Existentialism in "Notes from the Underground"
Existentialism is a philosophical idea that holds that each individual is ultimately accountable for their existence. According to this theory, people spend their entire lives trying to find and alter their essence. Because they possess free will, humans use their decisions to define who they are. Existentialism is discussed in Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel Notes from the Underground. Dostoevsky describes the underground guy as a vile and spiteful individual. (Dostoevsky 1). The author's ideas and encounters are illustrated in the book. Notes from the Underground prominently features the existentialism subject as the underground man reflects on his existence. Existentialism can be seen from the essence of the underground man writing in his diary. Markedly, Dostoevsky's book revolves around the underground man's self-inspection. Making his diary entries helps him try and conceptualize his struggles in life. The underground man is trying to make sense of his existence and his essence as a human being. Notably, these thoughts and internal conflicts are consistent with existentialism. In existentialism, a person first exists in the world and then works to find his true essence (Kaufmann 1). The same can be seen in the underground man since he struggles to define the meaning of his life after existing in the world for a while. His search for the essence of his life, as well as that of all that is around him, affirms the existential philosophy in the book.
The narrator's self-deprecating thoughts
The narrator's self-deprecating thoughts are also a sign of existentialism. At the beginning of the book, the narrator starts by stating that he is a sick, spiteful, and unattractive man (Dostoevsky 1). These thoughts show that the underground man is self-conscious and judges himself harshly as he insists on painting himself in a negative light. Existentialism allows for human beings to criticize themselves to achieve their real essence in the universe. The concept of self-negation in existentialism was advanced by Jean-Paul Sartre where he argued that humans use self-negation to form a meaningful life. Thus, the narrator's cynical views towards his life allow him to make significant choices towards improving his existence.
The desire for free will
The narrator also denotes that man desires to have free will and not necessarily act out of morality. The philosophy of existentialism advocates for the freedom of choice and that man has an abundance of choice and freedom, even from morality (Kaufmann 3). The underground man states that people should not always assume that decision will be derived from reason since in some instances, choice does not always agree with logic. The narrator detests the notion that man will always choose what is advantageous to him. He states that man does not always want the beneficial choice but instead, man seeks the independence to make a choice, whether good or bad. Even when given the freedom, the narrator states that man will almost always choose what is of a positive effect on him.
Struggles to define oneself
The diary's author faces a lot of struggles while trying to define himself in a world that does not recognize him. He feels left out as he tries to come to the understanding of his real existence since even the world around him has failed to position him for anything. He thus concludes that he, "did not know how to become anything; neither spiteful nor kind… neither a hero nor an insect" (Dostoevsky 6). The man struggles to answer the question of his existence, and upon failing at that, he ends up comforting himself with the thought that only a fool can amount to anything. He continues to carry the burden of not comprehending his existence and thus feels trapped as he cannot fathom the world too.
The paradox of free will and the traps of inertia
The diary also often shows the paradox of free will and the traps of inertia. He asserts that people behave with respect to nature, but they define themselves through their deeds. They are thus held to blame for their actions, yet nature controls them, and they cannot fail to act. In fact, the narrator says that he wishes that he could be a sluggard doing absolutely nothing. This kind of inaction would be anti-existentialist and against how man is structured to be. He thus cannot be what he is not meant to be.
Individual responsibility
The narrator also states that an individual is responsible for everything that results from their actions, even if nature influences it. The underground man indicates that he was always placed with the blame on everything even if it was not his fault as it is subject to nature. He adds that he also feels humiliated because of it. It is thus apparent that from existentialism, a person is held accountable for his actions since he alone possesses his decision to do bad or good (Dostoevsky 39).
Conclusion
Conclusively, the theme of existentialism has been explored in numerous ways in the book as it sheds more light on the theory. Man is a seen as a subject of the forces of nature which he cannot control. He tries to understand his existence as it a part of nature to define himself. He thus feels incomplete without this achievement. He also feels trodden with taking the blame for his actions and wishes to be inactive, but that cannot happen as it is against existentialism. The author has thus exposed many views of the theory of existentialism.
Works Cited
Dostoevsky, Fyodor. Notes from Underground. England: Penguin Books, 2003.
Kaufmann, Walter. Existentialism from Dostoevsky to Sartre. Pickle Partners Publishing, 2016.
