Crime and Punishment · Character

Avdotya Romanovna Raskolnikova

Raskolnikov's proud, clear-eyed sister, who has already survived humiliation at the Svidrigailov estate and now weighs a loveless marriage to save her family.

major

Also known as Dounia, Avdotya Romanovna

First appearance: crime and punishment

As a major figure in Crime and Punishment, Avdotya Romanovna Raskolnikova is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Dounia arrives in Petersburg prepared to marry the pompous Luzhin not for love but for her brother's future, a sacrifice she makes with open eyes and clenched teeth. She is no passive martyr: she reads people quickly, resents being managed, and when Svidrigailov resurfaces with his unsettling attentions, she refuses to be anyone's prey. Her fierce loyalty to Raskolnikov and her refusal to be bought give the novel its sharpest portrait of dignity under pressure.

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Character Web

18 connections

A slice of how Avdotya Romanovna Raskolnikova sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Family
Psychological
Other

Character groups

Central Characters
Marmeladov Family Circle
Protagonist

+13 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the emotional peak where Katerina Ivanovna's desperate, final appeal for respect and protection is pub…

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Relationships

Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov
family · positive
Dunya is Raskolnikov's devoted and strong-willed sister, whose love for him is profound… How this plays out →
Arkady Ivanovich Svidrigailov
psychological · negative
Dmitri Prokofych Razumikhin
romantic · positive
Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov
family · positive
Dunya is Raskolnikov's devoted and strong-willed sister, whose love for him is profound… How this plays out →
Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov
family · positive
Dunya is Raskolnikov's devoted and strong-willed sister, whose love for him is profound… How this plays out →
Arkady Ivanovich Svidrigailov
psychological · negative
Arkady Ivanovich Svidrigailov
psychological · negative
Dmitri Prokofych Razumikhin
romantic · positive
Dmitri Prokofych Razumikhin
romantic · positive

Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov
Dunya is Raskolnikov's devoted and strong-willed sister, whose love for him is profound but strained by his actions and her own sacrificial intentions.
Arkady Ivanovich Svidrigailov
Svidrigailov is Dunya's obsessed former employer and pursuer, using manipulation and threats in a twisted attempt to possess her.
Dmitri Prokofych Razumikhin
Dunya and Razumikhin develop a deep, mutual love and respect, with Razumikhin's steadfast loyalty winning her affection after she rejects Luzhin.
Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov
Dunya is Raskolnikov's devoted and strong-willed sister, whose love for him is profound but strained by his actions and her own sacrificial intentions.
Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov
Dunya is Raskolnikov's devoted and strong-willed sister, whose love for him is profound but strained by his actions and her own sacrificial intentions.
Arkady Ivanovich Svidrigailov
Svidrigailov is Dunya's obsessed former employer and pursuer, using manipulation and threats in a twisted attempt to possess her.
Arkady Ivanovich Svidrigailov
Svidrigailov is Dunya's obsessed former employer and pursuer, using manipulation and threats in a twisted attempt to possess her.
Dmitri Prokofych Razumikhin
Dunya and Razumikhin develop a deep, mutual love and respect, with Razumikhin's steadfast loyalty winning her affection after she rejects Luzhin.
Dmitri Prokofych Razumikhin
Dunya and Razumikhin develop a deep, mutual love and respect, with Razumikhin's steadfast loyalty winning her affection after she rejects Luzhin.

Relationship notes

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See Avdotya Romanovna Raskolnikova in crime and punishment