to have the same rights as an animal. Sonya’s room is described as a “barn” (375), and this metaphor implies that she is isolated from society and dehumanized and treated as a commodity. Unlike Raskolnikov and Sonya, Porfiry has a higher status in society, which is reflected in the size of his office. Porfiry’s office is referred to as “chambers” (395), as chambers are associated with people of a higher rank. Moreover, his room has “government furniture” (395), implying a higher-ranking occupation. Like Porfiry, Alyona’s “entire apartment consist[ing] of … two rooms” (11), depicts her higher status in society as her home
is referred to as a large apartment rather than a cell. By referring to each room as a cell, chamber, barn, and apartment, Dostoevsky’s diction reveals the status of the characters in society.
The mental state and personalities of the characters are also revealed by the descriptions of the rooms.
The smell of fresh paint symbolizes Raskolnikov’s guilt as right after he murders Alyona and Lizaveta Ivanovna, Alyona’s sister, he passes an apartment with “a crock of paint with a paintbrush in it” (104). When Raskolnikov goes to the police station, he smells a “nauseating stink of paint” (116), which causes him to faint because he becomes worried that he will be caught as Raskolnikov associates paint with the murder. The colour yellow is another symbol of Raskolnikov’s guilt and anxiousness as Alyona’s apartment has furniture made of “yellow wood” (10). However, Porfiry’s office also has furniture made of “yellow, polished wood” (395), which causes Raskolnikov to become worried as he endeavors to elude capture. Moreover, Raskolnikov’s cell causes him to become delirious, as he feels “suffocated and claustrophobic” (49) in his room. He feels “horribly alone” (506) and isolated in his room, as he detests visitors. Similarly, Sonya feels isolated in society because of her career, and her isolation causes her to act subordinately. She “tremble[s] with fear” (376) when Raskolnikov first enters her room as she believes that Raskolnikov is “the judge and arbiter of her destiny” (376). Her thoughts represent her subordinate nature, as she believes that Raskolnikov has full control over her life. Likewise, Porfiry’s large office highlights his confidence, as he slowly pushes
Raskolnikov to confess. Porfiry shows “not the slightest sign of fear” (416) even when Raskolnikov threatens him. Unlike Raskolnikov who feels uneasy in Porfiry’s office, Porfiry remains confident that he will get Raskolnikov to confess. Alyona’s apartment reveals her personality as a greedy woman as she charges “ten per cent” (12) interest. She takes advantage of the poor, like Raskolnikov, as she realizes that as a pawnbroker, she is one of their only sources of income. In her room, she has a yard long chest “with a bulging lid” (96), and the chest symbolizes her wealth as she has so many possessions that it is almost overflowing. However, her self-centered nature is highlighted as she hesitates when letting Raskolnikov into her room because she is protective of her wealth. Through the behavior of the characters in their rooms, Fyodor Dostoevsky uncovers their personalities.
In Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novel titled Crime and Punishment, the author uses rooms associated with characters to reveal their wealth, status, and personalities. Raskolnikov’s poverty is demonstrated through his deteriorating sofa in his cell-like room, and his mental instability is depicted through the symbols of paint and the colour yellow. Likewise, the lack of furniture in Sonya’s room symbolizes her impoverished life, while the metaphor of the barn represents her low status in society. Porfiry’s chambers and oilcloth sofa suggests his wealth, and through his behavior during Raskolnikov’s interrogation, Porfiry demonstrates his confidence. Finally, Alyona’s apartment and abundance of furniture represent her greedy nature, as she is reluctant to share her wealth with others. Through analyzing furniture, connotations of words, and the interactions of characters in their rooms, the author reveals livelihoods and personalities of the characters.