Crime & Punishment: Appearance and Reference

Locations where the action of the novel takes place

Locations mentioned by characters or narrator

The map shows the contrast between the experienced city or zone of action – the parts of the city we see directly in the novel, where the characters live and act – and the imaginary city or projected space of the novel, which is introduced through the thoughts and speech of the characters and narrator. The predominance of red markers in the centre of the map confirms how much of the action takes places in the tiny area around the Haymarket; Raskolnikov’s walks to Vasilevskii island and beyond, and Svidrigailov’s final journey, following the same route, mark the only points when the action escapes this zone.

The map also makes clear that the Haymarket forms the eastern boundary of the novel; the many references to places beyond this point indicates the role of this area in the imagination of the characters, as well as its unattainability.

One Response to Crime & Punishment: Appearance and Reference

  1. Mohamed Omar says:

    I just finished part 2 of the book.And I’m guessing Raskolnikov punishment is the suffering he is going through mentally.

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