Crime and Punishment & Other Great Novels of Dostoevsky
by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Contents
Chapter 3 The Schoolboy
Overview
Kolya Krassotkin strides through town with Smurov on his way to visit the dying Ilusha, displaying bravado, contrarian opinions, and manipulative wit. News of Ilusha’s worsening health heightens urgency. Near Snegiryov’s home, Kolya holds back and dispatches Smurov to summon Alyosha, signaling a tentative reconciliation on Kolya’s terms.
Summary
Kolya slips out at last, braving the sudden frost with his dog Perezvon, and meets Smurov, who has sneaked away despite parental warnings. As they head toward the market and then Captain Snegiryov’s lodgings, Smurov reports Ilusha’s rapid decline, the captain’s desperate plan to bring a mastiff pup, and that their classmates now visit daily. Kolya maintains superiority, claiming he comes of his own will and rejecting the phrase “make it up.”
Crossing the bustling market, Kolya lectures on dogs, habit, and socialism, while Smurov follows admiringly. Kolya provokes and banters with vendors and passersby, tricks an excitable clerk by invoking invented names, and tests peasants with teasing and apologies, relishing his control of each exchange. These encounters display Kolya’s pride, intellect, and taste for stirring confusion.
As noon approaches, they near Snegiryov’s home. The boys absorb the gravity of Ilusha’s condition—failing breath, inability to walk, Herzenstube attending, and the family’s sudden access to money. At the gate, Kolya refuses to enter immediately; preserving his authority, he sends Smurov to ask Alyosha Karamazov to come out to him first, signaling readiness to see Ilusha but only on his own terms.
Who Appears
- Kolya KrassotkinHeadstrong schoolboy; struts through town with Perezvon, provokes townsfolk, debates ideas, and cautiously approaches reconciling with Ilusha.
- SmurovYounger schoolboy; admires Kolya, reports Ilusha’s worsening health, and runs to fetch Alyosha at Kolya’s command.
- PerezvonKolya’s lively dog; proposed as a stand-in for Ilusha’s lost Zhutchka but unlikely to comfort him.
- Ilusha SnegiryovDying schoolboy; offstage presence whose grave condition motivates the visit and classmates’ daily support.
- Captain SnegiryovIlusha’s father; desperate, planning a mastiff pup to comfort his son; would be unhinged by Ilusha’s death.
- Alyosha KaramazovSpiritual mentor to the boys; regularly visits Ilusha; Kolya asks to see him outside before entering.
- HerzenstubeDoctor attending Ilusha; his care underscores the seriousness of the boy’s condition.
- Market women and townspeopleVendors and a touchy clerk whom Kolya teases, showcasing his swagger and social gamesmanship.
- Two peasantsOne good-natured, one shrewd; engage Kolya’s banter, revealing his shifting respect for common folk.