Abstract 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. "
An examination of the underground man in Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel,"Notes from Underground," and the way in which he has evolved in works by other writers.
Abstract This paper discusses the novel "Notes from Underground," by Fyodor Dostoevsky, and how his creation of the "underground man" has influenced Russian and other literature. The writer describes Dostevsky's underground man, who is in essence an anti-hero, and explains what makes him such a revolutionary and original character for his time. The writer also discusses several Russian writers who either created characters in imitation of Dostoevsky's underground man or in reaction to him. The paper concludes that traces of the underground man can be found everywhere in contemporary novels, and he will not go out of style, since the debate each person has within themselves about their purpose on this planet will always be at the forefront of human consciousness.
From the Paper "Dostoevsky's best skill as a writer was his ability to convey complex philosophical ideas through characters and plots. He chose to communicate both his religious and political ideas through fiction instead of non-fiction. Because his novels involve fictional characters and are not too caught up in an exact historical moment, they are still relevant to social problems today. Even so, in Dostoevsky's cornerstone novel, Notes from Underground, he chose to be more explicit by writing the first section of the novel in philosophical prose, and the second as narrative fiction depicting the previous parts' ideas."
Abstract This paper explains that, although the use of slavery became a legal system in the United States, there were still many free Americans who were against slavery and often assisted people of African descent attempting to escape their life of slavery. The author relates that the Underground Railroad was a name given to a system that, despite the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, was ran by a vast network of people, mostly abolitionists, which helped runaway slaves escape to the northern states and eventually to Canada. The paper questions if the Brooklyn house said to be owned by Harriet Truesdell, a supporter of the Underground Railway and believed to have been one of the possible 'stations' of the Underground Railroad network should be preserved.
Table of Contents:
History of Slavery in the United States
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
The Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad in Brooklyn
From the Paper "Although it was claimed that the Underground Railroad has numerous stations and stretched to several states from the south to the northern states and while it is clear that New York has a role in the movement, it is still not clear as to whether or not Brooklyn was one of the areas that the Underground Railroad used during its movement. It might be possible that there were houses in Brooklyn that were used as 'stations' for fugitive slaves but there are no clear evidences that would prove this. This might be a result of the different methods that the movement was using to keep their actions undetected."
Abstract The paper briefly discusses Harriet Tubman, the primary individual linked to the Underground Railroad, and explains the injustice that inspired the bravery of Tubman and others. The paper looks at the legends and facts concerning the Underground Railroad's escape route. The paper then notes the participation of Thomas Garrett and Laura Haviland in the Underground Railroad, which provides evidence that it was not only black individuals and Quakers who were involved in the Underground Railroad.
Outline:
Introduction
Harriet Tubman-Moses
The Injustice that Fired the Heart of Tubman and Others
The Legend and the Facts
Not Only Blacks in the Underground Railroad Movement
Summary and Conclusion
From the Paper "The Underground Railroad was not a railroad in reality but instead was a mode of escape for many slaves from the bonds of slavery. While a great deal of legend surrounds the Underground Railroad, nevertheless, the Underground Railroad did exist and did serve to assist slaves in the South to Freedom in the North. Whether or not their lives were actually bettered by this freedom is another story. The work of Bordewich (2005) relates that slavery in North America "was born in the moist, flat tidewater country along Chesapeake Bay, and the lower Delaware, James and Rappannock rivers, where tobacco growing first made English settlement profitable.""
Abstract This paper explains how the narrator in Dostoevsky's work represents the underground condition. A consideration of the narrator shows that the underground condition refers to a person defined by rejection and alienation, loneliness, a life based on fantasy, and anger and spite. Each of these aspects of the underground life is considered, with a focus on showing how these aspects define the person's life and on showing why the underground man acts the way he does.
From the Paper "The "underground condition" is associated with being disconnected, alienated, and rejected. The narrator explains that he is an orphan and that his relatives sent him away to school because they did not love him. At school, he was teased and hated by his peers. The narrator's life then has been based on a series of rejections. This rejection in early life has had a significant impact on the narrator's adult life. While in adulthood he should be able to gain control and seek acceptance, he finds himself unable to do so. The narrator has come to view himself as a rejected individual. This assumption then defines all his new relationships. In response, he acts in ways that cause him to be rejected from others. This is seen in his relationships with his workmates, with the people he meets at work, and his relationship with Liza. This is even seen in the way he writes the book, where he manages to isolate the reader. For example, at the start of the book he tells the reader that he was wicked official."
