DOSTOEVSKY'S UNDERGROUND MAN

DOSTOEVSKY`S UNDERGROUND MAN
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INTRODUCTION
It is often argued that majority of individuals tend to possess some basic drives, values or interests for instance usefulness in terms of productivity, economy and practice, health in terms of self-preservation and survival, pleasure especially in areas of sexual fulfillment and sensuousness, goodness in terms of community, ethics and socialization. They also tend to have drives with regards to worship which can be directed to role models, heroes and reverence towards God, knowledge in terms of truth-seeking and intellectual, beauty which is usually directed to the arts, good clothing and esthetics among others (Barnhart 2005). Psychologists such as Sigmund Freud and Abraham Maslow have in the recent past tried to come up with theories explaining these basic human drives in addition to understanding why they are in existence. Authors and publishers of well recognized works have also made efforts of discussing or looking at different basic human drives and values in their individual ways and understanding. F Yodor Dostoevsky is one such writer who is not only renowned for being the world`s greatest novelist but also a literary psychologist (Barnhart 2005).
The novelist was born in the year 1821 in Moscow where he developed an interest in writing in the course of his growing up. He dedicated his time to pursue this particular skill upon graduation after having quit his minor military post (Barnhart 2005). Being a literary psychologist, Dostoevsky perceived the world as being shaped by his experiences with social injustice. He got arrested in the year 1849 as a result of taking part in a group that not only printed socialist propaganda but also distributed the materials illegally (Barnhart 2005). He experienced hardships in the course of his 4 years following his arrest at a Siberian labor camp. It is after spending most of his time in Western Europe during the 1860s that he was motivated to publish Notes from Underground.
ESSAY
Brief Summary
Notes from Underground by Dostoevsky is considered to be a realism genre in that it generally pays close attention to real individuals, poor students, as well as those considered to generally dwell in the city (Barnhart 2005). The author published this particular book with the sole aim of portraying realism in its most complicated and difficult form. This particular novel played a major role in the creation of realist fiction as the narrative tends to provoke one`s mind regarding the margins of modern day society while taking a close look at the various effects modern day life has on a person`s personality (Barnhart 2005). The Underground Man is the main character in Dostoevsky`s Notes from Underground and acts as a vessel for the author`s main ideas as well as an illustration of the kind of challenges modern day Russia inevitably brought about (Barnhart 2005). The initial expression that readers get from the start of this narrative is the fact that the anonymous narrator is a rather bitter misanthropic individual residing alone in St. Petersburg, Russia and is a veteran of the Russian civil service (Barnhart 2005). The narrator has apparently managed to retire following his inheritance to some money. Notes from Underground are memoirs written by this bitter narrator which appear to be contradictory and confused set explaining as well as describing his alienation from modern day society (Barnhart 2005).
Dostoevsky divides his novel into 2 main parts where the first one titled Underground is set in the 1860s whose main protagonist is a 40 year old Underground Man. This individual in this first section of the novel is seen trying to explain or rather make sense of his theories regarding his antagonistic position towards society (Barnhart 2005). To begin with he claims that he is a wicked, sick and unattractive man whose self-loathing and hatred has not only corrupted his soul but also crippled him. Even though he considers himself a highly educated and well-read individual he holds on to the belief that it is this particular fact that is responsible for his current misery (Barnhart 2005). In his explanation the Underground Man argues that in today`s society all educated and conscious individuals need to be as miserable as he is. Readers can observe the fact that he is disillusioned by all philosophy despite the fact that he has some form of appreciation for the inspiring Romantic notion of the lofty and the beautiful (Barnhart 2005). The second part of the novel is titled Apropos of the Wet Snow and describes particular events in the Underground Man`s life that took place in the 1840s when he was a young 24 year old man (Barnhart 2005). Dostoevsky in this particular section provides a practical illustration of enhanced abstract ideas the main character brings forth in the first part of the narrative.
When he was a 24 year old the Underground Man describes his numerous interactions with a number of individuals inhabiting his world such as former schoolmates, prostitutes and army personnel. From what can be observed the protagonist is apparently so at odds with these particular individuals that he is no longer capable of carrying out normal interactions with them (Barnhart 2005). He is seen to treat them with a mixture of fear and disgust that leads to his own humiliation, self-loathing and remorse (Barnhart 2005).
What the Underground Man rails against
Dostoevsky portrays the Underground Man as an anti-hero in addition to being indecisive downtrodden victim of society. The Underground Man is a low ranking civil servant who has apparently lost his mind over a lifetime of his inability to handle the society around him. While writing this particular narrative the author believed that theories seeking universal social laws to govern and explain human behavior tend to ignore the key individuality related to the human soul, the power of free will together with the complexity of human personality (Barnhart 2005). The Underground Man is portrayed as being critical of rational egoism as well as other totalitarian visions of utopia (Barnhart 2005). Even though he is considered or rather perceived to be a victim of modern day Russian urban experience the Underground Man appears to be extremely critical of dogmatism of any form (Barnhart 2005). Not being able to have positive social relations with those around him, the main character makes an effort of relating to the world as per the illustrations and regulations found in European literature. His failure to achieve what he desires results in his bitterness and isolation which in turn drives him deeper underground (Barnhart 2005).
From the narrative and especially the first part of this novel the reader can observe the fact that the Underground Man breeds contempt for the 19th Century utilitarianism which is a school of thought attempting to utilize mathematical formulas and logical proofs in aligning one`s desires with their best interest (Barnhart 2005). The protagonist believes that it is man`s primary desire to exercise free will irrespective of whether it is in accordance to his best interests. As earlier mentioned most human beings tend to have basic drives, values or interests which include pleasure, usefulness, beauty, goodness, knowledge, worship and health. According to the novel the Underground Man tends to rail against Health. It is quite obvious to observe that the Underground Man possesses enormous contempt for himself as a human being and especially his attitude towards his own health (Barnhart 2005). At the start of the first part of this particular narrative, the Underground Man who is also the narrator states that he is a sick, wicked and unattractive individual whose liver may not be functioning as expected (Barnhart 2005). He is quite aware of the fact that he is already overcome by inertia to an extent of not even becoming wicked enough to be considered a scoundrel, lazy enough to be considered a true lazybones or insignificant enough to be considered an insect (Barnhart 2005).
The kind of health referred to in this narrative is not the physical health but rather the mental health of an individual. The initial details provided to the reader regarding the Underground Man are the fact that he is a 40 year old financially independent and well educated man who resides in a modern urban environment (Barnhart 2005). He however is cut off from his family and friends and resides alone by choice in a place he considers unattractive. The main character`s illness has nothing to do with his external environment but has everything to do with what is taking place internally (Barnhart 2005). The reader is informed of his becoming disillusioned and mentally unstable due to all philosophy. He does not understand why all conscious and educated individuals are not as miserable as he is considering the fact that no one can be completely satisfied with the conditions of life itself (Barnhart 2005). It is clear that the Underground Man gives the impression that he is well aware of himself and is familiar with his health and psychological state. He also considers it unfair that nature itself does not ask one`s permission whether they like or dislike its laws and such inquiry is what leads to his insanity (Barnhart 2005). The Underground Man cannot resign himself to the fact that nature is rather impartial.
As earlier mentioned the Underground Man also possesses great contempt for the 19th Century utilitarianism which is considered a school of thought attempting to utilize mathematical logical proofs and formulas in aligning one`s desires with their best interests (Barnhart 2005). According to his argument the protagonist state...