Dostoevsky and the Underground Man
Dostoevsky Fyodor wrote a short novella titled Notes from the Underground, which was first published in 1864. Dostoevsky utilizes the Underground Man in his writing to critique society and provide wisdom. The Underground Man presents himself as a depraved, ill, and ugly individual. He is aware that his refusal to receive treatment does not endanger the doctors, yet his spite causes him to do so. He explains that he was unkind to the clients during his many years of civil service as retaliation for not taking brines, and he claims that this did not make him truly wicked. The Underground Man is a retired civil servant after receiving a modest inheritance and only served in the civil service to afford food and not because he loved the job. He is presented to have conflicting impulses including wickedness, self-loathing, sentimentality, and contempt for others making him unable to act on his wickedness and loathes himself despite being intelligent and sensitive. Out of spite, he decides to stay in St. Petersburg despite knowing the weather is not good for his health. The Underground Man as a character presents aspects we can identify with today. This essay looks at the aspects of the Underground Man we can identify as readers and provides a view of the impact of culture a piece of literature as this would have on culture.
The Importance of Reading
The representation of the Underground Man in the story serves to depict certain individuals in the society and is well-intentioned as the author states, "not only may but must exist in our society, taking under consideration the circumstances under which our society has been formed" (Davis et al., 4). One of the aspects we can relate to the Underground Man is the importance of reading as guidance in life and source of knowledge. He uses books as a form of relaxation and keeps him occupied most of the time. He narrates, "In the first place I spent most of my time at home, reading," "And the only external means I had was reading. Reading, of course, was a great help—exciting me, giving me pleasure and pain" (Dostoevsky, 62). The Underground Man is passionate about literature and considers books an important part of living. We can relate to this considering the importance of reading for pleasure and improve knowledge in the society today. The narrator also reads to reduce stress since he did not have any relations, "I did not, of course, maintain friendly relations with my comrades" (Dostoevsky, 62). Reading to relieve stress is common today providing how the narrator's reading and reasons behind it relate to the audience.
The Conflict Between Reason and Self-Interest
Readers can also relate to the idea that humans do not act according to their best interests as presented by the Underground Man. He states that a man will act in "opposition to the laws of reason, in opposition to his own advantage, in fact in opposition to everything" and "a man if necessary is ready to act in opposition to all laws; that is, in opposition to reason, honor, peace, prosperity" (Dostoevsky, 29). The Underground Man presents the view that some decisions in life are not necessarily in the best interests of an individual. This the readers can relate considering happenings in the society including the decision to consume fast foods despite knowing that it is in one's best interests to reduce such consumption. Other examples include the working-class whites voting for Republican policies that reduce their economic power, wealthy liberals supporting higher taxes on the rich, poor women marrying unreliable men (Denby). All these instances serve to demonstrate the Underground Man's view that man does not necessarily act in their own best interests.
Individuality and Free Will
Individuality is another important aspect presented by the Underground Man that is evident in the society today and readers can relate. He considers, "what is most precious and most important—that is, our personality, our individuality" (Dostoevsky, 37). Individuality and the freedom to make decisions and making choices that guide one's life is a guiding factor in the society today. However, the Underground Man chooses to present free will in different dimensions that cannot be relatable. For example, he decides not to see a physician for treatment of his liver as an expression of free will. He says, "No, I refuse to consult a doctor in spite. That you probably will not understand. Well, I understand it, though" (Dostoevsky, 3). The narrator also chooses to live in St. Petersburg despite knowing it is bad for his health and he dislikes the city. He also lives in deplorable conditions with an old woman she hates and considers stupid despite inheritable a sizable sum of money that could allow him to relocate and hire another servant. However, by taking self-harming actions, he demonstrates the impact of free will that individuals could abuse it. Freewill allows people to take bribes while others donate money to charity and other chose to eat junk while others eat healthily. The concept of free will presented by the Underground Man is relatable but how he chooses to express it is against expectations.
Expectations and Relationships
The other aspect of the Underground Man we can relate to is the basis for expectations and hopes. We often form expectations and hopes from loving relationships with others, but the media and other forms of entertainment currently play a leading role. The Underground Man, being an orphan, lacks normal relationships with people and has to rely on novels and drama to create expectations in life. He, however, finds a lot of contrast between reality and his expectations of life-based on literature. This is clearly evident today where literature, movies, and films portray certain expectations and situations that are different from reality. Readers can also relate to the development of relationships evident by the Undergrounds Man. He makes friends from school and creates lasting relationships that tie to his adulthood and affect his view of life. As readers, we can relate to making friends and enemies at school and how these relationships impact how we relate to them and others and our view of success. His current relationships are with those he works with and those they studied together including Zverkov, Simonov, Ferfickin, and Trudolyubov, all former classmates. Readers relate with this because most of the friends we have are those we schooled together.
