Crime and Punishment, Chapter 2 summary

What happens

1. Raskolnikov seeks company in a tavern, where Marmeladov approaches him and asks for sympathy.
2. Marmeladov describes his family's poverty and Sonia's yellow ticket, which prevents her from living with them.
3. He recounts regaining employment, stealing his remaining earnings, and spending Sonia's last money on drink.
4. Marmeladov imagines divine forgiveness for sinners, then asks Raskolnikov to take him home.
5. Katerina Ivanovna searches her penniless husband, drags him by his hair, and orders Raskolnikov out while the children cry.
6. Raskolnikov secretly leaves coins, regrets the expense, and questions his own judgment of humanity.

In this chapter

What to notice

Marmeladov’s appeal explains his need for a sympathetic listener. It connects material desperation with the need for human acceptance.

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