Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment is a grim portrait of nineteenth century St. Petersburg. Revolving around ex-student Rodion Raskolnikov, the novel explores the consequences of his decision to murder an old pawnbroker, Aliona Ivanovna. Along the way, he encounters various characters who become involved in his life such as drunk civil servant, Marmeladov, his daughter, Sonia, an old friend, Razumikhin, and a hedonistic adulterer, Svidrigailov. Dostoyevsky externalizes Raskolnikov’s internal struggle with his crime through liminal space. Specifically, the author employs three words -- сеней (pr. seny), meaning landing, двер (pr. dver), meaning door or doorway, and порог (pr. polog), meaning threshold -- to express the young man’s conscience.
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First used in the description of Raskolnikov’s initial venture into the pawnbroker’s, the порог becomes a point of no-return: “The young man crossed the порог into a dark anteroom divided by a partition, behind which was a kitchen” (4). Although ambiguous at first glance, this action clearly foreshadows the eventual murder. Here, the physical step across the порог also marks Raskolnikov’s mental decision to kill the old woman. The young man’s next fateful decision comes after the murder, when he subconsciously finds himself at Razumikhin’s: “A self-directed rage had virtually intoxicated him the moment he crossed Razumikhin’s порог” (107). Untimely reconciling himself with an old colleague, Raskolnikov immerses Razumikhin in a suddenly chaotic situation. In contrast to the previous порог crossing, seeking out Razumikhin becomes a life-saving choice for Raskolnikov, as the former keeps the latter grounded throughout the novel. Perhaps the hardest decision of all, the confession, is similarly represented by a порог. Approaching Sonia’s apartment, “[Raskolnikov] quickly opened the дверь and looked at Sonia from the порога.” Opening the дверь, he removes the mental boundary blocking his internal recognition of guilt and enabling his subsequent confession. Thus, all that separates the pair is the порога, and all Raskolnikov has to do is cross. Indeed, he does, forever altering his own course and discovering a partner with which to bear his suffering. This simple step unlocks his soul, allowing emotion to flood in, and eventually, a return to
First used in the description of Raskolnikov’s initial venture into the pawnbroker’s, the порог becomes a point of no-return: “The young man crossed the порог into a dark anteroom divided by a partition, behind which was a kitchen” (4). Although ambiguous at first glance, this action clearly foreshadows the eventual murder. Here, the physical step across the порог also marks Raskolnikov’s mental decision to kill the old woman. The young man’s next fateful decision comes after the murder, when he subconsciously finds himself at Razumikhin’s: “A self-directed rage had virtually intoxicated him the moment he crossed Razumikhin’s порог” (107). Untimely reconciling himself with an old colleague, Raskolnikov immerses Razumikhin in a suddenly chaotic situation. In contrast to the previous порог crossing, seeking out Razumikhin becomes a life-saving choice for Raskolnikov, as the former keeps the latter grounded throughout the novel. Perhaps the hardest decision of all, the confession, is similarly represented by a порог. Approaching Sonia’s apartment, “[Raskolnikov] quickly opened the дверь and looked at Sonia from the порога.” Opening the дверь, he removes the mental boundary blocking his internal recognition of guilt and enabling his subsequent confession. Thus, all that separates the pair is the порога, and all Raskolnikov has to do is cross. Indeed, he does, forever altering his own course and discovering a partner with which to bear his suffering. This simple step unlocks his soul, allowing emotion to flood in, and eventually, a return to