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Dostoevsky Quote by Fyodor Dostoevsky

“Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (November 11 [O.S. October 30] 1821 – February 9 [O.S. January 28] 1881) is considered one of two greatest prose writers of Russian literature, alongside close contemporary Leo Tolstoy. Dostoevsky's works have had a profound and lasting effect on twentieth-century…” quote by Fyodor Dostoevsky
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““Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (November 11 [O.S. October 30] 1821 – February 9 [O.S. January 28] 1881) is considered one of two greatest prose writers of Russian literature, alongside close contemporary Leo Tolstoy. Dostoevsky's works have had a profound and lasting effect on twentieth-century thought and world literature. Dostoevsky's chief ouevre, mainly novels, explore the human psychology in the disturbing political, social and spiritual context of his 19th-century Russian society. Considered by many as a founder or precursor of 20th-century existentialism, his Notes from Underground (1864), written in the anonymous, embittered voice of the Underground Man, is considered by Walter Kaufmann as the "best overture for existentialism ever written." Source: Wikipedia””

Fyodor Dostoevsky

About This Quote

Source Book: Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky, 1864

The novel presents a bitter, introspective narrator exposing the absurdities of human freedom and societal expectations.

In simple terms: A disillusioned man critiques freedom and society.

Key Takeaway

Recognize the limits of rationalism.

Themes

existentialism psychology freedom

Mood

melancholic thoughtful

Type

philosophical literary

When to use this quote

  • philosophical discourse
  • personal introspection
  • literary analysis

Key Concepts

human absurdity self‑reflection social critique

Questions to Reflect On

  • What does true freedom mean?
  • Can society accommodate individual alienation?
A Different Perspective

The narrator’s extreme negativity may not represent all perspectives.

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