Abstract This paper examines how Dostoevsky's "Notes from Underground" offers the underground man as a highly astute critic of society. The paper claims that the underground man celebrates freedom in the face of all adversity, seeks freedom in his every action. It argues that the philosophy he espouses centers on the distinction between the rational and the irrational faculties and what follows from the conflict between the two. He specifically rejects the rational and finds that those who accept the rational as a basis for their lives are reduced as human beings and made less natural and more mechanical. The paper maintains that what the underground man celebrates instead is emotion, the irrational, and in a sense the unexamined. The paper holds that he withdraws from the social order, lives on his own terms, and celebrates freedom above governance in all things. The paper concludes that he does not mourn for the fact that long-term governance is not possible, but only observes that this is so and suggests that living outside the norms of society is a better choice in any case.
From the Paper "The underground man chooses freedom over structure, but this choice is ironic. He chooses the freedom to do whatever he wants to do, but he says that the only answer for the intelligent man is to do nothing at all. Still, he sees the human being as made up of impulses that make the individual unpredictable. It might be best for the intelligent man to do nothing at all, but this might not be the decision the intelligent man makes. The underground man seems to have been shaped by forces that have determined what his decisions will be, but he is still able to make those decisions and is still influenced by both rational and irrational impulses as he does so."
Abstract This paper describes the life of the Underground Man in Dostoevsky's work, "Notes from the Underground". It analyzes his ways of thought from a naturalist perspective. The paper shows how the Underground Man is a romantic dreamer, living in a fantasy world and unable to make his own decisions.
From the Paper "Dostoevsky's Notes from the Underground is a critical commentary and rebellion from the traditional romantic view that had been so popular in previous eras. Dostoevsky belongs to the naturalist and realist school of thought, which emphasize the idea that life is hard and complex, and we must deal with it. This contrasts with the romantic thoughts regarding life as simple, beautiful and correlated to nature. In his work Dostoevsky uses each of these conflicting views to build the mindset of the protagonist known as the Underground Man (UM). The UM is a very intricate individual. While he is very shy and reserved, he deeply craves attention. He desperately wants to succeed, but is constantly setting himself up for failure. He feels superior to others by recognizing he own inferiority. It seems that the UM's life is full of contradictions and it is this life that are meant to represent human nature."
Abstract Before focusing on the significant role that the Underground Railway played in American history, this paper briefly takes a look at the institution of slavery in early America and its economic importance for the developing country . The paper then explains that the secret network of people that served to free blacks from slavery, known as the Underground Railway Railroad, is significant because it illustrates the division between the states that would later cost so many lives, the power of Americans to fight unjust laws, and the fortitude of a people who struggled to attain their natural human rights. Additionally, the paper also reviews several books on the topic of the Underground Railroad, pointing out both their strengths and weaknesses.
From the Paper "The specific term "Underground Railroad" did not come into existence until the 1830s. According to legend, a runaway slave named Tice Davis escaped from the slave state of Kentucky into Ohio, and hitched a ride on an underground railroad to escape his owner who was in hot pursuit. It is no coincidence that the first steam-powered locomotive made its appearance in America in the 1830s as well; the idea that a magical train could deliver slaves to salvation had an undeniable appeal to children and adults alike. Yet, the realities of the systems of hideouts and midnight treks were far less glamorous and far more perilous than most ever imagined."
Abstract This paper examines how Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel, "Notes from Underground", centers on an anonymous narrator who shows signs of an inferiority complex and as a result becomes preoccupied with his own purpose and self worth. He becomes so obsessed with adding meaning to his life that fantasies often take over in order to add drama to situations. The paper relates that evidence of this obsession is found in his fantasized interaction with a certain officer, in his hysterical and overly dramatic clash with a friend, and in his idealized relationship with a prostitute, Liza. The paper also discusses how these interactions are critical to understanding what drove this man to isolation and how, due to being afflicted with an inferiority complex, these incidents build up until this final interaction with Liza stresses the Underground Man to the limit and forces him to retreat underground.
From the Paper "Although overcompensation for feelings of inferiority are often mistaken for a superiority complex, the Underground Man genuinely has feelings of self-deprecation. He holds himself in such low regard that he at one point claims he wishes laziness were the reason for refraining from doing certain things. At least then there would be a reason and he could respect himself (Dostoevsky 28). As of yet, he is without motive or purpose. When he cannot find the prestige he longs for he begins to desire any type of purpose. The overcompensation commonly manifested in an inferiority complex makes the Underground Man obsessed with proving his self worth. He admits that the dejection was making him hysterical. He sees a couple of men get into a bar fight and he considers beginning a confrontation as well so that he has some function. "
Abstract This paper compares the search results for two topics--Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad vs. the Trail of Tears--on the History Matters web site and details why the results for the Tubman search are more useful, as well as critiquing the History Matters web site and providing suggestions to the webmaster.
From the Paper "I was able to find sources on both Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad as well as the Cherokee Trail of Tears on the History Matters website History Matters. This web site is essentially a repository for links to other web sites ..."
