Notes from the Underground | Characters & Character Analysis

Notes from the Underground Characters

I

The "nameless narrator" of Notes from the Underground. Some readers and critics refer to him as "the Underground Man". The book is written by Fyodor Dostoevsky and it could be argued that the "I" is Dostoevsky, though he makes it clear from an early footnote that the "I" is fictional. He does note that "I" must exist. "I" is concerned with an array of questions, many of them on the free will and psychological interests of mankind in general. The "I" freely refers to the audience—the reader—and tends to realize questions and arguments that would be forthcoming from a real audience. "I" answers those questions, seeming to give an honest accounting of himself and his life, though he'll point out that it's impossible for a person to be completely honest about all things.

"I" is interested in some of the important questions of life. He wonders whether man has...
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