Crime and Punishment, Part 6, Chapter 7 summary

What happens

1. Raskolnikov visits his mother, who praises his published article and tries not to question his troubled behavior.
2. He assures her of his love, asks for prayers, and leaves her frightened by their farewell.
3. At his lodgings, Dounia waits after spending the day with Sofya Semyonovna worrying that he might kill himself.
4. He announces his intention to surrender but angrily denies that killing the pawnbroker deserves condemnation.
5. He asks Dounia to care for their mother and gives her his dead fiancée’s portrait.
6. They part, and he continues walking despite his anger at others and doubts about accepting suffering.

In this chapter

What to notice

Raskolnikov’s decision to surrender does not amount to remorse. The contradiction shapes both his argument with Dounia and his doubts as he leaves.

Quick check