I must agree that Pulcheria Alexandrovna, or “Mama
Raskolnikov”, is as you said “quite the character”. Like you said nothing is “simple”
with this woman. I really do not know how this letter fit on two pages. With her extensive use of adjectives and
detailed descriptions of so many events starting with Dounia’s former employer
hitting on her, the embarrassment that followed, and finally her engagement, I would
have expected this letter to be much longer than two pages (but maybe her
handwriting was small, who knows). When reading her letter, her language and
use of adjectives really provided me with a better understanding of both her
and Raskolnikov’s sister. Mama Raskolnikov describes Dounia as “an angel”, but
as you said we don't know if she really is one or not, and just like you, I am
anxious to find out whether her description of Dounia and all the other
characters that were mentioned in her letter are accurate. I like how you found
that connection between the quote on page 39 and a possible allusion to the
fact that she is not providing us with a proper description of these characters.
I did not recognize it at first but know I definitely see it as a possibility,
because like the quote says we cannot “…judge a man without seeing him up close
for oneself” (39) and we have yet to meet any of these characters.
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