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Pulcheria Alexandrovna Raskolnikov is Raskolnikov’s mother. Pulcheria Alexandrovna is deeply devoted to her son, to the extent that she’s willing to sacrifice her and her daughter’s wellbeing for his success. She believes that Raskolnikov can do no wrong, and she convinces herself of his nobleness even when he is objectively behaving poorly and rudely. Her unyielding love for her son is partly due to the death of her husband when Raskolnikov was a young boy. The two shared their grief together, building a strong emotional bond. Additionally, the novel suggests that Raskolnikov was known in the past as a do-gooder, and that it was common for him to behave in charitable and heroic ways, from giving the last of his money to strangers in need to rescuing children from a burning building. Thus, despite being concerned by Raskolnikov’s strange, cold behavior when they’re reunited in Petersburg, Pulcheria Alexandrovna believes fully in her son’s capacity for goodness and can’t accept that he may be hiding disturbing secrets.
Pulcheria Alexandrovna’s adamant belief in Raskolnikov’s morality and nobleness makes it difficult for her to cope when she discovers that he’s done something terrible. After Raskolnikov comes to his mother asking for forgiveness shortly before making his confession to the police, Pulcheria Alexandrovna grows increasingly delusional, unable to bear the cognitive dissonance between her belief in her son’s perfection and the distressing reality of his circumstances. Dunya and Razumikhin keep the news of Raskolnikov’s arrest and trial hidden from Pulcheria Alexandrovna, allowing her instead to dream up fantasies that explain his absence. In these fantasies, Raskolnikov is a victim on the run from powerful people. However, it’s clear that on some deeper level of consciousness, Pulcheria Alexandrovna understands that Raskolnikov has done something unspeakable. Unable to bear this emotional burden, she sinks further into insanity and illness, which eventually proves fatal. In keeping with the novel’s Christian themes, Pulcheria Alexandrovna, bearing resemblance to the Virgin Mary, serves as a figure of unconditional love and forgiveness to the sinful Raskolnikov.
