1) The Underground Man shows himself to be very contradictory. For instance, he says that while he worked in the Russian civil service he was a "nasty official," and soon mentions that he was "lying [about being] a nasty official" (91). Then he divulges he "lied out of spite"(91). He also says that he "has great respect for medicine and doctors (90)," yet he refuses to visit one. The Underground Man shows himself to truly be a mean, spiteful man with an extremely pessimistic outlook on life.
2) The Underground Man says that he avoid seeing medical treatment "out of spite"(90). He then says that he respects medicine, and says he chooses to refuse medical help" simply out of contrariness"(90). He is willing to accept the pain that comes with …show more content…
Petersburg, Russia. He tells the reader that he lives in a "miserable and ugly room, on the outskirts of the city"(92). He is unhappy with his home, but he chooses to remain there nevertheless. He hates his maid, a fact he makes clear but how he refers to her: "a peasant woman, nasty out of sheer stupidity... with a bad smell about her (92-93)." He recognizes that the "Petersburg climate is bad for [him]," and with his "miserable income," it's a very expensive place to live" (93). Even though the underground man is unable to rationally justify his decision to stay in St. Petersburg he chooses to remain there because he just doesn't care enough to …show more content…
In fact, he obsesses and worried over this so much that it causes him to believe that people who live past forty are “fools and good-for-nothings ”(92). This type of thought depresses him to the extent that he believes his "depravity (94)" is his normal state, and he derives pleasure from his acceptance of that.
6) Ordinary consciousness is just the consciousness needed to function in life. A heightened consciousness, however, is something unusual. Someone with a heightened consciousness ponders existential questions to a greater extent than someone who lacks it. This can easily lead to a feeling of being trapped due to a lack of existential freedom, as it does for The Underground Man. He possesses a heightened consciousness because he thinks more deeply about his life and the world around him than a typical person. He even goes so far as to tell the reader that he has the "disease" of having "too great a lucidity"
2) The Underground Man says that he avoid seeing medical treatment "out of spite"(90). He then says that he respects medicine, and says he chooses to refuse medical help" simply out of contrariness"(90). He is willing to accept the pain that comes with …show more content…
Petersburg, Russia. He tells the reader that he lives in a "miserable and ugly room, on the outskirts of the city"(92). He is unhappy with his home, but he chooses to remain there nevertheless. He hates his maid, a fact he makes clear but how he refers to her: "a peasant woman, nasty out of sheer stupidity... with a bad smell about her (92-93)." He recognizes that the "Petersburg climate is bad for [him]," and with his "miserable income," it's a very expensive place to live" (93). Even though the underground man is unable to rationally justify his decision to stay in St. Petersburg he chooses to remain there because he just doesn't care enough to …show more content…
In fact, he obsesses and worried over this so much that it causes him to believe that people who live past forty are “fools and good-for-nothings ”(92). This type of thought depresses him to the extent that he believes his "depravity (94)" is his normal state, and he derives pleasure from his acceptance of that.
6) Ordinary consciousness is just the consciousness needed to function in life. A heightened consciousness, however, is something unusual. Someone with a heightened consciousness ponders existential questions to a greater extent than someone who lacks it. This can easily lead to a feeling of being trapped due to a lack of existential freedom, as it does for The Underground Man. He possesses a heightened consciousness because he thinks more deeply about his life and the world around him than a typical person. He even goes so far as to tell the reader that he has the "disease" of having "too great a lucidity"