In such miserable living conditions, those offered by the slums of Russia, the characters of Crime and Punishment1 by Fyodor Dostoyevsky struggle, living from day to day day. Raskolnikov, the protagonist, experiences multiple levels of suffering (the thought of his murder causes him more suffering than his poverty), as do Sonia and Katerina Ivanovna (1). Through these characters as well as Porfiry Petrovich, Dostoyevsky wants the reader to understand that suffering is the price of happiness and he uses this to ultimately erase Raskolnikov's theory of an ubermensch that allows him to experience infinite love. The character's suffering is thrown into the readers. face from the start. Raskolnikov's suffering manifests itself on two levels: "he was crushed by poverty, but the worries linked to his situation had recently ceased to weigh on him" (1). It seems that the suffering caused by his current state of mind is so great that he does not even feel the suffering caused by his poverty. Throughout Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov's main suffering is caused by his inability to let others know the crime he has committed and, as a result, he distances himself from those who show him compassion (156) . As the novel progresses, he decides to tell Sonia about it because expressing his crimes would alleviate some of the suffering, however, his moral encompasses the idea that it is inconceivable to "go on living" without suffering and without “atonement” (416). During this confession, the reader is confronted with a righteous character (probably the most) who does not judge Raskolnikov for what he has done but sympathizes and tells him that giving himself up and bearing the consequences will relieve him of the mental suffering caused . Another...... middle of paper...... that he is the killer (338). Suffering and its role in Crime and Punishment centers on Raskolnikov, his "infinite love" for Sonia and the "reward". [lies for] all his sufferings” (542). Sonia, the eighteen-year-old stepdaughter of Katerina Ivanovna, does not want to be drawn into prostitution but is forced to do so because of the living conditions her family faces (17). The situation Raskolnikov believes Sonia is in promotes the misconception that she is just as bad as him, so he confronts her about it. Raskolnikov does not realize that her superficial thoughts are adding to her suffering and he takes her for granted until she falls ill (540). Sonia's suffering is the final pivot that transforms Raskolnikov's perception of an ubermensch. It is now Raskolnikov's turn to pay for his new life, the life that will only come after "great effort, [and] great suffering ».” (542).