Notes from Underground

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"What sort of Crystal Palace would it be if any sort of doubt were allowed?" —the Underground Man

Notes from Underground written by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Study Guide

Brief summaries, commentaries, and notes on Notes.

Notes from Underground, Part 1

  1. Chapter 1
  2. Chapter 2
  3. Chapter 3
  4. Chapter 4
  5. Chapter 5
  6. Chapter 6
  7. Chapter 7
  8. Chapter 8
  9. Chapter 9
  10. Chapter 10
  11. Chapter 11

Notes from Underground, Part 2: Apropos of Wet Snow

  1. Chapter 1
  2. Chapter 2
  3. Chapter 3
  4. Chapter 4
  5. Chapter 5
  6. Chapter 6
  7. Chapter 7
  8. Chapter 8
  9. Chapter 9
  10. Chapter 10


History

Notes from Underground is considered to be Dostoevsky's first major literary work during the second phase of his writing, or in other words, the elements of social realism give way to "psychological, existential, and philosophical concerns" in his works (Newton). Clearly, the novel fights against scientific thinking, making its point by giving examples from the narrator's personal experiences. Notes from Underground stands the test of time as a work of great literary importance, and the Underground Man emerges "...into the vocabulary of the modern educated consciousness, and this character has now begun--like Hamlet, Don Quixote, Don Juan, and Faust--to take on the symbolic stature of one of the great archetypal literary creations," this written by Joseph Frank almost a hundred years after its first publication (Jones).

However, perhaps it is best to understand the time in which the novel was written. The 1860s were a busy time for both Europe and North America, a fact that the narrator points out by exclaiming, "Take this entire nineteenth century of ours during which even Buckle lived. Take Napoleon--both the great and the present one. Take North America--that eternal union. Take, finally, that ridiculous Schleswig-Holstein"(1266). America struggles with a raging Civil War that ripped the country in two. The reference to Napoleon, of course, refers to the French emporers by that name, both of whom engaged in numerous battles. The mention of Schleswig-Holstein refers to Prussia taking that holding from Denmark, who had controlled it for almost a hundred years. Finally, Buckle wrote History of Civilization in England, in which he concludes that "with the developement of civilization wars will cease" (Jones). So, the historical theme for the 1860's appears to be, for the most part, wars.

Let's not forget what happens in Russia at this same time. Russia goes through the Great Reforms, a time of political instability. During this four year period, society began to notice an uprising of groups within the society; these will eventually--but not at this particular time--lead to political parties (Kimball). Thus, began the modern revolutionary movements in Russia.

All of the previously mentioned events provided a basis for Dostevsky's beliefs, which he states through the Underground Man's rantings. Dosteovsky satarizes the political and social troubles that plague these continents to express his true thoughts. He does not believe that man is a rational creature by nature or that civilization will bring an end to warfare. Perhaps, too, we see a bit of a warning in this text--a warning much like that in George Orwell's novel, 1984, written eighty years later. Apparently, the threat had not abated but had instead gotten worse.

Timeline

Characters

The Underground Man

The Underground Man is the narrator and protagonist of Notes of Underground. The Underground Man can be viewed as: "a sheer irrationalist whose rejection of Rational Egoism is a tortured emotional outburst with no logical credentials" (Scanlan). He beleives that consciousness is a disease: " I swear to you, gentlemen, that being overly conscious is a disease, a genuine, full-fledged disease" (1257). Such consciousness shows: "within Underground Man's self-descriptions, while relational in the ways not reducible to behavior" (Hagberg).

