Several morally ambiguous characters played different pivotal roles in Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoevsky. In fact, most characters presented in this somewhat twisted novel can be evaluated as possessing both "good" and "evil" qualities. Sofya Semyonovna Marmeladov (Sonia) was an especially ambiguous female. Her contradicting social and moral statuses and contrasting roles as a saintly liberator and sinner allowed Sonia to play a crucial role throughout the novel. At times it is difficult to categorize Sonia as a "good" or "evil" character. However, these oppositions of her character not only allow major themes to develop, but also set the scenes for significant revelations to occur.

The reader at first looks down upon Sonia due to her contemptible social status. Sonia lived her life in scantiness with little money, poor housing conditions described as having "every sign of poverty" (294) and a drunken father. They were so poor that...