Reaction

            I forget to breathe every time I start reading Dostoyevsky’s stream of consciousness in Notes from the Underground. I get lost in his dense writing and have to continually remind myself that I need oxygen. Although Dostoyevsky spends the majority of his time self-identifying his acute consciousness, internal conflicts, and role in society, this piece is very inviting because of his direct outreach to his readers like using “you” and rhetorical questions. I think that each Roman numeral section has its own thesis and the sections build upon one another. He introduces an abundance of ideas and specifically develops each one; however, I don’t think that he has ever reached a conclusion about any idea. He usually resorts to a theoretical question and moves onto the next idea.   So far, my favorite section is V because of the contrast between the narrator and the direct men. The direct men never find the root of their issues; instead they find justice by attacking the symptoms of their respective issues. They will always be able to revenge themselves because they do not spend time identifying the truths and laws of nature. In contrast, the narrator “exercises himself in reflection” and becomes fixated on isolating his doubts and reasons. His pursuit of finding an unattainable solution ends with a wall.