Dostoyevskys Underground Man - Essay Example

Dostoyevsky’s Underground Man In the process of writing the novel, Dostoyevsky was much more concerned on remote ideals of European liberalism, because he did not believe in them anymore. In the beginning of his writing career, Dostoyevsky was a dreamer and an ideal romanticist. The ideas of utopian socialism inspired Dostoyevsky in his early writings. When he was in exile, these ideas vanished into thin air and he became more pragmatic and was focused not on the political principles, but on the ideas of an individual’s nature and the essence of a human being.

The Irrationalism of the Underground Man Both the irrational and the rational exist in the human being. There is no need to discard the principles of irrationality, because it is another form of self-reflection. The Underground Man and his nature are close to any individual. A study of a disturbed mind and the existential nature of an individual was discussed by Dostoyevsky. The author managed to try his prey or the main characters of the novel in order to show the limit of their rationality.

Sometimes, in the situation of despair an individual becomes a piece of meat, which may be easily eaten by the stronger species. His heroes like being tortured and it is the way of their self-definition and self-expression. The same principles can be traced in existentialist philosophy, where individuals experience tortures in the name of tortures. It is a kind of exam for an inner world of an individual. The man’s irrational nature is dominant over his rational mind. In the Underground Man Dostoyevsky attacks human rationality, the ideas of materialism and utopianism.

A man wants to gratify his self-will. The basic features of a hero of the Underground Man should be searched in his ability to be a typical, an ordinary man. Existentialists are focused on the nature of a man, his ability to proud of his inner emotions, both negative and positive. The way of an inner corruption is the means for self-analysis. The fundamental principles of existentialism are reflected in the novel by Dostoyevsky. In order to comprehend his being, a man considers it more interesting, integrative and universal than outer world.

Existentialists are not focused on logic, because actions taken by an individual are subjective and the responsibility for these actions is assigned for individuals only. There is more irrational in the actions of an individual and there is no point to consider human actions from the perspective of logic. The main character of the novel defines himself as a sick, depressed man and there is a need to find some remedy for him. Is there a need in it? That is really interesting question. The being, who is able to evaluate him critically, is the real individual.

The main character of Dostoyevsky underlines his desire to identify him: “I did not know how to become anything; neither spiteful nor kind, neither a rascal nor an honest man, neither a hero nor an insect”) (Dostoevsky 1). Thus, one of the main principles of existentialism works in the novel. The main character also claims that despair and suffering are the greatest enjoyment for him, because he may feel them acutely. He realizes his hopelessness and he enjoys having a chance to identify himself.

Despair is a wide road for self-identification. In case the main character manages to define him, he would be able to understand the essence of his being and also the directions of his future