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 …show more content…
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 …show more content…
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