Socially Constructed Reality and Meaning in Notes from Underground

There is one part which he talks about and refers to throughout the story -

The narrator’s background of education conflicts with the current situation of war that he is in. The narrator has “graduated in law from St. Petersburg University”, giving him higher ground among soldiers with not only the education he possess but also the moral capacity he has. His fellow soldiers are on the other side of the spectrum in relation to the narrator. They have endured the tragedy of war, giving them vulgar personalities that allows them to express ideas and thoughts with no filter: “go and mess up a lady . . . and you 'll have the boys patting you on the back”. These contrasting personalities and cultures has set up the narrator to get test his singular moral standings to fit in with the other soldiers. Otherwise, the narrator would have to endure embaressing behavior such as: “went over to my little trunk and tossed it out at the gate . . . [and] emitted a series of shameful noises”.

Naturally, the narrator feels the pressure of being a minority. At first, he wants to be like everyone else, to be a part of white society. Then, he realizes that such society is not what he imagines it to be. As a result, he wants to reconnect with his family, this time appreciating them as his own. Nevertheless, the narrator is afraid of what his father

At the beginning of the story, the narrator provides a brief description of himself that allows readers to reflect upon his character and morality. He introduces himself as someone who believes that

2. Why does the narrator talk about himself in the Because he considers the body he’s in

health began to decline and she soon discovers that she has multiple conditions that “impact her

The viewpoint of the world that the narrator has, completely alters as certain events take place throughout the story. His outlook on nature transforms into a wholly different standpoint as the story progresses. As his tale begins, the narrator sees himself as a tough guy or “bad character”. He believes he is invincible. There is nobody as cool as he

8. What does the simile at the end of the first paragraph suggest about the lieutenant?

From the start the novel is laden with the pressures that the main characters are exposed to due to their social inequality, unlikeness in their heredity, dissimilarity in their most distinctive character traits, differences in their aspirations and inequality in their endowments, let alone the increasingly fierce opposition that the characters are facing from modern post-war bourgeois society.

being caught by the party he is driven by his search to experience the truth, beauty and love that he

Days go by and she 's getting tired form the physical labor that comes with the house cleaning service. She explains what she was doing with her co-workers at the cleaning service and calls in sick after her last day at the nursing home.

Secondly, the narrator mentions an ironic statement with regard to his nature. He indicates that he is a timid and humane person. As a matter of fact, his parents made jokes concerning him with regard to his

behavior and thus I enter into a different self-state (para 11). He explains himself being

1. Discuss the protagonist’s ability to control the direction of his life. What factors prevent him from living the life he desires? What is out of his control…or controlling him?

She is not allowed to do any labour which might be construed as "strenuous," even to the point of denying her mental stimulation, such as keeping a diary. Though she feels that the laziness which is enforced upon her is detrimental to her health, "Personally, I disagree with their ideas. Personally, I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good," she still follows their orders, as they are both doctors and men in positions of power over her (Gilman