The Human Experience and Inaction
The other aspect we can identify with as readers are the belief in ourselves and hold ourselves to a higher moral standing. The Underground Man feels as being more intelligent and conscious than all other people around him. The consciousness and belief of more intelligence compared to those around him manifest itself in skepticism that prevents him from being confident of any actions he makes. He states, "I consider myself an intelligent man, only because all my life I have been able neither to begin nor to finish anything" (Dostoevsky, 24). He cannot participate in life the way other people participate and constantly analyzes and second-guesses every feeling and thought to make him unable to make decisions on anything. We can relate to this aspect as readers as we tend to try to make decisions based on judgments and having a lot of information and cannot spontaneously strive to enjoy life as it comes. We tend to be the logical one to make the right decisions given the circumstance, and at times we might lose out on opportunities to enjoy life. The concept of information paralysis today relates to the inaction of the Underground Man who is very analytical providing a clear relation with the readers.
Family Love, Honesty, and Vulnerabilities
Readers can also relate to the theme of fatherly love, especially on their daughters. While speaking with Liza, the Underground Man presents his view of a father's love to daughters stating, "But I should end by letting her marry whom she loved. The one whom the daughter loves always seems the worst to the father, you know" (Dostoevsky, 121). The love that fathers show to their daughters and their unwillingness to let their protection of daughters from being taken advantage of at all times is evident in the society today. Readers can relate to how they experienced how parents especially fathers interact with sons and daughters and connect with the views presented in the story. Honesty versus corruption is another attribute readers can relate to in Notes from the Underground Man. Readers understand the high levels of corruption in the society today especially in developing countries and evidenced by the Underground's Man's civil service. He, however, represents the small percentage of officials in government offices and other facilities that do not take bribes and perform their work honestly. He states, "I did not take bribes, you see, so I was bound to find recompense in that, at least" (Dostoevsky, 1). The presentation of the civil service by the Underground Man is relatable to the readers because every day we receive assistance from officials and the experiences we get at times mirror those presented by the Underground Man.
Humanity and Challenges
The Underground Man is also human, and because the readers are human, they can relate to the negative experiences and challenges the Underground Man undergoes. The life experiences, self-doubts, financial difficulties, and vulnerabilities are relatable as readers go through the same in life. The narrator states, "We are oppressed at being men-- men with a real individual body and blood" (Dostoevsky, 167), demonstrating challenge not only for him but the readers to create a bond with readers. The presentation of the Underground Man as an individual faced with challenges including resentment and mistreatment by individuals including those in authority, which are common in the society with bullying and misuse of authority commonplace. He is hurt when he is mistreated in a tavern, which he recounts, "he took me by the shoulders and without a word—without a warning or explanation—moved me from where I was standing to another spot and passed by as though he had not noticed me" and "I had been treated like a fly" (Dostoevsky, 64). Readers can relate to experiencing bullying and its effects as stated by the narrator, "But they were quite ready to bully, especially when they were over six foot" (Dostoevsky, 64). The decision to present the narrator as human and vulnerable provided a very clear platform for readers to relate for the simple reason of being human.
The Influence of Literature on Culture
The impact of such pieces of literature as Notes from the Underground includes a reexamination of the culture in the society. The focus on critiquing the European culture that Dostoevsky believes was becoming pervasive in Russia help shape new cultures. Through the story, he achieves at presenting a view on how individuality is fundamental, the power of free will, and complexity of human personality. The inability of the European ideals and culture to deliver the Underground Man to achieve positive social interactions is also a silent critic. He tries to follow codes and examples from European Literature to relate but fails; making him more bitter and isolated. The demonstration of the ineffectiveness of European culture causes a shift in culture. In this way, literature serves to develop a culture in society by informing, guiding, critiquing, and challenging behavior, traditions, beliefs, and actions in the society.
Conclusion
Notes from the Underground Man uses a distinct narrator who is sick, spiteful, and unattractive but despite these characteristics, the views he presents, his nature, and the realities and challenges relate with the audience. The Underground Man does actions that are extreme as an expression of disagreement with the society, to demonstrate free will, and provide his ideas but in several aspects, the readers can relate. The focus of presenting reality in its difficulty and complexity is how Notes from the Underground manages to ensure the reader relates to the main character. The influence of such pieces of literature on culture includes a shift towards the culture presented in the literature and an examination of the flaws of popular culture. Literature serves to open people's culture and present alternatives to create a better culture.
Works Cited
Dostoevsky, Fyodor. Notes from the Underground. Broadview Press, 2014.
Davis, Creston, Marcus Pound, and Clayton Crockett, eds. Theology After Lacan: The Passion for the Real. Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2014.
Denby, David. Can Dostoevsky still kick you in the gut? The New Yorker, June 11, 2012. https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/can-dostoevsky-still-kick-you-in-the-gut
