Part 1: Chapter 4 Summary

Raskolnikov vows to stop his sister's marriage, since he objects to her marrying for practical or financial reasons. Suspicious of Luzhin, he is sure that his sister does not really love this 'kind hearted businessman' and is sure that she is marrying him to help the family, especially her destitute brother. He considers marrying for money as identical to Sonia's prostitution: both women are donating themselves for the 'good' of the family, and both are keeping up appearances. To stop this disaster he decides he has to act immediately, but does not know how, and does not know where to turn. Then, he remembers the pawnbroker. Raskolnikov sits down to think. As he ponders, a young prostitute wanders by. He wonders how many girls meet the same sad fate while a callous and uncaring society looks the other way. People seem...