Tags: web site comparison, Harriet Tubman, Underground Railroad, Trail of Tears, History Matters web site
Abstract This paper focuses on the Weather Underground, a radical branch of Students for a Democratic Society. It examines why the Weather Underground never was able to radicalize the general United States population. Most importantly, it uses the microcosm of the Days of Rage in Chicago to explain why the Weathermen were unable to mobilize support for their revolution.
Table of Contents:
Case Study: The Days of Rage
The Consequences of the Days of Rage
The Failures of the Weathermen
From the Paper "The Weather Underground, also briefly named the Weathermen, comprised largely of middle class college students from the East Coast and Midwest. They borrowed their name from a Bob Dylan song titled "Subterranean Homesick Blues". They were a militant organization which conducted protests and bombings in hopes of achieving a revolutionary overthrow of the established power. They also were against the United States involvement in the Vietnam. After working for years within the framework of the Students for a Democratic Society, members of the Weather Underground decided to break away from SDS in 1969 to "bring the war home" and "get it on in this country" by committing armed resistance against the U.S. government. However, it is evident through of The Days of Rage and its consequences that the Weather Underground was ineffective at sparking larger resistance. The self-indulging and elite attitude of the Weather Underground caused them to isolate themselves from the other New Left groups, ultimately rendering their violent protests and terrorist activities ineffective against stiff government opposition and an unsympathetic public."
Abstract This paper discusses how Dostoevsky's "Notes from Underground" is an interesting and somewhat shocking short novel first published in 1864 and often seen as a forerunner of existential fiction. The paper then looks at how first-person narrator of the story recites a long complaint about life, society, and in fact all of human existence in what he deeply feels to be its essential pointlessness and cruelty. The paper then attempts to analyze the psychology behind the behavior of the "Underground Man" by examining what three important thinkers have to contribute to the discussion: Plato, Nietzsche, and Freud.
From the Paper "Nineteenth-century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche was very impressed with Dostoevsky, claiming that "Dostoevsky is one of the few psychologists from whom I have learned something" ("Nietzsche.") The Birth of Tragedy from the Spirit of Music (1871) was Nietzsche's first major book. In it, he first elucidates what would soon become a widely known dichotomy, that between the Apollonian and the Dionysian, two opposed strands of ancient Greek thinking which he deduces based upon his uniquely creative interpretation of Greek literature. Put briefly, the Apollonian is the rational, while the Dionysian is that which is irrational or instinctive. "
Abstract The paper shows that both novels, "Notes from Underground" by Dostoevsky and "Lost in the Funhouse" by John Barth relate to the central theme of realism. The paper analyzes other similar central themes of both books as well as analyzes the main characters.
From the Paper "Consider what each character truly desires. Both fundamentally want to fit in and be normal, and it is the impossibility to achieve this that alienates them so completely. Underground Man goes to dinner to impress the other men. He wants to be respected and admired and, basically, accepted the way in which other people are. At dinner, however, he can only be rude and embarrassing, thus further ensuring that every attempt he makes actually worsens his position. Ambrose ?imagined himself years hence, successful, married, at ease in the world, the trials of adolescence far behind him.? He, too, does not romanticize his seat of alienation or his marginal status. He wants what he understands to be regular; he wants to enjoy the Funhouse, but he cannot."
Abstract The paper compares and contrasts two stories - "Notes from Underground" by Fyodor Dostoyevsky and "The Fall" by Albert Camus. It shows the way in which the protagonists - a nameless anti-hero in Dostoyevsky's novel and Jean Baptiste Clamence in "The Fall" - deal with their disillusionment with society and humanity.
From the Paper "In 1864 Fyodor Dostoyevsky introduced his nameless anti-hero, an introverted individual who is introspective and self-conscious. The character's constant dilemma regarding his self worth causes him to alternately retreat into the safe anonymity of his 'underground' and to strike out and humiliate people in order to revenge himself for his own humiliation at the hands of others. In his own notebooks, Dostoyevsky asserts that he portrayed in his protagonist a "real man of the Russian majority" (Notes From Underground 9). Nearly a century later Albert Camus introduced Jean Baptiste Clamence as "a hero of our time" in The Fall which Lermontov defined as "a portrait but not of one individual; it is the aggregate of the vices of our whole generation in their fullest expression" (The Fall 3)."
Covers the theme of despair in Dostoyevski's "Notes from the Underground" and seeks to understand its relevance in the meaning of existentialism throughout the tale.
1,650 words (approx. 6.6 pages), 4 sources, 2002, $ 62.95
Abstract By analyzing the theme of despair in Dostoyevski's "Notes from the Underground", we can see how despair plays a part in the meaning of existentialism in the story and dictates the central axis of feeling about the philosophy in the book.
