Alex's reaction to Part 5, Ch. 4

Wow! I was surprised when Raskolnikov confessed his crimes to Sonya, even though I expected a confession to come sooner or later. I think Raskolnikov was looking for an outlet to express his guilt and to get things off his chest without directly turning himself in. Sonya is obviously a better listener and advice-giver than Porfiry or any other members of authority would be. However, I think Raskolnikov decided to talk to Sonya in particular because she understands the idea that people make mistakes and that life is difficult. Therefore, she was the least likely to judge Raskolnikov and the best person to give him some direction on what he should do in order to resolve his guilt. I was also surprised when Sonia promised not to abandon Raskolnikov, even after he expressed his feelings of superiority over other people. It was interesting to see Raskolnikov state that his motive for murdering the pawnbroker had nothing to do with his poverty or how Alyona treated him personally. Despite what he says, I doubt Raskolnikov committed his crimes to feel superior and be like Napoleon. It would not surprise me if he was just fabricating another elaborate excuse to cover up his mistakes. In fact, I would have more sympathy for Raskolnikov if he just told the truth, because killing to sate your hunger is more justifiable than killing to be superior. At the end of this chapter, Raskolnikov seems to finally have started on the path to overcoming the guilt he has felt since the murders. His self-analysis is particularly honest and rational, and this itself seems like a tremendous step towards accepting the wrongfulness of his crime. I was quite pleased when Raskolnikov finally came to grips with the fact that he is part of the society and the lower class that he thinks so poorly of. In my opinion, this was the most satisfying part of the chapter because Raskolnikov’s arrogant personality was really starting to get annoying. I am looking forward to reading about Raskolnikov’s confession to the police and what his punishment will be.