F. Dostoevsky’s Notes from the Underground focuses on a central figure known simply as the underground man. The underground man narrates this story with a tone that reflects sarcasm and quiet defiance. A conflicted individual, the underground man can come across as mad or insane particularly when he opens his tale with the words “I am a sick man…I am spiteful man…” (Dostoevsky. P.50). As the story unfolds, however, it becomes increasingly clear that the underground man is in fact quite sane. He is a reflection of the thinking man’s impression of the consequences of living and working as a civil servant in Russia during the mid-nineteenth century.

The underground man identifies the flaws in mid-nineteenth century polices but has learned a passive survival technique. In order to survive, he has to go along in the same absurd manner as society itself. It was a skill required of him as a civil servant. He asked no questions, had no quarrel with authority and continued to perform his duties no matter how senseless they may have seemed to him. Likewise in his personal life, the underground man knows that his St. Petersburg accommodations are squalid and expensive and he knows that there are simpler and better alternatives, yet he refuses to change his dwelling. This is how he views society.

The underground man’s absurd choices, causes the reader to question his sanity. But absurdity is a merely a reflection of his view of mid-nineteenth century society. For instance, the underground man admits that he is suffering from a disease of the liver and knows that there is medical treatment for it, but he refuses to subscribe to it. “I believe my liver is diseased. However, I know nothing about my disease, and do not know for certain what ails me. I don’t consult a doctor for it, and never have, although I have a respect for medicine and doctors” (Dostoevsky p. 50).

The prevalent thought expressed here is that modern society provides far too much consciousness. The underground man believes that he has a better chance of escaping society’s hold on him by avoiding conscious thought. He preferred to be rather dismissive of rational thought. Modern society suppressed free will by providing far too much consciousness. When the underground man reflected on his accommodations he acknowledged that there were better choices, but he is “…remaining in St. Petersburg. I am not going away…” (Dostoevsky p.53). He takes a similar position regarding his liver disease. He knows that refusing medical treatment hurts no one but himself. “My liver is bad, well – let it get worse!” (Dostoevsky. P.50).

This attitude also reflects the underground man’s inability to take positive action or to make productive personal decisions. This was Dostoevsky’s underlying theme throughout Notes from the Underground, modern society operated in such a way as to paralyze the conscience of the modern man. He was robbed of his confidence, and these salient features are manifested in Dostoevsky’s underground man. He is not mad or insane. He is paralyzed by modernization. William Faulkner similarly paralyzed his central character in A Rose for Emily. Faulkner’s mid-nineteenth century character was devoid of free will, her every thought and action dictated and controlled by her father.

In Notes from the Underground, Dostoevsky portrays his own theme and motif of the Paralysis of the Conscious Man in Modern Society. This is observed through the underground man’s refusal to change residence or to seek medical treatment for a serious medical condition. He explains that this inability is due to his intense degree of consciousness. The Underground Man is able to imagine the variety of consequences that every action could have, he is aware of the possible arguments that can be made against every statement, and he is conscious of the multiplicity of different motives that inform every decision he makes. As a result, the Underground Man sees that every choice a person makes is more complicated than it may seem on the surface. This complexity throws every decision into doubt. Action becomes impossible because it is impossible to determine the best course of action to take. MORE…