Dostoevsky’s Notes from Undergound - Reactions to an Overdeterministic Existence
Some of the works cited are missing
Dostoevsky presents his Notes from Undergound as the fragmented ramblings of
an unnamed narrator. On the surface, the character’s narration appears disjointed and
reaches no conclusive end ing until the author intercedes to end the book. However, a
close examination of the underground man’s language reveals a progression in his
collected ravings. After expressing dissatisfaction with the notion of determinism, the
underground man perceives the irony of his ultra-deterministic reality. Through his
narrative, the underground man discovers the truth about his predestined, fictional
existence.
Dostoevsky’s work is divided into two sections; throughout the first section,
“Underground,” the narrator discusses and resists determinism. The underground man
compares deterministic life to a mathematical formula, two times two equals four. He
suggests that, according to the deterministic model, life conforms to a set of predestined
events and actions, and its outcome is inevitable. The underground man condemns the
formula, asserting, “After all, two times two is no longer life, gentlemen, but the
beginning of death”(24). In his essay Narrative and Freedom, critic Gary Saul Morson
elaborates upon the narrator’s statement, adding, “For life to be meaningful and for work
to be more than robotic, there must be something not just unknown but still undecided”
(Morson 196-7). According to the underground man, the pre-existence of the solution
implies that no other conclusion may be reached; once one embarks on life, one cannot
escape the inevitable outcome of death. Morson emphasizes the underground man’s
res...
... middle of paper ...
...nd man initially believes that by identifying the cause of his
defectiveness, he will be able to correct his seemingly doomed life.
Instead, he discovers that his real defect, his existence as fiction, prevents
him from ever altering his circumstances. After heralding self-awareness
as the key to controlling his own life, he finds that self-awareness only
allows him to perceive how little control he could ever have.
Works Cited and Consulted
Berger, Peter L. The Sacred Canopy: Elements of a Sociological Theory of Religion.
New York: Anchor Books, 1990.
Escher, M.C. “Drawing Hands.” Cover of Norton edition of Notes from Underground.
Katz, Michael R., ed. Notes from Underground. New York: W.W. Norton & Company,
2001.
Chernyshevsky, Nikolai. “What Is to Be Done?” Katz 104-123.
Dostoevsky, Fyodor. “Notes from Underground.” Katz 3-91
Morson
Todorov
The Civil War in the United States from 1861 to 1865 serves as a dark reminder of how disjointed a nation can become over issues that persistently cause heated debate among party factions. Most students that have taken courses in American history understand the disadvantage possessed by the Confederate States of America as they fought against the powerful Union army for what they perceived as a necessary institution of slavery. Historians have debated over the effectiveness of the blockade and if it was important in creating the failures faced by the Confederate States of America. This debate has generated the contested question of “Did the Union blockade succeed in the American Civil War?” The blockade, whether considered a success or an absolute failure on the part of the Union, holds grand significance in the history of the United States. The increased development in the Union’s naval department correlates directly with the necessity of possessing ships that could withstand the threat of blockade running.
The ending of the novel was inspiring. The author suggests the reader to look into great novels, and even supplies a list of novels a personally suggests. He ended with a very ...
The Union Blockade did not go on quietly through the war but was severely tested by the Confederacy who would not take it laying down. With the blockade slowly strangling the Southern economy the Confederacy needed to break out in order for them to survive the long game in the war. In order for the Union to succeed in forming their blockade to its fullest extent they needed to destroy the small Confederate navy that was in the southern ports at the beginning of the war. One of the key events that would set the Union up nicely to expand the blockade was the blockading of the Chesapeake Bay. This was a key part in stopping the Confederate naval ships from reaching the sea that were stationed at Norfolk. When Union soldiers lost control of the shipping yards to Confederate soldiers it would lead to one of the most famous and technological advanced naval battle of the war, the Battle of Hampton Roads.
