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The Unnamed as he is popularly referred to, is the epitome of disillusionment with the world and society. A man beset with despair, he represents the struggles of identity, morality and of free will. The only information provided about him is that he is a retired civil servant living in St. Petersburg.
Notes From Underground is divided into two parts. The first part starts out with the Underground Man announcing that he is a sick and wicked man. His misanthropic attitude shines through his bleak statement. He holds the view that educated and knowledgeable people should be as miserable as he is.
He holds utilitarian philosophy in contempt. He prizes free will over all and states that man will do anything, even something that is seemingly useless and unproductive, just to assert his freedom. His inability to overcome his useless behaviour further drives him into despair.
The second part, which is titled “Apropos of the Wet Snow”, showcases events from the time when the Underground Man was 24. Taking place in the 1840s, specific instances are laid out showing his transformation from an idealistic young man to a jaded individual filled with self loathing. His social alienation is evident in various everyday encounters, from making way for a soldier, to an unsuccessful meeting with friends, and an encounter with a prostitute.
The existential questions evoked through him challenged the prevailing norms of society, even provoking existing and accepted western thoughts. The artificiality of the so called educated, the helplessness of the conscious man in modern society and a rebellion against the realistic school of thought, are the themes evoked in Notes From Underground.ISBN - 9780553211443
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Pages : 176
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