Sonya, as a prostitute, makes her redemptive qualities more moving. Part 4, chapter 4, she reads the passage of Lazarus' resurrection from significantly Lizaveta's bible.
Raskalnikov - 'holy fool' explaining the paradox that Sonya represents.
In St Paul the faith in the incarnation is a scandal to the Jew (who refuse to accept Christianity) and folly to the Greek (the philosophers of pagan antiquity). Here though, Sonya is this divine wisdom - precisely the paradox of Christianity, the first will be last, the last the first, weakness is strength, all of these things which violate almost our own instincts. Love your enemies. Turn the other cheek. Somebody needs your shirt then give them your jacket too. This Paradox of Christianity, G.K Chesterton always stresses the paradoxes of Christianity, the mysteries of Christianity. Raskalnikov is suddenly seeing something that is wonderful. The paradox of Sonya. He is drawn to this mystery, to her. And that will be his redemption. In this prostitute's house here is the new testament, who is rebuking me for talking about that her God does nothing for her - she says that God gives her everything - how is this possible? With every minute that passes he finds her more peculiar and more interesting.
Raskalnikov is deluded in thinking that he can redeem Sonya by bringing him to his world view. You've stepped over you gotta keep stepping over until it doesn't hurt any more. Until you don't care any more. It's ironic because he says 'take the suffering upon yourself'. This is what she has done already.
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