Notes from Underground: Difference between revisions

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. 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 principals. Those principals 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 tradition 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).

One very prominent theme in ''Notes from Underground'' is the Narrators incessant struggle with his conscious. 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” (Nabokov 118). This brings up Freud’s theory of the personality model, otherwise known as the id, the ego, and the superego.  

The [http://allpsych.com/psychology101/ego.html 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” (Psychology 101). 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.

The second stage of the personality model is the [http://allpsych.com/dictionary/e.html 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” (Nabokov 122)!

The last stage of the personality model is the [http://www.cla.purdue.edu/academic/engl/theory/psychoanalysis/definitions/superego.html 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 conscious finally won.

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.

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 [http://mchip00.nyu.edu/lit-med/lit-med-db/webdocs/webdescrips/kafka98-des-.html 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)