In Fyodor Dostoevsky’s mordant novella Notes from Underground, the reoccurring themes involving consciousness vs. unconsciousness, suffering, and stagnant philosophical ignorance are utilized to portray the Underground Man as a fantastic representation of an alienated, anti-society being; overall demonstrating the impractical nature of any attempt at an utopian communist civilization.
Dostoevsky displays his protagonist, the “Underground Man” as an unrealistically cynical and pessimistic man whom is spiteful against society just for the sake of being spiteful. By not giving his character a name, Dostoevsky is implying that while the Underground Man is a man of fiction and fantasy, it is inevitable that people of this stature exist in a society that continues to support the spread of communism. Furthermore, when asked about the nature of the underground man, Dostoevsky responded that similar characters “not only may, but must exist in our society” (580). While this statement, as well as the Underground Man’s constant belittling of his audience, causes one to think of the Underground Man as a nonconformist and an overall outsider, he is largely employed as a symbol highlighting the issues with absolute conformity and Utopianism. As long as people act out pure spite towards the system, absolute communism and the theory of Utopia is unattainable.
The reoccurring theme of consciousness vs. unconsciousness demonstrates the paralyzing virus to government and cultural conformity that is overly analytical thought. The underground man is plagued by hyperconscious thinking. He describes his thought process as “in accord with the normal fundamental laws of over-acute consciousness… and that consequently [he] was not only unable to change, ...
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...n argument commonly set forth by communism is that in a competitive society citizens of a higher class and ranking end up having more freedoms that citizens of a lower class. The Underground Man states that he “may degrade and defile [himself] but [he is] not anyone’s slave. [he] comes and goes, and that’s the end of it… but [Liza is] a slave from the start. Yes, a slave! [She] gives up everything, [her] whole freedom” (631). The Underground Man is suggesting that poverty itself does not force one to be indebted and a slave to society, it is one’s choice to fall into the conformity of their class. He admits that he himself is subject to misery and misfortune; however, he does not allow himself to accept the predetermined role of a common lazy beggar, but instead is insistent on being an individual. Even if he is spiteful and unhappy, he stands by his vindictiveness.
The use of mass terror was one of the most representative characteristics of the Stalinist regime. The Gulag embodied the constant and large scale use of fear by the Bolsheviks to administer the population. Varlam Shalamov’s Kolyma Tales and Fyodor Mochulsky’s Gulag Boss stood out by their treatment of the question. While relating the same events, namely the daily routine of an arctic Gulag, these two works dealt with this topic from two diametrically opposed perspectives. Indeed, Shalamov was a political prisoner for seventeen years while Mochulsky was a supervisor in the camp. Therefore, their experience of the Gulag diverged in nearly every aspect. Furthermore, Mochulsky and Shalamov pursued different designs. On the one hand, Shalamov attempts to depict the Gulag’s ability to dehumanize prisoners. On the other hand, Mochulsky wrote his book after the fall of the USSR. As a former guard, he attempted to justify his past behavior, not to say exonerate himself.
In describing the setting, the general locale is the prison in the coldest part of Russia- Siberia, geographically but socially depicting the social circumstances in the prison, but draws analogies to the general social, political and economic circumstances of Russia during the Stalinist era (form 1917 revolution up to 1955). The symbolic significance of the novel and the film (genres) reflects experiences, values and attitudes of the Russian society. The genres reflect the origins of the Russian social disorders and massive counts of political misgivings which watered down real communism in Russia. We are constantly reminded of the social and cultural heritage and originality of Russian ethnic groups through those different levels of meanings
Dostoyevsky's writing in this book is such that the characters and setting around the main subject, Raskolnikov, are used with powerful consequences. The setting is both symbolic and has a power that affects all whom reside there, most notably Raskolnikov. An effective Structure is also used to show changes to the plot's direction and Raskolnikov's character. To add to this, the author's word choice and imagery are often extremely descriptive, and enhance the impact at every stage of Raskolnikov's changing fortunes and character. All of these features aid in the portrayal of Raskolnikov's downfall and subsequent rise.
In his 17th century pem, “To Althea from Prison”, Richard Lovelace tells us that “stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage.” Thus Lovelace introduces and makes the reader familiar with the paradoxical nature of freedom. This paradox is raised again when comparing two legitimate visions of the modern world: Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich vividly describes and allows the reader to live through life in a prison, where an individuals rights are stripped away, and Brave New World introduces the reader to a fantasy world filled with sex, drugs, and a total lack of inhibition and self-reserve. Although apparently unrelated, both novels together describe what could be considered a modern hell. In Solzhenitsyn’s novel Shukov is stripped of his rights and his free will, while Huxley’s characters are stripped of independence of thought and brainwashed into mindless decadence. A comparison of the worlds created by Solzhenitsy and Huxley prompts us to redefine imprisonment of freedom, yet the brain that is enslaved in Huxley’s novel is truly less free than the body enchained in Solzhenitsyn gulag.
Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment begins with Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov living in poverty and isolation in St. Petersburg. The reader soon learns that he was, until somewhat recently, a successful student at the local university. His character at that point was not uncommon. However, the environment of the grim and individualistic city eventually encourages Raskolnikov’s undeveloped detachment and sense of superiority to its current state of desperation. This state is worsening when Raskolnikov visits an old pawnbroker to sell a watch. During the visit, the reader slowly realizes that Raskolnikov plans to murder the woman with his superiority as a justification. After the Raskolnikov commits the murder, the novel deeply explores his psychology, yet it also touches on countless other topics including nihilism, the idea of a “superman,” and the value of human life. In this way, the greatness of Crime and Punishment comes not just from its examination of the main topic of the psychology of isolation and murder, but the variety topics which naturally arise in the discussion.
Bellow, Saul. "Man Underground" Review of Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man. Commentary. June 1952. 1st December 2001
Although he regrets it, the Underground Man’s inability to commit to one action, to save Liza or to repulse her, to seek revenge or attempt fit in, is what ultimately keeps him from connecting with others, it is what keeps him in the underground. Travis’ commitment to action ultimately leads him above ground. Works Cited Dostoevsky, Fyodor. A. Notes from Underground: A New Translation, Backgrounds and Sources, Responses, Criticism. Norton Critical Edition.
The tone of “Notes from Underground” is sharp, strange and bitter. The bitterness of the book is traced to the multiple personal misfortunes the author suffered as he wrote his novel. Through these personal tragedies it can be argued that the author presented the position of the “underground man” through his own experiences. Additionally, the research holds the second belief that the novel’s presentation of “underground man” is founded on the social context the novel addresses (Fanger 3). Through this, it was found that Dostoevsky presented the suffering of man under the emerging world view directed by European materialism, liberalism and utopianism. As he began writing his novel, Dostoevsky had been directed by the romantic error that looked at utopian social life and the social vision of satisfying and perfecting regular life for man. The failure for the society to gain these achievements was as a result of the distant liberalism and materialism that reduced the power of reasoning and...
The underground man is the product of the social determinism due to all the personal experiences that he had throughout his life with the society. He is a person who always wanted act in a different way but he stops himself and act as how the society wants him
Dostoevsky, Fyodor. Notes from Underground: A New Translation, Backgrounds and Sources, Responses, Criticism. Norton Critical Edition. New York: Norton, 1989.
The arena for this ideological contest is Petersburg, full of slums, revolutionary students and petty titular councilors. Scientifically and artificially constructed in the midst of marshland, the city itself is a symbol of the incompatibility of logical planning with humankind's natural sensibilities. The city did not grow randomly or organically, but entirely by czarist decree. Nonetheless, it is a dank and depressing place to live, at least for those in the vicinity of Haymarket Square, where the story takes place. Joseph Frank, Dostoevsky's biographer, says of ...
Hansen, Bruce. “Dostoevsky’s Theodicy.” Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University, 1996. At . accessed 18 November 2001.
Dostoyevsky's characters are very similar, as is his stories. He puts a strong stress on the estrangement and isolation his characters feel. His characters are both brilliant and "sick" as mentioned in each novel, poisoned by their intelligence. In Notes from the Underground, the character, who is never given a name, writes his journal from solitude. He is spoiled by his intelligence, giving him a fierce conceit with which he lashes out at the world and justifies the malicious things he does. At the same time, though, he speaks of the doubt he feels at the value of human thought and purpose and later, of human life. He believes that intelligence, to be constantly questioning and "faithless(ly) drifting" between ideas, is a curse. To be damned to see everything, clearly as a window (and that includes things that aren't meant to be seen, such as the corruption in the world) or constantly seeking the meaning of things elusive. Dostoyevsky thought that humans are evil, destructive and irrational.
In Notes from Underground, Dostoyevsky relates the viewpoints and doings of a very peculiar man. The man is peculiar because of his lack of self-respect, his sadistic and masochistic tendencies, and his horrible delight in inflicting emotional pain on himself and others. Almost instantly the reader is forced to hate this man. He has no redeeming values, all of his insights into human nature are ghastly, and once he begins the narrative of his life, the reader begins to actively hate and pity him.
The world - a rat trap. A rat trap, is what one would define as a simple instrument designed to trap mice with the use of bait. The world, as one may see it, can be defined as an elaborate rat trap: all the luxuries, privileges, resources - baits - offered by the world lure those foolish enough to possess materialistic life goals. In “Jon”, one of the short stories in George Saunders’ In Persuasion Nation, “the facility” (Saunders, 23) represents the world which provides “the Assessors” (Saunders, 48) with resources including food, clothing, shelter, fame; everything an individual would need to live a comfortable life. The Assessors, including Jon, hold their materialistic goals of comfort, basic amenities, and personal and social recognition