Discussion Questions

Víctor Sánchez

6. In what way(s) are Sonia and Dounia similar characters?

The biggest similarity between Sonya and Dunya is that they are ready to sacrifice themselves for the sake of their own family, though Dunia doesn´t accept it and Sonya talks with her actions taking all the family on her back.

Sonya sacrifices for the sake of her family by selling her body in order to take money and therefore food to her house that are living in total misery because of his father, but instead of being angry to him, she uses all that feelings and focus them on their family. Although she isn´t an educated girl, she is very novel and merciful, a humble person no matter what. She sacrifices herself every time for every person.

 On the other side there is Dunia  who is sacrificing herself by getting with a wealthy guy, for the sake of her brother, he accept it because of the love she has to her brother Raskolinkov, but she doesn´t accept it.

Dounia and Sonya are both strong and steady, they do whatever has to be done In order to their love ones to be fine.

8. For what reasons does Dounia agree to marry Luzhin? How does Raskolnikov feel about her impending marriage? Why does she eventually break her engagement?

Luzhin is a wealthy lawyer, and he offered Dunia to marry him, because she wanted a wife that was living a bad life so he could give it to her and doesn´t have anything to own her, so it was an arranged marriage where both sides will win something in this case Dunia will have money. She is decided to sacrifice her own happiness so her brother Raskolinkov can continue in law school, where he quit because of the economic situation they were suffering. Here we can see how Dunia is a good-hearted young girl that looks out for her love ones and wants them to have happiness.

Raskolnikov is totally in disagree with this marriage, because he doesn't want to depend on anybody else but himself that´s why he goes to pond things. And in the other side he doesn´t wants his sister with someone she doesn´t love. Here we can see the compassionate side of Raskolinkov. And in one part when Dunia and Raskolinov where fighting about this. He told her that was him or Luzhin making her being between the wall and the sword.