There Are No Small Parts, Only Small Actors - Crime and Punishment

Anyone who has had any exposure to theatre has at least once heard the colloquialism, "there are no small parts, only small actors." Some may mock this platitude, pointing out the fact that, of course there are small parts; most literary works contain several "bit parts." But the root of this statement is true: no matter how "small" a character's part may be, that character makes a contribution, large or small, to the story. And …

…retrieving nearly no money from Alyona Ivanovna's trunk. Lastly, his final escape from Alyona Ivanovna's building is less than grand, with his nearly escaping discovery of his crime twice. Slightly less than extraordinary. In many ways, Alyona Ivanovna's brief appearance deeply affects the course of Raskolnikov's journey. Though mostly through her death, Alyona Ivanovna's character has great influence on Raskolnikov's conscience. This influence demonstrates to the reader that there are, in fact, no small parts.