You'll recall we re-read the first two paragraphs of Part I, Ch. 3 describing Raskolnikov's "closet" or garret apartment, and also the section of I, 5 detailing his dream when he falls asleep on the grass of Vasilievsky Island.
I asked you to think like a psychologist. What state of mind is likely to arise from isolation in so wretched an environment as Rodya's closet? What multi-syllable word does the narrator attach to our protagonist? Why? what does it mean?
How would you interpret & diagnose Rodya's dream? Be comprehensive—consider the extreme amount of detail, the characterization of the horse and the driver (not to mention the driver's name), the role that the boy Rodya plays…
Now consider both passages from the standpoint of a sophisticated reader. Why did the writer Dostoevsky place them where he did? This is a psychological novel, among other things. What could Rodya's room symbolize? If the horse can be identified with Lizaveta, what does that dual identity signify for our protagonist, and where does it point for his ultimate awakening?
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