Themes

The Fallacies of Rationalism

The Fallacies of Utopianism

The Artificiality of Russian Culture

During the nineteenth century, the Russian culture became artificial because it no longer was "European". "Russia's ethical, cultural, and spiritial pricipals were changing to look more like the Western culture of that time" (Kireyesky). The Russian culture was slowly moving more westward. Part of the reason as to why this was occuring could be in part due to the nature of how the Western culture was flourishing. "In Russia, a man was considered 'developed' and 'educated' only if he was familiar with the literary and philosophical traditions of Germany, France, and England" (Madden). If this was the normal view of Russia at the time, a man who based all his ideas and opinions on the Westward culture may not have been preceved as smart. Russian culture was also strongly based on strong religious principles. Those principles were sometimes different than that of the other European countries. Philosphers such as Aristotle and Descartes influenced the Russian culture. "Russia had seperated from Europe in spirit, thus living a totally different life than the rest of Europe" (Kireyesky). Russia was still part of the European country, but just in the regional sense. Their government and religious beliefs took on a more Western feel, rather than the traditional European feel. "Russia nearly had to destroy their national personality in order to conform to Western civiliazation" (Kireyevsky). "In being captavated by the west, Russian intellectuals had lost touch with the true way of the Russian life, the life that many of the peasants and lower-class workers still practiced" (Madden). "The artifical Russian culture could, in part, be responsible for the Underground Man's retreat to 'underground'. He may have found that conforming to foreign sets of values was just too hard" (Madden).

The Human Mind According to Freud

One very prominent theme in Notes from Underground is the Narrator’s incessant struggle with his conscience. He is constantly stranded between achieving his own selfish desires and doing what’s right according to society’s standards. Even though the never-ending battle causes the Underground Man great anguish, he cannot seem to control it. Instead, he spends his life searching for the “advantage”, which will grant him “One’s own free unfettered choice, one’s own whim no matter what” (qtd. in Nabokov 118). This brings up Freud’s theory of the personality model, otherwise known as the id, the ego, and the superego.

The id, ego, and superego are the building blocks of our personalities. They determine how we handle everyday situations, in other words-reality. According to Freud, “In a healthy person, the ego is the strongest so that it can satisfy the needs of the id, not upset the superego, and still take into consideration the reality of every situation. Not an easy job by any means, but if the id gets too strong, impulses and self gratification take over the person's life. If the superego becomes too strong, the person would be driven by rigid morals, would be judgmental and unbending in his or her interactions with the world” (Hefner, chap. 3). The Underground Man’s inability to control his impulses and lust for self gratification suggests that he is ruled by his id. However, a careful analysis of each stage will provide a more through understanding of the complex human mind.

According to Freud, we are born with our Id. He states that as newborns, the id is responsible for allowing the basic needs to be met. The id also operates on the pleasure principle; in other words, the id only wants what feels good at that specific moment. The id also does not care about reality or about anyone else’s needs; it only cares about its own satisfaction. This type of behavior is fine for a baby, but is considered selfish when displayed by adults. The Underground man is controlled by his id on more times than not. One prime example is his refusal to pay Apollon his wages. Even though the narrator is clearly in the wrong, he tries to force his servant to beg for forgiveness merely out of selfish spite. “Here’s the money, you see! Here it is! (I pulled it out of a drawer.) All seven rubles. But you won’t get it, you won’t until you come to me respectfully, with your head bowed, to ask my forgiveness. Do you hear? (1319)” However, when the narrator needs Apollon’s help, he changes his attitude. “Apollon,” I whispered in feverish haste, tossing down the seven rubles which had been in my hand the whole time, “here are your wages. There, you see, I’ve given them to you. But now you must rescue me: bring us some tea and a dozen rusks the tavern at once. If you don’t go, you’ll make me a very miserable man. (1320)” This is why our personalities are governed by another more mature stage-the Ego.

The second stage of the personality model is the Ego, which is responsible for keeping the id rooted to reality. The ego is based on the reality principle, which takes other people’s needs and desires into consideration. The ego also understands that being selfish may have consequences; so its purpose is to meet the needs of the id while taking into consideration the reality of the situation. One of the Underground Man’s only sane moments is during the farewell dinner. He suddenly realizes that he invited himself somewhere that he is not wanted. Consequently, his presence is ruining the affair and for just a moment, he faces reality. “Good heavens, these are not the people for me” I thought. “And what a fool I have made of myself before them” (qtd. in Nabokov 122)!

