Power is given only to him who dares to stoop and take it ... one must have the courage to dare." ¿ Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment Crime and Punishment (1867) by Fyodor Dostoevsky recounts the story of Rodion Raskolnikov, a former student living under poverty in the slums of St. Petersburg. To come out of his impoverished state, he plans to kill a corrupt pawnbroker for her money. He believes that with the money he could liberate himself from poverty and go on to do great deeds. However, once he commits the murder, he finds himself afflicted with confusion and disgust. Raskolnikov is haunted by his conscience until Sonya, a prostitute, comes as the sole means of redemption.