Crime and Punishment follows Rodion Raskólnikov, a poor former student living in St. Petersburg. Intellectually proud and isolated, he deve lops a theory that extraordinary individuals may transgress moral laws for a greater purpose. To test this idea, he murders a greedy pawnbroker, believing he can use her money for good. However, the act plunges him into psychological torment. Haunted by guilt and paranoia, Raskólnikov becomes physically ill and mentally unstable. He oscillates between confession and defiance, distancing himself from those who care for him, including his mother, sister Dunya, and the gentle prostitute Sonia. Sonia, who endures her own suffering with faith, becomes his moral compass. Meanwhile, detective Porfiry Petrovich quietly investigates, suspecting Raskólnikov but seeking a confession through psychological pressure rather than evidence. Sonia urges Raskólnikov to seek redemption through confession and repentance. Finally, unable to bear the burden, Raskólnikov admits his crime and is sentenced to Siberian penal labor. Sonia follows him, offering hope and spiritual renewal. Through suffering, he begins to rediscover humility and love. The novel explores the depths of conscience, morality, pride, and redemption, revealing that true punishment lies not in law, but in the human soul.

Fiódor Dostoyevski (1821–1881) was a Russian novelist and philosopher, celebrated for probing human psychology, morality, and suffering. After imprisonment in Siberia, he wrote profound works like Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov, shaping existential and spiritual literature worldwide.