The last stage of the personality model is the Superego, which is responsible for introducing morals into the everyday situation. This stage is most prevalent when moral and ethical restraints must be addressed. The superego is also known as the conscious because it establishes the belief of right and wrong. The last scene of the play is when the Underground Man finally feels regret for his behavior. After Liza is gone, he realizes that he wanted her to stay, but it’s too late. “The Underground Man is distraught and wants to beg her forgiveness. He declares that he will never remember this moment with indifference. A moment later, though, he convinces himself that Liza will be purified and elevated by the hatred and forgiveness that his insult will inspire in her. At the same time, he is conscious of the literary merit of his own thoughts, and feels ashamed that he is focusing on that literary merit rather than on Liza’s welfare” (Madden). The last scene with Liza takes the Underground Man into a downward spiral that he can't escape. His conscience finally won.

Major Symbols

Underground

It is the home of the underground man. It is also refered to as his corner. " Yet the underground is more than a physical placeof isolation; it's a psychological hang-up as well. Possessing the overly sensitive and sheltered consciousness of the underground, the underground man finds himself unable and unwilling to meaningfully interact with others, despite his desire to do just that" (Novelguide). The underground man claims to prefer the underground to the real world. There he is able to express his indviduality.

The Ant Hill

This shows that there is no individuality. All of the ants are working for one main goal.

St. Petersburg

The Crystal Palace

"The Crystal Palace is a symbolism of the lack of individualism" (Marder). All the people working in the building were working toward a common goal and since it was made entirely out of glass, there was no privacy, and this lack of privacy lead to the lack of individualism (Marder).

Money

Money, for the Underground Man, represents power. In the second part he is cross-examined and is asked his salary. He tells his 'friends' what he makes. "'It's not very handsome,' Zverkov observed majestically. "'Yes, you can't afford to dine at cafes on that,' Ferfichkin added insolently. "To my thinking it's very poor,' Trudolyubov observed gravely (Nabokov 123). All these men scrutinize the Underground Man for his lack of wages.The UM borrows money from a friend, Simonov, but he repays him the next day plus more. Having to borrow money makes him feel incapable of providing for himself and embarrassed of his poverty, making him feel inferior to his 'friends'. The Underground Man offers Liza, the woman he met at the prostitution house, money. She refuses his money. If he was to give her money it would demonstrate moral dominance.

Human Insect

The Underground Man talks of how he wishes he could be an insect. "I'll tell you solemnly that I wished to become an insect many times. But not even that wish was granted."(pg. 1257) After this the Underground Man talks about being overly conscious is a disease in its self. Like being to aware of your surroundings will lead to bad things. Later in the writing the Underground Man tells of how some classmates said he looked like a fly. George Steiner conluded that this held the same premise from Franz Kafka's Metamorphoses. "In them, and in the narrator's whole vision of himself as a bug trapped in the crack of a damp wall, Dostoevsky embodies the perception of a new helplessness and beastliness of the human species."(Steiner xi)

Critical Perspectives

Notes from the Underground is an important work in Western European history. " It has attracted attention for many reasons. For one , it contains an all-out assault on Enlightenment rationalism and the idea of progress which foreshadows many such assaults in the mid-to-late twentieth century" (WSU). Another example of this novels' importance is the fact that it has one of the first anti-heroes in fiction. " It portrays a protagonist utterly lacking every trait of the Romantic hero and living out a futile life on the margins of society. Such figures were to dominate much serious fiction in the mid-twentieth century" (WSU).


Literary Criticism

The underground man: A question of meaning by Linda Williams

Linda L. Williams explores Dostoyevsky’s Underground Man in her article entitled The underground man: a question of meaning. Williams looks at how the main character searches for meaning and value in his self and his life from the very first words of his notes exclaiming that he is a “sick [and] spiteful man” (1). She also examines how Dostoyevsky uses the underground man to “question whether human beings can be their own source of meaning” (Williams 1). This novel is a reaction to the ideas prevalent in Western Europe at the time that “reason provides the foundation for all knowledge” (Williams 1).

