Justin

bro
i cannot explain why this book was so good

Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst been wise

bro think he erwin danchou

what is the right way to become virtuous?
1984 moment

The Underground Man is the ultimate lifeform. 



I'd describe him as Camus' absurd villain. The first half of this book consists of him expounding his views on the human condition, specifically what he considers the curse of too much consciousness. He recognizes the absurd, the contradictory pursuits of status, personal vindication, etc., and scorns those who engage in these aims, lamenting his recognition of how pointless it all is. Yet he claims he does not envy those who are able to enjoy life, as he himself is unable to return to the cave nor does he desire it if he could. One of his main conclusions is that humans, above all, crave freedom or the illusion of it, and will purposely go mad if they can't find it. He recognizes following desires is no freedom, and neither is reason as you become a slave to the laws of nature. Clearly he keeps the absurd in mind, and through it he goes insane as he now holes himself up in his underground room, then breaks out to seek approval from those he scorns, not really believing in anything, and never truly knowing if he is being genuine or playing a character just too have something to do.



This endless, hopeless dialectic seems to be a common thread in a bunch of his characters. I think I see why Dostoevsky became Christian.