(13) Summary C. and P. (Part One) VI

   Raskolnikov has become superstitious, he views a certain strangeness, a mysteriousness in this whole affair, the presence of some peculiar influences and coincidences.
   The previous winter a student told him about the old pawnbroker in case he ever needed money. At that time he was getting by giving lessons. When he fell on hard times he has two things of value to pawn, his father's silver watch and a ring given to him by his sister. From the first moment he saw the old woman he was filled with insurmountable loathesome, he took two "little bills" from her for his ring, stopping at a wretched tavern afterwards. While drinking tea he fell into deep thought. A strange idea was hatching in his head.
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(PLEASE REMEMBER THE STRANGE IDEA HATCHING IN RASKOLNIKOV'S HEAD AND THE FOLLOWING OVERHEARD CONVERSATION AT THE TAVERN BETWEEN A STUDENT AND A OFFICER, HAPPENED SIX WEEKS EARLIER, THAN HIS DREAM AND CHANCE MEETING OF LIZAVETA AT THE HAYMARKET AT THE END OF CHAPTER FIVE.)
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   At a table next to him sat a student and a young officer, he heard the student talking of a money lender Alyona Ivanova. That in itself seemed strange to Raskolnikov" he had just left her. By chance, of course; but just then, when he could not rid himself of a certain quite extraordinary impression, it was as if someone had come to his service: the student gave details about Alyona Ivanova. How wicked, how she gives four times less than the thing being pawned is worth. Telling about how the hag beats Lizaveta her younger, simple, half sister.
   The student speaks about Lizaveta with some special pleasure saying "she's quite a phenomenon herself!" Lizaveta was a slave to her sister and that Alyona Ivanova had made out a will giving all her money to a monastery, for the eternal remembrance of her soul. Lizaveta would be given the movable property, chairs and so forth.

(ALL ALYONA IVANOVA'S MONEY TO A MONASTERY "FOR THE ETERNAL REMEMBRANCE OF HER SOUL.) ((ISN'T THAT SOMETHING? SORRY I COULD NOT HELP MYSELF THINKING ABOUT THAT ONE!))

   Lizaveta was a tradeswoman, not of official rank; she was unmarried and of terribly awkward built, remarkably tall, with long, somehow twisted legs, always wore down-at-heel goatskin shoes, but kept herself neat. Above all the student was surprised and laughed at the fact that Lizaveta was constantly pregnate . . .
   "But you say she's ugly?" the officer remarked.
   "Well, yes, she's dark-skinned, looks like a soldier in disguise, but she's not ugly at all. She has such a kind face and eyes. Very much so. A lot of men like her--there's the proof. She's so quiet, meek, uncomplaining, agreeable--she agrees to everything. And she does have a nice smile."
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Another book's Bantam Classic's first printed in 1958 describes Lizaveta.

   The student spoke about Lizaveta with a peculiar relish and was continually laughing. The officer listened with great interest, asking the student to send Lizaveta to do some mending for him. Lizaveta worked day and night for her sister, giving her all. Lizaveta was of lower rank than her sister, unmarried and awfully uncouthed in appearance, remarkably tall with long feet that look as if they were bent outwards. She always wore battered goatskin shoes and was clean in person. What the student expressed most surprise and amusement about was the fact that Lizaveta was continually with child.
"But you say she is hideous?" observed the officer.
"Yes, she is so dark-skinned and looks like a soldier dressed up, but you know she is not at all hideous. She has such a good-natured face and eyes. Strikingly so. And the proof if it is that lots of people are attracted by her. She is such a gentle creature, ready to put up with anything, always willing, willing to do anything. And her smile is really very sweet."
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   "Ah, so you like her too!" the officer laughed.
   "For the strangeness of it. No, but I'll tell you one thing, I could kill and rob that cursed old woman, and that, I assure you, without any remorse," the student added hotly.
   The officer guffawed, and Raskolnikov was startled. How strange it was!
   The student talks philosophically expressing thoughts like many of the students of the new generation.
   "You have a worthless old crone, no good to anyone, on the contrary harmful to everyone, who doesn't know why herself she's alive. On the other hand you have fresh young forces that are being wasted for lack of support monentarily and that old woman has doomed to the monastery! Just think of the amount of lives that could be helped, all from her money. Kill her and take her money, afterwards devote yourself to the service of all mankind! Would not a thousand good deeds make up for one tiny little crime? One death for hundreds of lives--it's simple arithmetic! And what does the life of this stupid, consumptive, and wicked old crone mean in the balence of the general balence? No more than the life of a louse, a cockroach, and not even that much, because this old crone is harmful. She's eating up someone else's life" the other day she got so angry that she bit Lizaveta's finger; they almost had to cut it off!"
   "Of course, she doesn't deserve to be alive," the officer remarked, "but that's nature."
   "Eh, brother, but nature has to be corrected and guided, otherwise we'd all drown in prejudices.Without that there wouldn't be even a single great man. "Duty, conscience," they say--I'm not going to speak against duty and conscience, but do we really undersatand them? Wait I'll ask you one more question. Listen!"
   "No, you wait. I'll ask you a question!"
   "Well?"
   "You're talking and making speeches now, but tell me: would you YOURSELF kill the old woman, or not?"
   "Of course not! It's for the sake of justice that I . . . I'm not the point here . . ."
   " Well, in my opinion, if you yourself don't dare, then there's no justice in it at all! Let's shoot another round of billiards!"
   Raskolnikov was greatly agitated. It was the youthful talk and way of the times, he had heard it many times before, only in different forms and on different subjects. But why precisely now did he have to hear precisely such talk and thinking . . . when EXACTLY THE SAME THOUGHTS had been conceived in his own head? And why precisely now, as he was coming from the old woman bearing the germ of his thought, should he chance upon a conversation about the same old woman? . . . Coincidence . . . this tavern conversation had an extreme influence on him in the further development of the affair; as though there was indeed some predestination, some indication in it . . .
(THE CONVERSTION ABOVE HAS MUCH TO DO WITH THE REST OF THE BOOK.)
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   After returning from the Haymarket he threw himself on the sofa, soon a leaden sleep took over. It was ten the next morning when Nstasysa woke him, bringing him tea, he closes his eyes and goes back to sleep. She came back at two o'clock, he lay as before. He ate a few bites and stretched back out on the sofa.
   He stretched back out on the sofa daydreaming, suddenly he heard the clock strike six realizing the time. He had sleep away the day, luckily the preparations were not many having having planned them out beforehand. He sewed a loop under his coat to conceal the axe, holding it in place with his left hand.
  He was running later than planned, there was some problem with getting the axe from his landlady's kitchen so with some difficuty borrowed the caretaker's for the deed.
   Raskolnikov makes it to the old lady's apartment ringing the bell, no answer. He knew she was home alone standing at the door but was suspicious. He purposely mutters something aloud, then hears the sound of the latch being lifted.

I PURPOSELY SHORTENED THE END OF CHAPTER SIX, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ IN MORE DETAIL PLEASE GO TO MY EARLIER SUMMARY. I LEAVE YOU WITH THE MAIN POINT. THE IDEA THAT WAS HATCHING IN RASKOLNIKOV'S MIND AFTER THE FIRST VISIT WAS THE IDEAS OF THE NEW GENERATION HE WAS ABOUT TO CARRY THROUGH, BECOMING REALITY!   Glen