Williams looks at why the Underground man refers to himself as a “zloi” which has been translated as spiteful but in actuality carries the connotation of immorality and malicious behavior in which a person isn’t by nature, but is because they are made that way due to circumstances that person has control over. The author of the article contends that this is because the underground man’s “refusal to attach the common man’s meaning to himself and due to his exaggerated consciousness and vanity.”

In part two we see the underground man’s attempt to “make his life as meaningful to others as it is to him” (Williams 2). This is done through several attempts by the underground man to be noticed by a young officer, some old friends, and Liza. With the young officer the underground man’s desire for the “officer to step aside becomes a measure of the meaning and value of the underground man as a person” (Williams 3). In the case of his meeting with the old friends, we witness the night through his very subjective eyes in which he has “one humiliation piled on top of another” (Williams 4) in his attempt to present himself as having meaning and value in the eyes of others. Since the underground man has the ability to blame his behavior on alcohol as opposed to deliberate action, Williams contends that Dostoyevsky proves that “when an individual is the sole foundation for meanings and values, he may twist them any way he likes” (Williams 4).

Through his experience with Liza, we see that “his existence has finally been affirmed just as if [the officer] had thrown him through the tavern window” (Williams 5). He then must change the “significance of the encounter with Liza to recapture the sarcasm of his vain ego” (Williams 6) because he has failed to prove himself of any value to anyone other than someone he sees as lower than himself. He attempts to regain control over what he feels like he has lost by asserting himself in a position of power over Liza by insulting her and then exerting “domination and possession over her body” (Williams 6). The underground man tries to “rationalize his sick, zloi act away [by giving her] money” (Williams 6), but Liza’s refusal to accept it along with “all its implications” (Williams 6) reveals what Williams calls the ugly truth about him.

The underground man is incapable of loving anyone due to his unlimited vain ego. Further more, it is this ego that has led him to commit an act that “in the nineteenth century was considered more terrible than murder” (Williams 7) hence the reason why the term originally used in he beginning of the text as zloi which is translated as spiteful. Williams then goes on to say that “The underground cannot be his own foundation for meaning” and to Dostoevsky “the foundation of meaning does not lie in science or in Chernyshevsky’s rational egoism but in placing others interests before your own—in genuinely loving others” (Williams 7).

The author looks at the underground man’s motives in a manner that is easy to understand although the character himself is not. I agree with Williams’s depiction of the underground man’s search and failure to gain the respect of his colleagues which only served to push him into farther underground. In the last moments when he has to reconcile with the fact that he can neither give nor receive love seals his fate in the underground where he is writing from years later. It is least likely that he will encounter another chance to escape. In the underground we will find him languishing untll his death.

External Links and Resources

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/underground/themes.html

Works Cited

  • Hagberg, Garry L. "Wittgenstein Underground." Philosophy and literature 28.2 (2004): 379-392.
  • Jones, Malcolm V. "Dostoevsky: Notes from Underground (1864)." The Voice of a Giant: Essays on Seven Russian Prose Classics. Ed. Roger Cockrell and David Richards. (1985): 55-65. Literature Resource Center. University of Exeter. 09 Mar. 2006. Keyword: Notes from Underground.
  • Nabokov, Vladimir. "Lectures on Russian Literature". New York, 1981. 115-125.
  • Newton, K.M. "Notes from Underground: Overview." Reference Guide to Short Fiction, 1st ed. Ed. Noelle Watson. St. James Press: 1994. Literature Resource Center. 13 Mar. 2006. Keyword: Notes from Underground.
  • Scanlan, James P. "The Case against Rational Egoism in Dostoevsky's Notes from Underground." Journal of the History of Ideas 60.3 (1999): 549-567.
  • Williams, Linda. "The underground man: A question of meaning." Studies in the novel. Summer 1995, Vol. 27, Issue 2. 129,12
  • Steiner, George. "Dostoevsky's Notes from the Underground and The Gambler." Norwalk, CT: The Heritage Press, 1967 and 1997.
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