Crime and Punishment Reading Schedule
Part I--by Tuesday, Mar. 31.  But have chapters 1 and 2 read for Monday for sure.
Part II through Ch. 4--by Thursday, April 2, and finished by Friday, April 3
Parts III and IV--by Monday, April 13
Part V--by Wednesday, April 15
Part VI and Epilogues--by Friday, April 17

TODAY IN CLASS
1. A 12-minute (ten question) MC poetry passage. In a rare shift of usual practice, people who were out of class today (sick, blood drive, or Microsofting) will make that up at the start of class tomorrow.

2. With my voice still very compromised, I tried to run a discussion involving questions to discuss briefly, responses, to which I typed back, and it worked to some degree.  Here are the questions--not meant to be all that high-level, but still worth going over if you were not here! We did not finish, but we will hit the highlights of the rest briefly on Thursday.  However, everyone should insure that this goes swiftly by making sure that you've found the spots in the text and thought about these questions for tomorrow.

1) The opening passage--beginning through what’s running through Raskolnikov’s mind as he walks out into the street.

WHAT IS THE “TONE”?  HOW IS IT ACHIEVED? What, particularly is the effect on the reader?

2) For some 19th century novelists, particularly Dickens, a person’s physical description gave clues to their character.  In the Middle Ages, people actually believed that physiognomy was related to a person’s inner being.  Later writers use it more or less as shorthand—but the catch is, what you see is not always what you get. 

So first—look at the initial description of Raskolnikov (second or maybe the third page of text) and of the pawnbroker as she opens the door when R. arrives to scout the place out.

COMPARE what’s in your book with a couple of other versions.

Briefly discuss the “so what” of these descriptions—

·         how accurate are they as a guide to character (at least as we see it early on)

·         are they meant in any way to influence the reader’s attitude toward the characters?

·       2)  Would that include caring/not caring what happens to the character?

3) Do you all understand the concept of the “yellow card”?  Check it out amongst yourselves.

4) Why does R. leave money on the windowsill?  What do his values seem to be at this point?

5) The letter from his mother:

a) how/why did Dunya leave the Svidrigailov’s house? Fair/unfair? Do we have an idea of what really happened?

b) How does Luzhin actually feel about Dunya?  How does she feel about him?  How does Pulcheria Raskolnikov feel about the marriage?

c) what would be the benefit to R. of such a marriage?

6) But how does R. react to this planned marriage?  Do you think he would have felt the same way if he hadn’t just met the Marmeladovs?

7) How does concern about his mother’s letter connect with the “it”/”that” from the previous day?

8) What do we learn about R from his encounter with the drunk girl and the interaction with the policeman?  Play this whole scene through—try to see various facets of his personality.

9) After NOT going to see his friend and after a quick glass of vodka and some “pie” (in my edition—I think it’s some sort of pastry and meat filling concoction), he gets sleepy and collapses in some bushes to take a nap.

And he DREAMS—

Review the details of this dream.

You know what happens before Part I ends.

How does the dream relate to the killing of the pawnbroker?

Ponder, discuss, and share.

10) What is his path as he goes back to his small apartment?  What does he overhear, and how does that affect his plans?

11) Notice the coincidences or “lucky breaks” that lead to his getting to the apartment at the appointed time, and with a weapon; also some of the details of what’s going on at the apartment building. (No question; just notice.)

12) Look at the manner, the way in which he commits both murders.  What do you make of the differences? What would a police investigator say?  How does it relate to the dream (Yes , the same question as at the end of #9, just the other direction.)

FROM THIS POINT ON, YOU WILL PICK UP WITH A HAND-OUT YOU WILL GET IN CLASS TOMORROW.  You can use it to finish out some guided thinking for the rest of Part i and for preparing tomorrow's material.  Note that Part II through Ch. 4 should be completed by tomorrow.

So, FOR TOMORROW, make sure that you have read that far.