As I began reading “Notes from Underground,” the Underground Man began by telling us about his sickness and loneliness. He says how he has no friends and has isolated himself from others in his life.
When we typically hear people say how they have no friends, happiness, or meaning in life, we feel sympathetic towards them. You tend to feel sorry or at least try to help them out in some way. However, with the Underground Man, I don’t really sympathize with him. For some reason, it is very difficult to feel bad for him.
I began thinking more about this, and wondered if he wanted us to sympathize with him? Is his goal for readers not to feel bad for him?
There seems to be some quality to the Underground Man that makes him isolated, even from readers. He describes himself in terms of things he dislikes about other people. By not having the qualities that others do, he describes himself.
Do y’all feel the same way? Or do you sympathize with him?
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