Friday, January 13, 2017

Baudelaire vs. Dostoevsky

I enjoyed the Baudelaire readings better than Dostoevsky's Notes from Underground. Both criticize human nature and believe that people are hypocrites and go against "real life." Baudelaire uses darker imagery that is similar to the works of Poe. This use of death and decay makes Baudelaire's writings more compelling than Dostoevsky's. Also, in Notes from Underground, the Underground Man's inability to take action and participate in society makes the story seem to meander along instead of proving a direct point. I believe that the short excerpts from Baudelaire are more direct in the negativity of human nature and the imagery that he utilizes and therefore serves its purpose better.   

3 comments:

Unknown said...

I actually enjoyed Notes from Underground better than the short excerpts. I liked having a story to follow an seeing the progression of how the narrator got to that point. In addition, I thought it was able to still prove a point while maintaining an interesting story. I enjoyed Baudelaire's writing style but felt like it lacked the critical context that we got in Notes from Underground. However, I still thought both writers successfully proved their overall points using their different styles.

Unknown said...

I enjoyed Notes From Underground also because it was very interesting to read. I liked the story line and how easy it was to read. Even though it was easy to read, it had such a deeper meaning. I really enjoy reading philosophy.

Unknown said...

I did not particularly enjoy either, however, I preferred Notes from Underground. Even though underground man made me cringe, I was able to see his development. I enjoyed being able to understand the characters roots and why he felt the way that he did.