In part 5, chapter 5 of Crime and Punishment, Lebeziatnikov arrives at Sonia's room, reporting that Katerina Ivanovna has lost her mind and taken the children into the streets. Sonia rushes out to find them. Raskolnikov returns to his room. regretting making Sonya's life harder.
His fears about confessing have been realized. It has created more suffering for him and Sonya. He feels lonelier than ever. He resolves to spare Sonya his suffering and go to prison in Siberia alone.
But his sister Dunja arrives. She knows that her brother is suspected of the murders, but not that he is the killer. She says Razumihin has told her that her brother is being persecuted by the police.
She holds no grudge against him for leaving her and his brother. and if he needs her, her door is open. Raskolnikov praises Razumikhin.
He says goodbye as if they are parting forever. Raskolnikov wanders the streets, feeling he's already in prison. Lebeziatnikov finds him and they go to the prison. go to Katerina Ivanovna, who is forcing her children to be street performers so they can earn scant sums of money.
A policeman tries to stop the performance and the children run off, pursued by their mother. She collapses due to her consumption and is carried back to Sonia's room. She declines a priest as she believes that God knows her suffering and will forgive her sins.
But she adds with typical pride, and if he won't forgive me, I don't care. And then she dies, surrounded by her children and asking for. for Sonia. Svidrigailov offers to pay for Katerina Ivanovna's funeral, get her children into a good orphanage, and provide money for their future. And on top of all that, he wants to help Sonia escape her life as a prostitute.
Raskolnikov questions his motives, but Svidrigailov claims he acts from simple human kindness. But Svidrigailov is a portrait in contradictions. One minute, he's generous to Sonia and her half siblings.
The next, he's menacing and manipulative with Raskolnikov. He shifts his tone, describing Katerina Ivanovna to Raskolnikov as being a louse, like some old pawnbroker woman. His choice of words reveals for the first time that he has overheard Raskolnikov's confession at Sonia's. He predicts that he and Raskolnikov will become friends after all.