Avoiding punishment is useless. Whether in the form of proper trials or through guilt, every person will come face to face with the consequences of their actions. Avoiding suffering only intensifies it. This is demonstrated primarily through Svidrigailov and Raskolnikov at the end of Crime and Punishment. Both men have managed to escape their various torments and realize the vanity of their avoidance after receiving crushing mental blows. Raskolnikov and Svidrigailov realize that the time has come to recognize suffering and responsibility for previous actions. Raskolnikov's inability to hide his guilt shines through in his actions. When he tries to defend his innocence against Porfiry he expresses childish defenses. His suffering consumed him and he “gasped, almost suffocating” (541) as the conversation turned to uncomfortable topics. The connotation here of "suffocation" reveals how deeply internal pain has tormented Raskolnikov and the effect this has on his lungs. Furthermore, his refusal of this opportunity given to him by Porfiry to take his punishment clearly demonstrates how Raskolnikov's every action is now directly influenced by his airflow. Logically he should realize that his game is over, but his pride and brain suffocation are so high that he cannot make sense of it. He stammers his sentences, pausing and panting. On a deeper level, his brain function is also affected by oxygen flow. This is clearly conveyed by his callous behavior and lack of thought towards his future endeavors. His desire to avoid discipline is fading as he realizes that the time for punishment is approaching. Before his final unnerving conversation with Porfiry, Raskolnikov appears to be lost and disoriented. Ter... half of the paper... okay. However, this journey does not involve physical death. It involves going to the police office he once feared and confessing his crime. Even though he is short of breath and feels weak, he is finally able to recount the details in full, and the self-inflicted suffering ends up being followed by a formal punishment, or "a clearly defined air." Coming to terms with past mistakes and accepting the consequences is a painful process. Admitting blame for previous missteps can feel Herculean. Proud characters like Svidrigailov or Raskolnikov find this burdensome. However, ultimately, choosing to embark on the journey of acceptance becomes necessary if one chooses to commit evil, an act to which man will sooner or later succumb. In Crime and Punishment this journey also allows the character's suffocating mask to fall away allowing him to breathe once again..