Passage · A CLOSER LOOK

Marmeladov’s Tavern Confession

Crime and Punishment · Part I, chapter 2

ABOUT THIS PASSAGE

Early in the novel, Marmeladov tells Raskolnikov about drink, poverty, shame, and his family.

The image is the cover of the containing novel. The passage is in Part I, chapter 2.

A CLOSER LOOK

The story behind it.

Early in the novel, Marmeladov tells Raskolnikov about drink, poverty, shame, and his family.

A stranger begins to speak

Early in Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov encounters Marmeladov in a tavern. The confession brings shame, drink, family suffering, and the desire for mercy into the novel before the murder.

The family beyond the speaker

Marmeladov’s words lead to Katerina Ivanovna and Sonia. A seemingly incidental conversation opens a set of relationships that becomes central to the book.

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Background & references

Source for Marmeladov’s Tavern Confession: Background & references.

Sources for this closer look

Background & references Read Part I, chapter 2

Explore the original.

Follow the original source to explore the work in its own context.

Read Part I, chapter 2

Sources & credits

Introductions are grounded in the sources below. Collection notes and reading prompts provide an editorial starting point; personal opinions are identified in the collection’s content.

Background & references Read Part I, chapter 2 Wikipedia · cited edition artwork · Marmeladov’s Tavern Confession