Crime and Punishment
Raskolnikov, a destitute former student, grapples with a radical theory: extraordinary individuals are above moral law. Driven by poverty and intellectual arrogance, he plots a heinous crime. But the weight of guilt, the scrutiny of a cunning investigator, and the intervention of unexpected figures push him to the brink, forcing him to confront the terrifying consequences of his beliefs.
On a stifling July evening, you emerge from your cramped garret, a room more like a cupboard, under the roof of a tall, five-storied house.
You've successfully avoided your landlady, to whom you are hopelessly in debt. An overstrained irritability consumes you, a result of prolonged isolation and gnawing poverty.
The heat of the city presses down, the air thick with dust and the familiar Petersburg stench. You walk slowly, drawn towards the K. bridge, a disturbing plan solidifying in your mind.
"I want to attempt a thing like that and am frightened by these trifles," you mutter to yourself, a strange smile on your lips. You are heading for a "rehearsal," a visit to the old pawnbroker, Alyona Ivanovna.