Dove, Rita. “Loose Ends” The McGraw-Hill Reader. 8th ed. Ed. Gilbert Muller, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003. 503-504
end. This essay will further show how both stories shared similar endings, while at the same time
Athletic staleness and burnout is a big problem for many of today’s athletes whether they are at the amateur or professional level. The good thing about this problem that ends up in total and complete physical and emotional exhaustion is that it can be recognized when it is taking place. It can also be treated if the recognition comes at too late of a stage of the onset of staleness and burnout. But the best remedy for athletic staleness and burnout is prevention of it in the first place. There are three different models that have been used to explain the causes of athlete burnout.
A change from a self-determined engagement in a sport to a much lesser degree of self-determination is a common theme among athletes’ burning out. In other words, as the true passion and love for the game fades away, the perceived costs of sustained engagement begin to outweigh the rewards afforded by the sport. After time passes, the inability to handle the negative appraisals can lead to such harmful outcomes as physical and emotional exhaustion, reduced accomplishment, devaluation, and then complete dropout of the sport (Holmberg and Sheridan,
One of the dangers of texting and driving is that it causes distractions. These distractions cause car accidents and unnecessary deaths of innocent drivers on the road. In a recent report done in 2011 The National Safety Council
Wiese-Bjornstal, D. M., Smith, A. M., & LaMott, E. E. (1995). A model of psychological response to athletic injury and rehabilitation. Athletic training: Sport health care perspectives, 17-30.
...it up to each reader to draw their own conclusions and search their own feelings. At the false climax, the reader was surprised to learn that the quite, well-liked, polite, little convent girl was colored. Now the reader had to evaluate how the forces within their society might have driven such an innocent to commit suicide.
Additionally, in the book US FOREIGN POLICY, Michael Cox (2012) concluded that “China’s peaceful rise has largely consoled its neighbors and the United States that it remains a status quo power. However, as it has risen, there are some (perhaps an expanding number) who predict this will lead to increased regional and global competition” (p.266). Clearly, Michael Cox indicated the point that there might be more competitions in the future relation between China and the rest of the world no matter China rises peacefully or not. In particular, China and the United States will face many intense issues since they are the two giants in th...
In Edward’s and Hardy’s opinion the main problem that research on the relationship between anxiety and performance has encountered is that researchers have not defined all the specific terminology that is required to understand with this subject. The following operational definitions will be used for the terms anxiety and stress. “Stress is a state that results from the demands that are placed on the individual which require that person to engage in some coping behavior.” Arousal is going to be considered to be a signal to the athlete that he/ she has entered into a stressful situation and is characterized buy physiological signs. Anxiety results from the athlete’s perception that he/ she is not good enough for the particular situation, which will cause stress (Edward and Hardy).
Lutz, R. S., Stults-Kolehmainen, M. A., & Bartholomew, J. B. (2010). Exercise caution when stressed: Stages of change and the stress- exercise participation relationship. Psycology of Sport and Exercise, 11, 560-567.
Sometimes when we read a story it doesn’t end in the way that we like or expect it to. Because of this we are left with the oh so common “cliffhanger” wonder what happened to a character or how the story goes on. This can be very frustrating but is probably the best way for an author to leave things. Sometimes, even though we don’t know what is happening, it is the best thing for the story. The not knowing what happened conclusion leaves the reader to think about what they believe happened and also if there is a sequel it ensures the reader will buy the next part of the tale. A great example, of how leaving the story with no conclusion, is shown in Herman Melville’s “Bartleby” making it even more clear that a story without a conclusion is
A.I. Artificial Intelligence is a Steven Spielberg science fiction drama film, which tells the story of a younger generation robot, David, who yearns for his human mother’s love. David’s character stimulates the mind-body question. What is the connection between our “minds” and our bodies? It is apparent that we are personified entities, but also, that we embrace “more” than just our bodies. “Human persons are physical, embodied beings and an important feature of God’s intended design for human life” (Cortez, 70).