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Introduction:
It is a novel by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, published in 1864. The book follows a bitter Russian man who describes his identity and his philosophy and description of his life. The book is divided into two sections. The first part explains the main character’s philosophy and thoughts. The second part explains the character’s experiences when he was twenty-four.

Plot:
Notes from Underground tells the story of a bitter man living alone in St. Petersburg, Russia, during the 1860s. He used to work in the civil service but has retired after inheriting some money. The novel is made up of his “notes,” which are a mix of memories and thoughts that show his feelings of being disconnected from society. The first part introduces the Underground Man, who describes himself as “sick,” “wicked,” and “unattractive,” feeling that his intelligence only adds to his misery. He criticizes society’s focus on advantages and benefits, arguing that people often act against their interests just to prove their free will. He finds pleasure in his pain as a way to rebel against the predictability of modern life. The second part, titled “Apropos of the Wet Snow,” reflects on his experiences in the 1840s when he was 24. This section shows how he interacts awkwardly with others, feeling disgusted and fearful, which leads to his humiliation. He tries to connect with a young prostitute named Liza but ends up pushing her away with his insults. In the end, he struggles to even decide to stop writing his notes, highlighting his deep sense of confusion and alienation.

Analysis:
The novel is split into two parts; one shows the man’s thoughts about himself and society, and the other describes his life when he was younger. The author didn’t put this in chronological order because introducing the character and his train of thought would reflect on his actions when he was younger. In the first part of the book, he talks about his philosophy and his view of society and himself. He describes himself with negative words, showing how much he dislikes himself. He also criticized his society and its greed. He also proves the people’s greed for freedom by arguing that people rebel against their interests just to represent their freedom. Because he doesn’t approve of himself, he often harms himself and is content with his pain. Another reason he harms himself is because he wants to rebel against the predictability of the life he lived. The first part wraps up itself with the main character discussing the willingness to harm himself because he wants a rebellion. The second part is introduced with the main character who doesn’t interact well with others and is humiliated by his isolation and loneliness and talks about his young self and his actions. This may be the start of his negative thoughts about himself as the book shows how he was disgusted and fearful. He was driven with determination when he met a young prostitute, Liza, and he became close to her. However, he becomes easily irritated and hurts her with his insults and rude comments even though it wasn’t his intention. This resulted in him, pushing away Liza, and eventually breaking their relationship. Everything, including his thoughts, actions, and experiences, leads him to stop writing the notes, emphasizing the humiliation and confusion.

Conclusion:
Notes From Underground by Fyodor Dostoyevsky is a novel published in 1864. It is about a Russian man who discusses his thoughts about himself and society and emphasizes his pleasure in pain. He also introduces his experiences as a young man, living as an isolated man and meeting a prostitute. The book shows how your thoughts heavily impact your mental health and how you act toward others. The main character doesn’t accept himself for who he is and he ends up pushing others away from him. It also portrays self-harm which the main character takes pleasure in as he is not in an ethical mind.