“The Man from Under the Ground” (“the tradesman”) Character Analysis in Crime and Punishment

A man who sees Raskolnikov after Raskolnikov has inquired about the blood in the old woman’s apartment, this man follows Raskolnikov and calls him a murderer. He reports this information, too, to Porfiry, but later apologizes to Raskolnikov when Nikolai confesses—the tradesman believes, incorrectly, that he has falsely accused Raskolnikov.

“The Man from Under the Ground” (“the tradesman”) Character Timeline in Crime and Punishment

The timeline below shows where the character “The Man from Under the Ground” (“the tradesman”) appears in Crime and Punishment. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Raskolnikov runs after the man, a “tradesman,” who tells Raskolnikov that he is a murderer and walks away. Raskolnikov returns to his... (full context)

He falls asleep and, in a dream, follows the tradesman to the pawnbroker’s house, up to the fourth floor. He discovers that the old crone... (full context)

As Raskolnikov leaves to go to the funeral, he runs into the “ man from the under the ground ” who had accused him, the day before, of being a murderer. The man admits... (full context)

The tradesman then admits that he was the “surprise” Porfiry was going to spring on Raskolnikov; he... (full context)