1. What significant correlations are there between Parts I and II? 2. What are the reasons for the title of Part 2, “A Propos of the Wet Snow”? 3. What various meanings can be attached to the title? 4. Liza says very little and yet emerges as the strongest person […]
Read more Study Help Essay QuestionsFyodor Dostoevsky Biography
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky was born in 1821, the second of seven children, and lived until 1881. His father, an army doctor attached to the staff of a public hospital, was a stern and self-righteous man while his mother was the opposite — passive, kindly, and generous — and perhaps this […]
Read more Fyodor Dostoevsky BiographyCharacter Analysis Zverkov
In Part 1, the Underground Man spoke of the “man of direct action” as being diametrically opposite to the “man of acute consciousness.” We have seen that the Underground Man is so hyper-conscious that he must examine every action so thoroughly that, as a result, he is rendered inactive. His […]
Read more Character Analysis ZverkovCharacter Analysis Liza
Liza is one of a long string of quiet, meek, passive, downtrodden women who inhabit Dostoevsky’s novels. Through her, the Underground Man has the possibility of coming into touch with real humanity, but being unable to escape from his own ego, he needlessly and viciously insults Liza. However, she remains […]
Read more Character Analysis LizaCharacter Analysis The Underground Man
The Underground Man is a spiteful man whose ideas we may agree with and admire, but whose actions we hate and deplore. These contradictory reactions to him suggest something of the duality of his own nature. For example, he resents being insulted and yet consciously places himself in a position […]
Read more Character Analysis The Underground ManSummary and Analysis Part 2: Section 10
Summary Fifteen minutes later, the Underground Man peeked through a screen to see what Liza was doing. She was on the floor with her head leaning against the bed. The Underground Man was pleased that she had been so thoroughly insulted. Finally, he had made her understand that his outburst […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Part 2: Section 10Summary and Analysis Part 2: Section 9
Summary Standing before Liza completely confused and embarrassed by his ragged dressing gown and his obvious poverty, the Underground Man finally asked her to sit down. Then he immediately began to justify and defend his poverty, asserting that he was an honorable man, in spite of his poverty. Even though […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Part 2: Section 9Summary and Analysis Part 2: Section 8
Summary Walking home from Liza’s, the Underground Man recognized a “loathsome truth,” but he did not want to recognize it, so he tried to put it out of his mind. Later he was surprised at the sentimentality he expressed with Liza. He is aghast that he would give her his […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Part 2: Section 8Summary and Analysis Part 2: Section 7
Summary The Underground Man continued to describe horrendous scenes of prostitution. He also told Liza that in another place, at another time, it would have been highly possible that he could have fallen in love with her and would even have considered it an honor to be betrothed to her. […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Part 2: Section 7Summary and Analysis Part 2: Section 6
Summary Suddenly at 2 A.M., a noise awakened the Underground Man out of his half-conscious state. When he was fully cognizant of his surroundings, he noticed two eyes observing him. He and the prostitute gazed at each other for awhile, then he asked her name. She told him that it […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Part 2: Section 6