Thursday, January 10, 2013
Dostoevsky in "Notes from Underground"
The overhead notes on Dostoevsky mention that his works can be interpreted on various levels, and typically his work has been seen as biographical. I completely agree with this as the narrator of "Notes from Underground" seems to often contradict himself, which is in accordance with Dostoevsky's belief that it is human nature to be torn by its own contradictions. Dostoevsky exemplified his belief regarding human nature himself when he was exiled from Russia in 1849 as a believer in the Petrashevsky circle (an antigovernment and socialist group), however when he returned to Russia in 1859 he a completely new outlook as he became a strong conservative and nationalist. I believe there is a parallel between Dostoevsky and the narrator.
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I definitely agree that the work is biographical. The underground man is basically letting us in on his inner thoughts throughout the novella. Many times people often contradict themselves in their inner thoughts. It is important, however, to remember that Dostoevsky says in the beginning of Notes From Underground that both the narrator and the notes are fiction and are not about the real person. Maybe Dostoevsky wrote Notes From Underground to let people in on some of the thoughts and struggles he went through during his hardships.
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