Fyodor Dostoyevsky Notes From The Underground

Fyodor Dostoevsky was a 19th century Russian writer, who was characterized by his focus on the inner struggle and turmoil of mankind as well as incredibly complex characters. Highly regarded as an author, much of his writing came from the incredible struggles he faced during his lifetime, as well as the great injustices he saw committed by the government and society, including the widespread poverty of the former serfs who had been “freed” during his lifetime(Curtis et al. , Russia: A Country Study) but saw little to no increases in standard of living. Along with other societal issues, such as the epidemic of suicides or obsession with the idea of suicide, which plagued Russia for much of the 19th century and found it’s way into Dostoyevsky’s works(Paperno, 70-79), Dostoevsky also criticized the Progressive Government and rejected the ideals of nihilism and rationalism, instead choosing to adopt a belief in salvation through suffering and the power of God, both of which are masterfully explored in some of his most critically acclaimed works. In his 1864 work Notes From The Underground Dostoyevsky, through his use of an unreliable narrator, flashback, symbolism, and imagery to convey his social commentary on nihilism, the free will of man, and radical egoism(Lantz 57-59).
Throughout Notes from the Underground, our narrator on several

In a physical sense, The Underground is found below those to which he is writing, further highlighting the duality and absurdity of The Underground Man, who believes himself to be a superior being. The Underground can also be thought of his social and emotional state - separated and isolated from the rest of humanity, able only to siphon a small amount through whatever medium separates the two. Through the symbolism and imagery displayed throughout the novella, Dostoevsky makes crystal clear his rejection of a utopia resulting from