Is It Love

In Fyodor Dostoevsky’s work, Notes from Underground, Dostoevsky introduces the reader to the fictional character, the underground man, one of the main themes throughout the book is the underground man’s inability to truly love someone. Thomas Merton once said, “The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise, we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.” The underground man exemplifies this type of “love” described. Dostoevsky uses the underground man to guide the reader in, understanding the depths of what one who is unfamiliar with what love is through Notes from Underground.

Dostoevsky presents the underground man in many characteristics but one of the more prominent characteristics was his unusual way of receiving delight. The underground man appears to be unfamiliar with the niceties of social cues or being kind at all, evidence of such can be seen in “I’d gnash my teeth at them, and felt an inexhaustible delight when I managed to upset someone” (Dostoevsky 4). As Dostoevsky continues a recurring theme becomes apparent and examples can be seen when he begins to show a need for attention. He appears to be so lacking in this that he will even settle for negative attention. One instance is seen in his interactions with the officer and he describes it as, “he took me by the shoulders and silently- with no warning or explanation- moved me from where I stood to another place” (Dostoevsky 49) this then became even more horrifying when recounts that the officer “passed by as if without noticing.” (Dostoevsky 49). Even stating, “Devil knows what I’d have given then for a real, more regular quarrel, more decent, more, so to speak, literary!” (Dostoevsky 49). Having covered these examples one can more easily begin to infer that the underground man does not understand love in the healthy context, because in seeking attention he seeks out the negative attention.

Next, the underground man comes into contact with the prostitute, Liza. They meet where all good love stories begin, a brothel, and the underground man displays a boldness in his interactions than has been seen.  As the underground man begins to converse with Liza, he begins to attempt to dissuade her from remaining under the “madam’s” control, he even goes as far to say “But after a year of this life you won’t be the same, you’ll fade” (Dostoevsky 91). The two continue talking and the underground man even states “I turned to her with loathing; I was no longer reasoning coldly. I myself began to feel what I was saying, and became excited.” (Dostoevsky 92) and then shows evidence of his romanticizing about the situation when he says “I already thirsted to expound my cherished “little ideas,” lived out in my corner. Something in me suddenly lit up, some goal appeared.” (Dostoevsky 92). He then set out to reveal to Liza this beautiful and dreamy life that she could have, but then refers to this as “It was the game that fascinated me most of all” (Dostoevsky 93) one can infer from this that the underground man does not seem to be wanting to help Liza as much as he wants to “win” and have her become who he wants her to be. He even states “No, how can I fail to get the better of such a young soul?” (Dostoevsky 93). Logically, it can be reasoned that these are not the words of someone in love, rather someone trying to manipulate another’s feelings and/or thoughts. He continues telling her vivid dream after vivid dream until Liza remarks “It’s as if you… as if it’s from a book,” (Dostoevsky 98) the underground man was “painfully twinged by this remark” (Dostoevsky 98) and then makes the reminiscently evil remark “But I did not guess, and a wicked feeling took hold of me. “You just wait,” I thought” (Dostoevsky 98).

Later, he gives Liza her address and tells her to come see him and Liza says she will (Dostoevsky 104), but then he begins thinking, “It was like as if I were tormented over Liza alone. “What if she comes?” I thought ceaselessly.” (Dostoevsky 109). Then the day comes that Liza shows and he is embarrassed and sent into a fit with the anxiety of worrying what she might think about his apartment and his clothes. She then expresses that she wants to leave the life she has been stuck in and he begins to become angered and begins to want to hurt Liza with his words. He continues on in a flurry of hurtful and anger filled words telling her in summary that he doesn’t care about her and he didn’t want to save her. “I’d been humiliated, so I, too, wanted to humiliate;” (Dostoevsky 121), Liza responds in the most shocking way, she hugs him. Then he notes that Liza “embraced me rapturously and ardently” (Dostoevsky 124). After this time spent together, he begins to speak about a “final insult” (Dostoevsky 125), and notes that he suspects it will upset Liza beyond measure. He wants her to leave and even refers to her being there as “unbearably burdensome” (Dostoevsky 126) and as she begins to leave he tells the audience that he places something in her hand, but does not tell what the item is until the next page wherein he reveals he saw the thing he had pressed in her hand earlier on now lying on the table. He states, “I saw…in short, I saw a crumpled blue five-rouble bill, the very one I had pressed into her hand a moment before” (Dostoevsky 127). This act of paying Liza for their time spent together is the final insult he spoke of earlier, and serves to take all the love and meaning out of their time spent together. The ultimate humiliation for Liza, and the ending of the “game” in which he had spoken of when trying to win over her soul.

In conclusion, Dostoevsky characterized the underground man to be a man who is unfamiliar with love or friends and who does not understand how to truly love. He is humiliated at the dinner party around his peers and then seeks to cause someone to relate to his feelings so he finds Liza and makes it a game to humiliate her. The underground man even if he had feelings for Liza, was so scared by the idea of allowing himself to be truly loved that he pushed away Liza in the end.