Part 2: Chapter 6 Summary

Taking all of his money and wearing his new clothes, Raskolnikov goes out. The sun is going down, his spirits are sinking and he ponders suicide. He tries to escape his own thoughts by striking up casual conversations with people he sees on the streets, but they shun him. He wanders into a bar to read the papers. It happens that Zamyotov, the chief police clerk, is also there having a beer. The chief just wants to enjoy his drink and forget about fighting crime, but Raskolnikov keeps awkwardly bringing up the subject of the murder. They discuss other local crimes, most of which went wrong when the criminals lost their nerves in the middle. Proud of himself, Raskolnikov mocks the amateurs who make mistakes under pressure. The policeman, on the other hand, believes that it is far more difficult to...