Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoevsky)

Crime and Punishment centers on Raskolnikov, a destitute former student in St. Petersburg who murders a pawnbroker and then wrestles with guilt, paranoia, and the justification of his act. As he encounters figures of compassion and moral clarity, his internal torment becomes a spiritual and psychological crucible. Dostoevsky uses the crime story to probe questions of conscience, redemption, and the possibility of grace in a fractured world.