"Notes from the Underground"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how, at its very essence, "Notes from the Underground" is a confession and a memoir with one caveat, it is not intended to be read. The paper relates that, as the reader studies the book, it quickly becomes evident that the purpose of the narrator's writing is not necessarily to be truthful and that there is a strong self-deception in the narrator that rapidly becomes evident. The paper further examines how this deception can be seen in three areas: the Underground Man's reason behind writing the memoir, his rapid emotional changes, and his profound amount of self-blame.

From the Paper:

"Another key indicator of self-deception in Notes from the Underground is the narrator's rapid changes of mind and emotion. It is difficult for the narrator to be honest when he cannot sustain a consistent emotional state. Although he may try, he is unable to truly be objective and honest in his actions and thoughts. This deception is evident in Part Two, where he describes his relations with Liza. In this story, we see a strong sense of self-deception. The Underground Man strives to create a truth, or perhaps better stated, tries to construct a situation in a certain way. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Dostoevsky, Fyodor. Notes from the Underground. Literature Network. December 5, 2006. <http://www.online-literature.com/dostoevsky/notes_underground/>.

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