The motif of loneliness in "Notes from underground" by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

The sense of estrangement from the outside world is one of the key traits of character of the Underground man. Loneliness is the most important prerequisite for the formation of the «Underground» as a special world-view of this hero of Dostoyevsky. This article deals with possible causes of loneliness of the Underground man, his relationship with society and himself. The hero suffers from irreconcilable contradictions with society and is unable to establish full-fledged relationships with other people. All this drives him «underground», where from he occasionally makes his sallies into society. Not willing, or probably unable to obey the unwritten rules of communication, Underground man constantly breaks them. He fails in closer relations, and suffers his fiasco grievously afterwards. Thus, his choice of staying alone is not only due to the rejection of others, but also because of the painful shame that inevitably accompanies any contact with the outside world. Nonetheless, despite his «underground» state hero steel craves for personal contact and is able to partially achieve this goal by writing his notes.