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Crime and Punishment Part 5, Chapter 3 Summary

  • Luzhin wants to see Sonia.
  • Everything goes quiet. He walks by Raskolnikov without paying any attention to him.
  • Apologizing for intruding, he accuses Sonia of stealing 100 roubles from him.
  • Everybody is watching. Luzhin pressures Sonia for an answer. She says she didn't do it.
  • So, he launches into a long argument explaining how it had to be Sonia that took his cash. He says that Andrey Semyonovitch saw the whole thing and will back him up.
  • Sonia is firmshe says all she has is the 10. Katerina grabs it and throws it at Luzhin. He calls her crazy. Sonia thinks everybody is looking at her meanly.
  • Apparently, Raskolnikov is looking at her, too, and his eyes are "glowing."
  • Luzhin threatens to call the police.
  • Katerina argues in Sonia's defense with extreme passion and conviction. To prove Sonia's innocence, she searches her. The 100 rouble bill is found on her.
  • Luzhin is excited. Amelia wants Sonia sent to Siberia.
  • Sonia swears she's innocent. Katerina swears that she believes her and asks Raskolnikov to stick up for her. Raskolnikov and Luzhin stare at each other.
  • Sonia's family cries and clings to her.
  • All of a sudden, Andrey Semyonovitch comes on the scene. He's been listening at the door.
  • He says Luzhin is making up the whole thing, that he saw him put the money in Sonia's pocket when he was showing her the door.
  • He thought Luzhin was just being nice, trying not to embarrass Sonia by publicly giving her charity.
  • But, he had been worried all night about Sonia losing the money and he'd come to tell her it was in her pocket.
  • Luzhin denies everything, but nobody believes him. "Murmurs of disapproval" are floating around. Even though Andrey Semyonovitch isn't a great speaker, everybody in the room is convinced.
  • He wants to tell his story to the police.
  • Raskolnikov pipes up. He's figured out Luzhin's motivation and he explains it.
  • He tells the crowd everything that's been going on with Luzhin and his family.
  • If Luzhin can make Sonia look really bad, Dounia will think he was sincere and correct in thinking Sonia was bad news.
  • Then, there would be trouble between Dounia and Raskolnikov. Maybe Raskolnikov would be alienated from the family and Luzhin could step in.
  • Andrey Semyonovitch agrees with Raskolnikov and adds some more details to show why.
  • Raskolnikov is about to pipe up again, but nobody lets him.
  • Andrey Semyonovitch tells Luzhin to move out, now. Luzhin makes his exit, threatening legal action.
  • A clerk tries to hit Luzhin with a glass but hits Amalia instead.
  • Sonia can't take it, so she leaves.
  • The landlady goes wild, telling Katerina to move out, and even throws her stuff around.
  • Katerina leaves the kids, with Polenka in charge, so she can go find help.
  • The landlady continues her freakout. Raskolnikov leaves to go to Sonia's place.