The young Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov, an aspiring, brilliant yet poor student lives in Russia in the early 1860's. It is late summer and Raskolnikov's poverty has forced him into lodging at a cheap dirty garret where he is already deeply indebted to his landlady, Praskovya Pavlovna. His unique views and thought process lead him to make random rants about numerous subjects such as society. These intellectual arguments lean the novel to a more tense and bitter atmosphere. He is without any close friends and cares little for his appearance or composure. Yet he has one major belief that later is shown to be the theme. This belief is based upon the idea that all crimes committed are discovered through the criminals own mishaps caused by their lack of will, ultimately he believes that a criminal conscience is their downfall. He sets to prove this theory by committing the perfect crime. He carefully plans the murder of an old cynical pawn broker, Alyona Ivanovna. Yet the events leading up to the murder, are a great influence on Raskolnikov's actions. At one point he meets an older man in a tavern who tells him off his poverty and self loathing. He explains that he had stolen the money from his wife and later his daughter, whom he had been forced into prostitution, and had spent this money on alcohol. Raskolnikov is utterly disgusted by the man and his tale and vows never to demean himself to such a level. Yet after the murder of the pawn broker and her sister he is struck by bouts of unconsciousness and fitful sleep. His crime and illness lead him to meet new characters who make him question the belief that he founded his crime upon.
             Dostoevsky uses Raskolnikov's interactions with different characters as a juxtaposition and symbolism of his own personality. When he meets the drunken man in the tavern he is touched with self loathing and self pity as he recognises his own poverty and willingness to demean himself and ot...