Raskolnikov, a failed student, kills a pawnbroker and her sister, apparently for money. Thereafter, encountering friends and others, he is compelled to examine his true motivations. His struggle with himself and with those around him become a battle of the individual against society, radicalism against tradition—even man's will against divine providence. Compelling and rewarding, Crime and Punishment is full of meaning and symbolism that have continuously invited analysis, while its themes, methods and characterization have left an indelible stamp on world literature.