Dec 25, 2009

Notes From Underground | Themes

Alienation
The narrator of this story is completely alienated from the society around him, so much so that he considers himself living underground, like a mouse or an insect. He has no social skills and often becomes either so obsessed with an idea or so tangled in his emotional reactions that he cannot communicate his thoughts or feelings. He lives in his fantasy world or gets lost in books, so when he does try to communicate he is not sure if the sentiments he is expressing are his or if they come from his imagination. No one understands him, he thinks. He also...