Voltaire, Marx, And Dostoevsky's Notes From Underground

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Catherine Llewellyn December 19, 2014 Western Civilization II HU2211, C: Moore Week 8 - Assignment: Final Paper Voltaire, Marx, and Dostoevsky all use writing as a means of social critique. What are they critiquing, and how do their methods differ? What kind of reaction do they want from their readers, and how (what kind of language do they use, what kind of appeals do they make) do they attempt to elicit this reaction? Voltaire, Marx, and Dostoevsky all use writing as a means of social critique. The term social criticism often refers to a mode of criticism that locates the reasons for malicious conditions in a society considered to be in a flawed social structure. Voltaire, Marx, and Dostoevsky all saw some sort of flaw within their social structures. …show more content…

In Notes from Underground the narrator is anonymous, but he is known as the Underground Man, who describes his life, both past and present, his feelings, and thoughts. The reader can observe him struggling with many issues both internally and externally. Ultimately the reader can understand that the Underground Man is struggling with an identity crisis. “I am a sick man.... I am a spiteful man. I am an unattractive man.” He has basically gone crazy simply due to his inabilities to cope and work with the people and the world around him. In his opinion, he believes that hypocrisy, bureaucracy, as well as wealth and power will always take over and be the ones in power. Overall, Dostoevsky is critiquing the society that the Underground Man lives in, and all the changes that Russia was going through during this time. We see the Underground Man try to save, and change, a young lady named Liza, who is a prostitute. His goal here was to save her and take her out of the evils of society, but because he has never been loved or had the feeling of affection, he ultimately falls in love with her but knows they cannot be

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