Crime and Punishment Chapter 5 Summary

Summary

A well-dressed, mannered gentleman enters Raskolnikov’s cramped room, startling the sick student and his companions. The visitor is Pyotr Petrovitch Luzhin, who inspects the shabby accommodations with thinly veiled disdain. Zosimov (the doctor) and Razumikhin (Raskolnikov’s friend and nurse) are present; Razumikhin interrupts Luzhin’s formal questions and ushers him in, explaining Raskolnikov’s recent illness and introducing the doctor. Luzhin reveals he has correspondence from Raskolnikov’s mother and sister and that he has arranged lodgings for them and a future flat for himself and the family.

Conversation turns quickly from polite news to argument. Luzhin expounds a self-interest-based view of progress and social life, presenting a calculative, economic justification for behavior. Razumikhin and Zosimov respond skeptically; the discussion drifts to the recent murder of the pawnbroker and the growing criminality in society, which momentarily fixes Raskolnikov’s attention. When Luzhin’s alleged remark — that he favors marrying a poor woman so he might raise her — is raised, Raskolnikov explodes, fiercely defending his mother’s honor and threatening Luzhin. Luzhin departs insulted. Left alone, Raskolnikov rants that he wants to be left alone, and his attendants, worried, withdraw reluctantly, planning to watch him. Nastasya lingers briefly to offer tea before leaving him to himself.

The chapter stages a social and moral clash: Luzhin’s smug utilitarianism and display of refinement crash against the squalor surrounding Raskolnikov and Razumikhin’s blunt sincerity. The visit both reveals Luzhin’s character and intensifies Raskolnikov’s agitation, ending with him isolated and volatile.

Key events

1. Pyotr Petrovitch Luzhin arrives and inspects Raskolnikov’s room with visible disapproval.
2. Razumikhin introduces the occupants and explains Raskolnikov’s illness to Luzhin.
3. Luzhin announces he has news from Raskolnikov’s mother and sister and has secured lodgings.
4. Luzhin launches into an intellectual speech on progress and self-interest.
5. Discussion touches the recent pawnbroker murder and social demoralization.
6. Raskolnikov violently defends his mother against an alleged remark by Luzhin; Luzhin leaves offended.
7. Raskolnikov demands solitude; attendants plan to keep watch as he is left alone.

Analysis

This chapter functions as an anchor for social confrontation and psychological exposure. Luzhin’s arrival introduces a social type: ostentatious, self-satisfied, and doctrinaire about economic self-interest. Through his polished appearance and spoken doctrine, the novel externalizes debates about progress, utilitarianism, and moral responsibility. The scene contrasts Luzhin’s calculated civility with the cramped, disorderly reality of Raskolnikov’s surroundings, dramatizing social distance and hypocrisy.

Narratively, the chapter advances character relationships and tensions. Luzhin’s claim to be betrothed to Raskolnikov’s sister and his proposed control over her establish him as an antagonistic figure in the household’s future. Raskolnikov’s disproportionate emotional response to any slight on his mother reveals fierce protectiveness and fragile pride; his sudden, violent outburst also underscores his instability and tendency toward isolation. Razumikhin functions as foil and moral anchor—plainspoken, energetic, and protective—while Zosimov provides a clinical, detached perspective.

Symbolically, Luzhin’s immaculate clothes, gloves, and watch stand for calculated social performance, while the room’s squalor highlights social reality and vulnerability. The murder discussion briefly focuses Raskolnikov’s attention, hinting at an obsession with crime and morality without committing to explicit revelation. The chapter’s technique—close third-person focalization on Raskolnikov intercut with lively dialogue—deepens psychological tension and foreshadows further conflicts over honor, pride, and social theory.

Important quotes

“I say, why are you standing in the doorway?”

Dmitri Prokofych RazumikhinRazumikhin brusquely insists Luzhin sit and stop posturing, making the visitor less able to intimidate the sick household.

“Will you ever leave off tormenting me? I am not afraid of you! I am not afraid of anyone, anyone now! Get away from me! I want to be alone, alone, alone!”

Rodion Romanovich RaskolnikovRaskolnikov’s explosive demand for solitude follows the confrontation with Luzhin and reveals his intense agitation and isolation.

Characters in Chapter 5

• Pyotr Petrovich Luzhin
• Zosimov
• Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov
• Dmitri Prokofych Razumikhin
• Nastasya Petrovna
• Pulcheria Alexandrovna Raskolnikova
• Avdotya Romanovna Raskolnikova
• Andrey Semyonovich Lebezyatnikov
• Porfiry Petrovich
• Koch
• Yushin
• Madame Lippevechsel