For she had nowhere to turn! Do you understand, sir, do you understand what it means when you have absolutely nowhere to turn? … And for a whole year, I performed my duties conscientiously and faithfully, and did not touch this … for I have feelings.
Marmeladov tries to justify the impossible choices his family faces. “Nowhere to turn” makes poverty sound like a wall closing in. He insists he “has feelings,” begging to be seen as human. The speech hints at why Sonia sacrifices herself. It also mirrors Raskolnikov’s cornered mindset in a moral key. The barroom setting makes the confession raw and messy.