Crime and Punishment Part 2, Chapter 6 Summary

  • Finally alone, Raskolnikov jumps up and gets dressed in some of his new clothes.
  • Feeling calm for once, he picks up his money and then goes, unnoticed, to the street.
  • He wants to confess today.
  • Wandering aimlessly, he finds himself at the Crystal Palace (kind of a mall), decides against drinking and hiring a prostitute, and ends up in a restaurant.
  • Some men are drinking champagne. He thinks he sees Zametov, the police clerk, but isn't sure.
  • Raskolnikov orders tea and asks for newspapers from the past five days.
  • He scans the papers and finds the news he seeks, just as Zametov shows up at his table.
  • Raskolnikov is excited and talks to Zametov. He thanks him for finding his sock when he was sick. He also talks about details of the murder investigation that he heard Razumihin and Zossimov discussing.
  • Zametov thinks Raskolnikov is acting weird and should still be in bed.
  • Then, Raskolnikov toys with the detective, telling him that he wants to "confess" or rather, give a statement.
  • The statement is that he's been reading news of the murder (he says this in a really creepy way, getting up in Zametov's face) and insisting that his behavior is suspicious.
  • He also has an attack of wild laughter.
  • Zametov says Raskolnikov is either going mad or
  • Raskolnikov has calmed down.
  • Not believing his sudden suspicion, Zametov brings up the recent arrest of a gang of young counterfeiters. They were caught when one of the members acted suspiciously while trying to change some fake bills in a bank.
  • Raskolnikov says that those counterfeiters aren't criminals. They are just kids who naturally get nervous.
  • Then, he describes how he would have acted: cool and collected and in charge (of course).
  • (By the way, Raskolnikov keeps getting the urge to stick his tongue out at the detective.)
  • The detective doesn't buy this. He thinks Raskolnikov would get nervous. He uses the example of the man who murdered the pawnbroker.
  • That guy got so nervous he didn't even rob the place properly.
  • Irritated, Raskolnikov taunts the detective, asking why the murderer is still on the loose.
  • Zametov says that he'll definitely catch the murderer.
  • Raskolnikov says that, if he were the murderer, he would take the stolen goods, hide them under a big rock, and not take them out until the police had forgotten about the case.
  • This upsets Zametov.
  • Then, Raskolnikov says, "And what if it was I who murdered the old woman and Lizaveta?"
  • Zamtov asks if Raskolnikov is serious.
  • Raskolnikov asks him to admit he believed it, just for a minute.
  • Zametov says he did not and wants to know why Raskolnikov is playing games with him. Now, Raskolnikov tries to convince Zametov that he is the murderer.
  • Why else would he have fainted when he heard about the murder at the police station?
  • And where did he get money to buy new clothes and drink tea in restaurants?
  • Raskolnikov leaves on this note.
  • Zametov seems convinced of somethingeither of Raskolnikov's innocence or guiltand thinks Ilya is an idiot for thinking the opposite.
  • Raskolnikov almost bangs into Razumihin as he exits the restaurant.
  • Everyone has been worried sick about Raskolnikov.
  • Raskolnikov says he needs to be alone, and Razumihin threatens to pick him up and carry him home.
  • Raskolnikov says he doesn't want Razumihin's "kindness."
  • Offended, Razumihin insults him, calls him a "fool," and then invites him to his party, which Raskolnikov says he won't attend.
  • Razumihin insists that he will come, that people can't know in advance what they will do.
  • Then, he questions him about his meeting with Zametov, but Raskolnikov refuses to answer and finally gets away from him.
  • He goes to a bridge and looks at the water. Suddenly, a woman jumps in, a suicide attempt. She's rescued, and Raskolnikov moves on.
  • His thoughts alternate between suicide, confession, and just letting things remain the way they are.
  • Settling on confession, he goes toward the police station.
  • He has to pass the scene of the crime and can't resist going in.
  • It's been painted and remodeled, though he expected it somehow to be exactly the same as when he left it, pools of blood and all.
  • There are workers in there, and he makes a scene with them, saying he wants to rent the place and asking if they've managed to hide all the blood stains.
  • They think he's crazy, and say so. Raskolnikov tries to get them to go to the police station with him.
  • They complain to the porter, who tosses him out on his ear, so to speak.
  • Back on the street, he notices some commotion in the distance.
  • He is sure now. He's going to the police station.