Everything rests upon Natasya"s absence from the kitchen at the precise moment he needs it. Obviously, Raskolnikov is attempting to set himself for failure in this crime so that he may be caught and brought back down and in to society again. The reader may also feel sympathy because Raskolnikov is looking for a way out of his destitute condition. And while his methods are not those of a normal person, the intention prevails, making him seem as if he knows the right solution, just not the path to it. Furthermore, he tries to sabotage his plans and takes a nap, oversleeping the time at which he knows his victim (Alyona) will be alone. Then he forgets to get rid of his hat, which can be easily identified as it draws attention to him. When he remembers the mistake, he does nothing to remedy this, simply leaving the hat on. Immediately following the murder, Raskolnikov realizes ".how many obstacles there still remained for him to surmount.", and ".the horror of what he had done." (63) This shows the beginning of Raskolnikov"s mental weakness, and also reinforces his true intentions for the crime. The attempts time and again by Raskolnikov to sabotage his own plans display a side of him that is far from evil. He is calculating, but not in the sense that he is trying to get away with the perfect murder. He is instead trying to commit the perfect failure.

             Raskolnikov presents evidence of his true mental state, and that he wants to be exposed before his peers for the good of society, which allows the reader to see him not as evil, but terribly misguided as a tainted product of the world he has been forced in to. First, he forgets to lock the door and is forced to kill another woman who walks in unexpectedly during his crime. Next, with the door still open, he dallies several minutes washing his axe, taking even more time to scrutinize his clothing for traces of blood, all seemingly in the unconscious hope that someone will walk in on him.