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Comparing Dostoevsky And The Underground

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Dostoevsky refers to his main character as the “Underground Man”, a man who has chosen not to involve himself with the ideal aspects of society and in return, experiences a lifetime of loneliness and alienation as he separates himself from any social, political or intimate relations. The Underground Man represents Dostoevsky’s opinion on the importance of freewill for the sake of mankind, as well as illustrates the conflict in society during his time in Russian, when rational egoism and reason were claimed to be the key principles in endorsing a pleasant and functional society. Rational egoists believed that life and society would become the “ideal”, solely through the application of reason and self-interest. On the contrary, the Underground
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The nature of Russian society is characterized by a sense of idealism. Russia’s beliefs of the potential for an ideal future have been pervasive throughout history. In 1920, Yevgeny Zamyatin wrote the short story “The Cave” during the midst of the Russian Civil War, a time when nationalism was at an all time low and people were hoping for a brighter future. In contrast to the goals that sparked the revolution, Zamyatin argues that the Russian Civil War will result in a primitive and decimated society that is ultimately worse off than the society that existed prior to the rebellion.

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Tolstoy depicts Ivan as a man who thrives off materialistic ideas due to the bourgeois society. Tolstoy’s novella focuses on a very ordinary man

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Notes from Underground are the tormenting thoughts of a bitter antisocial man living in St.Petersburg, Russia. The Underground Man writes down his contradictory thoughts to describe his depart from society. Although he has been corrupted by the power of spite he is an intelligent man. His intelligence leads him on the trail to conclude that man’s primary desire is to exercise free will whether or not it is in his best interest. His corruptness builds his insecurities causing him to lash out at people intentionally attempting to emotionally harm them.

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555 Words | 3 Pages

Although I think that the arguments Dostoyevsky’s Grand Inquisitor provide an insightful outlook on humanity, I don’t believe that overall story expresses Dostoyevsky 's own point of view. This type of narrative may seem peculiar considering many existentialists’ convictions regarding free will and autonomy. Nevertheless, it is important to remember that the Grand Inquisitor is simply a fictional character. Therefore, the reader cannot attribute his characters’ beliefs to his own view. As an existentialist author, he uses this story to emphasize the absurdity surrounding this ideology present in his community.

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277 Words | 2 Pages

In the novel Notes From The Underground, the author, Fyodor Dostoevsky expresses his belief of responsibility, religion and family as the ways to create peace in society. The reader can see where Dostoevsky expresses this through the narrator named The Underground man. While in his late 20’s, Fyodor Dostoevsky was sent to a labor camp in Siberia due to illegal propaganda. While in a horribly situation, he was exposed to different ideologies of the prisoners that differed from his own at the time. He found out that many of the underclass blame the upper class for their oppress and limited freedom.

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759 Words | 4 Pages

In fyodor dostoevsky’s “ Crime and Punishment”, The central character Raskolnikov Experiences a change in character, which later on will also change his opinion on crime as well. Raskolnikov’s conversation with Sonia allows him to experience a new outlook on the crime he has committed. Dostoyevsky’s writing closely follows the idea of “The Overman” otherwise know as the “Ubermensch”. This theory originally published by german philosopher Nietzsche is expressed in Raskolnikov’s article “on crime”. In part V, Porfiry is keen to understand what Raskolnikov intended to say with this article.

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143 Words | 1 Pages

Notes from the Underground presents the conflicting ideologies coming to surface during the 19th century through the narrator, The Underground Man. Written by Fyodor Dostoevsky as an opposition to the growing radical ideology of the ninetieth-century, primarily nihilism; Dostoevsky uses the underground man to toy with these ideologies and expose the inconsistent ideas. Through the underground man, Dostoevsky reveals the “…confession of his tragic vision of a man, [and] of his despair before that vision” (Jackson 17). It is with reference to Notes from the Underground that the critique on the perpetuating ideas of humanity, from Dostoevsky and other scholars at his time, are explored. By investigating the tension between ideology and the underground

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The biographical history of an author greatly influences the way he or she writes a novel. In Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment, Dostoyevsky envelops his life history within the novel, creating characters who parallel with those in his real life. Similar to many of the other Russian children at the time, Dostoyevsky was not brought up with a loving father; as a matter of fact, his father was a very stern and rigid man, contrary to Dostoyevsky’s loving and caring mother. At a young age, Dostoyevsky’s father forced him to enroll in an engineering school, disregarding Dostoyevsky’s love for literature. One night, when his father was walking him to enroll in the school, Dostoyevsky encountered a government courier viciously beating his

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Fyodor Dostoyevsky: The Life of a Criminal Author No matter what background someone has, every person comes in contact with traumatic events, like death or family issues, at one point in their life. One such man who made it through these moments virtually unscathed and even came to express his thoughts on them in his own art form is Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Accentuating what traits make humans who they are, Dostoyevsky illustrated realistic societies much like the one during his life with disturbing realism. In his death and beyond, Dostoyevsky’s grim ideas of humanity’s fallacies as a whole have not faded in the slightest in his literature.

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Liza, for example, treasures the qualities of romantic love while the Underground Man is incapable of love. The Underground Man’s consistent theme of contradiction is exemplified throughout the story where he experiences a multitude of emotions ranging from narcissistic and egocentric to embarrassment and humiliation. Although the Underground Man envisions himself challenging those who have wronged him, he does not have the “moral courage” to stand up for himself. By remaining in the underground, the Underground Man is able to escape from reality where is able to manufacture his own world. An argument can be made that Dostoevsky used the personal aspects of the Underground Man to show the pattern of similarities between him and contemporary society.

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271 Words | 2 Pages

From watching the video of Dostoyevsky's “Underground Man”, I am actually fascinated with the story of the underground man and I believe the main character has some kind of an inner struggle because he’s always questioning himself which makes him feel like he’s buried.

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958 Words | 4 Pages

Furthermore, the exposure the audience receives to self-freedom because, The Underground Man does not intend to share his ideas with anyone, is quickly undermined by the consequences of refraining from articulating his ideas, which is a result of his cowardice and laziness. From one’s first

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1370 Words | 6 Pages

In particular, the Underground Man experienced a traumatic incident where he was lifted from his shoulders and removed from the path of an officer (Dostoevsky 49). As a result of this incident, it created a profound feeling that he is meaningless to society. This act was not only humiliating but also stripped the Underground Man from his masculinity. “I could even have forgiven a beating, but I simply could not forgive his moving me and in the end just not noticing me” (Dostoevsky 49). His masculinity grants him a personal sense of power, but that had been taken from him.

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1052 Words | 5 Pages

Saint Petersburg, the setting of Crime and Punishment, plays a major role in the formation in Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s acclaimed novel. Dostoyevsky’s novels focus on the theme of man as a subject of his environment. Dostoyevsky paints 1860s St. Petersburg as an overcrowded, filthy, and chaotic city. It is because of Saint Petersburg that Raskolnikov is able to foster in his immoral thoughts and satisfy his evil inclinations. It is only when Raskolnikov is removed from the disorderly city and taken to the remoteness of Siberia that he can once again be at peace.

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582 Words | 3 Pages

The Underground Man is a mysteriously interesting character that Dostoyevski has created. Not only does he struggle with shame and hatred within himself, he believes he’s one of the most intelligent humans in society. He builds up this confidence and then breaks right back down because of his second thoughts and shame. The Underground Man is a fitting name for this character, as he is totally alienated from the world outside of his

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