Raskolinkov's Letter from His Mother

          In chapter 3, Raskolinkov receives a letter from his mother. The letter explains what has happened in the past two months. Raskolinkov's mother describes him as a man who is full of heart and will do anything for his family. This changes the readers perspective towards Raskolinkov from a man who is full of hatred and remorse to a man who has a good head on his shoulders and has a good heart. As the letter continues, it describes the unfortunate events that has happened to his family. His mother explains that she has not written to him because she did not want to make his condition worse. We get a better understanding of why Raskolinkov decided to the leave the university but we do not fully know why. He could not support himself with the money he earned but is now living off his mother and sister. In the first chapter we see him as an independent man who has to make a living for himself by selling different items but in chapter 3 we see him as a man who has dropped everything he once was for a life of poverty. The main question that comes to mind is what could have caused him to drop everything he once had for his current life. His obsession with the crime is one of the most likely reasons he left his old life. Raskolinkov's reaction to the letter is unexpected. Here, his mother writes a letter to explain what has happened and tells him how much her and his sister love him but he can only think of them with scorn. This is not the typical reaction one expects from a mentally stable person. His reaction to the letter and his constant thoughts help prove that there is something mentally unstable with Raskolinkov.