Notes from Underground

Class discussion:

• Humiliation and Social Alienation: The Underground Man forces himself into a dinner gathering with old classmates, seeking validation and respect. However, he feels alienated and ridiculed by them, further deepening his resentment and self-loathing.

• Conflict and Self-Sabotage: He intentionally provokes the others and ultimately isolates himself, reflecting his struggle between wanting acceptance and rejecting society.

• Encounter with Liza: After the dinner, the Underground Man visits a brothel and meets Liza, a young prostitute. Their conversation reveals her tragic circumstances and his attempt to assert moral superiority by lecturing her on the bleak future she faces.

• Moments of Vulnerability: Despite his harsh words, he feels a brief connection with Liza and gives her his address, hoping she might seek redemption through him.

• Emotional Turmoil: When Liza unexpectedly visits him, the Underground Man becomes overwhelmed by shame and cruelty, ultimately pushing her away.

• Futility of Reason: The character grapples with the limitations of rational thought to explain human behavior. Differences between determinism and independent desires are highlighted, showcasing that intense desires often overshadow rational decision-making.

• Contradictions of Human Nature: The Underground Man displays contradictions such as being educated yet superstitious, good yet spiteful. His self-destructive tendencies illustrate the chaotic aspects of human nature.

• Consciousness as Burden: The weight of consciousness creates existential burdens that complicate his existence, leading him to challenge societal norms and expectations.

• Critique of Simplistic Philosophies: The character critiques the notion that reason alone can lead to a just society, emphasizing the depth and complexity of human motivations beyond mere self-interest.

• Metaphorical Exploration of Knowledge: A metaphor is drawn comparing humans to piano keys, asserting that humans actively seek knowledge rather than passively accepting societal beliefs.

Realism as writing style and philosophical movement

• Mid-late 19th century

• Reactionary movement against Romanticism

• Truthful representation of life, mundane or otherwise

• “objectivity”

• Recession of author from work

• Emphasis on firsthand experiences/knowledge

• Complex characters

• Attention to detail

• Vernacular speech

Themes in Dostoevsky

• Psychological realism

• Human nature

• Personal freedom of choice → it’s part of human nature that people don’t always make decisions that serve them to their best advantage. Using emotions, desire and other things to explain actions other than reason.

• Worth of individual

• Mythical Christianity - ultimate dichotomy between good and evil

• Need for humanities cooperation

• Difficult for freedom and happiness to coexist

• Characteristics

  • intellectual but separate from humanity/society

  • hyper conscious

  • self-destructive, perverse

  • nihilistic

• This piece was a response/refutation to the literature “What is to be done?”

  • Dostoevsky opposed Westernizers and supported the Slavophiles.

  • “How can we create a utopian society based on reason?” “How can we make the right decision because we are capable of doing that?”

  • Main argument in “What is to be done?” Reason → Decision → self interest → utopian → no evil

  • Emphasis that everyone has the ability to reason and come to a right decision to create a better society.

  • Dostoevsky replied to this in “Notes from Underground” by saying that while reason is important, it cannot explain the totality of human nature.

Underground man, Part 1

• Paradoxical tenses based on desire. MC chooses between the two:

  • Educated vs. superstitious → MC has a balance of being educated and being superstitious

  • Spiteful vs. Good → “I’m a sick man.” MC has liver and tooth problems that cause him pain and pleasure. The emotional respire that causes him pain causes him pleasure. “I’m not even sure what hurts.” MC does not fully believe in medicine. “I’m am spiteful but not that spiteful because I can be easily comforted.” MC is constantly contradicting himself in a paradoxical way.

  • Consciousness vs Burden of consciousness (P583)→ MC has no balance between the two because he it affects him mentally to be constantly worried about existential things.

  • Determinism (rational reasoning) vs. Independant desire (P589-92)→ It’s impossible to follow reason when you have an intense desire. “Desire is the manifestation of all life which includes reason and life’s factors.” CM describes desire as what makes us human.

  • Self destruction and chaos vs. Inaction and inertia (P595-8) → Human nature is self-destructive and chaotic. I have my own reason to make my own decision whether good or bad.

  • Piano keys → Humans are more complex and intertwined compared to piano keys. They seek out their own information and knowledge rather than receiving it passively and believing it blindly.

  • Two times two makes four → being spoon fed knowledge about the world and how it works from a mathematical and scientific perspective. Question the system, have critical thinking. It not about the destination, it’s about the journey. If we believe blindly that two times two is four then that makes us a piano key, but humans are not like that.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky: An Overview

• Born: 1821 in Moscow.

• Died: 1881, honored as one of Russia's greatest writers.

• Notable Works: Crime and Punishment, The Brothers Karamazov, Notes from Underground.

Early Life

• Parents: Stern father (a doctor) and compassionate mother.

• Childhood: Grew up by a hospital, exposed to death due to proximity to a morgue.

• Influence: Encouraged to read, admired authors like Shakespeare and Dickens.

• Death of Mother: Mother died in 1837, leading to a troubled family dynamic.

Shaping Experiences

• Education: Attended military academy in St. Petersburg, started to witness violence that influenced his writing (e.g., a government courier's drunken violence).

• Father's Death: Dostoyevsky's father was murdered in 1839, likely by his own serfs.

Career Beginnings

• Early Career: Worked as a civil servant, found it mundane, turned to writing.

• First Novel: Poor Folk (1846) achieved success and attracted political radicals.

• Arrest and Sentence: Joined revolutionary group, was arrested, sentenced to death but pardoned in a last-minute intervention by the Tsar.

• Siberian Exile: Spent four years in hard labor in Siberia, allowing a transformation in his faith and artistic vision.

Personal Follies

• Relationships: Experienced tumultuous relationships, including with a married woman he later married.

• Health: Suffered from epilepsy; related stress led to a gambling addiction, contributing to financial instability.

• Challenges: Faced violence, addiction, and the death of loved ones (e.g., his wife).

Major Works and Themes

• Notes from Underground: Published in 1864, it explores themes of existentialism, consciousness, the individual vs. society.

• Crime and Punishment: A tale of morality, guilt, and redemption, reflecting Dostoyevsky’s own struggles with his guilt and alienation from society.

• The Brothers Karamazov: Addresses profound philosophical questions and ethical dilemmas, praised for its exploration of faith and doubt.

Political and Cultural Context

• Tsar Nicholas I: Known for strict censorship and repression of dissent, contributing to a culture of fear and silence among writers.

• Tsar Alexander II: Introduced reforms (e.g., abolition of serfdom, trial by jury), reflecting the tension between Western influence and Russian tradition.

• Influential Movements: Westernizers (embracing European reforms) vs. Slavophiles (promoting Russian traditions).

Literary Style and Impact

• Literary Realism: Dostoyevsky’s work often acknowledged as a profound psychological exploration, merging narrative with deep philosophical inquiry.

• Psychological Depth: Known for complex and conflicted characters grappling with moral and existential crises.

• Influence: Impacted numerous authors (Kafka, Tolstoy, etc.) and philosophers, often quoted and referenced for his insights into human nature.

Death and Legacy

• Funeral: Massive attendance (30,000), affirming his stature in Russian literature.

• Posthumous Influence: Continues to be a pivotal figure in discussions of psychology, philosophy, and ethics, influencing existentialism and modern literature.