Section 1

This forum is for discussion of Crime and Punishment Section 1, which is broken down into three groups for discussion/post.

Section 1: Chapter 1
Section 1: Chapters 2-4
Section 1: Chapters 5-7

Section 1: Chapter 1
I am already intrigued. Raskalnikov is an attractive and proud but poor and desperate man. He is struggling with himself as wether he should commit some crime (I think murder). We are given clues to what may happen, but don't know anything for sure yet.

Chapter 1

Dostoyevsky really had me intrigued also because he succeeded in relaying to us the dismay that Raskol (do you like how I wrote his name, it reminds me of rascal) was going through in Russia. The continual poverty that he felt make him want to commit a crime with the excuse that he is poor and it's more acceptable.

Section 1: Chapters 2-4

SparkNotes tells us that this section is important for introducing some other characters that will play a roll in subplots of the novel. I also thought that this section shows us Raskolnikov's struggle with his relationship to society. He helps Marmaladov and his wife by leaving money, then regrets it. He tries to help the young girl, then walks away. His initial responses are kind, but then he turns even more bitter than the 'average'.
We also see that he is entirely supported by his sister and mother, and that they make large sacrifices for him. Sparknotes says this leads to his pride, but I wonder if it leads to feelings of inadequacy. As well as the difficulty of the pressure to succeed his family has.

Section 1: Chapters 5-7
The Crime:Raskol seems to find reasoning through coincidences to commit his crime: both knowing that Alyona will be alone, and the talk in the tavern.
Though he has spent a significant amount of time thinking about the act, he is very unorganized in actually carriying it out, forgeting his hat, wiping the blood around, forgeting which key, etc.

He does make excuses to commit the crime. He also believes that there are signs and those signs are important. Just like the talk in the tavern.

I could barely make myself read about the dream Rascol had with regard to the horse. It made me teary and i had such a sense of revulsion for the implyed lifestyle of the people portrayed. I felt like rascol was torn by wanting money to come to him quickly, this he gave up teaching for coppers but that he felt disgusted with himself for taking money from his mothr and sister. (Not so disgusted that he didn't do it, though)
the confilict he felt with the girl on the street and her predicament mirrored that.

Mom
I felt the same way reading about them beating the horse. It was so graphic and cruel, I could barely stand it.