Suffering in Notes From Underground

After reading the first eleven chapters of Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky, I noticed many themes that the speaker cyclically develops including the implications of contradiction, the detriment of hyperconsciousness, the complications of revenge, the assignment of blame, the actions of normal men, the opposition of desire and rationality, and, of course, the accumulation of spite. I would like to address, however, the underground man’s affinity for suffering and the ways in which he inflicts the suffering upon himself.

First, there’s no question that the underground man has deleterious tendencies and habits. Initially in the novel, the underground man complains about his liver and his course of action involves nothing actionable and consists entirely of resentment. Actually, he literally challenges his liver to worsen when he states, “My liver is bad, well then – let it get even worse” (3)! With his challenge, underground man invites adversity and therefore more suffering, and he leaves readers asking “why?” Readers wonder why a man so concerned with what’s advantageous in life invites excess complication and struggle, and the underground man addresses this inquiry.

In a following chapter, the underground man explains that when a man has a toothache, “his moans become nasty, disgustingly spiteful, and go on for whole days and nights… He knows better than anyone that he is only lacerating and irritating himself and others in vain… he is only indulging himself like that out of spite, out of malice” (14).  With the example of a painful toothache, underground man implies that suffering allows indulgence in the form of pity, and when pity expires, the man with a toothache can still feel sorry for himself and evoke emotion in others, even if that emotion is bitterness inspired by the moaning man’s moans.

Finally, in the ninth chapter, underground man makes the concession that “perhaps suffering is just as great an advantage to [man] as prosperity? Man is sometimes fearfully, passionately in love with suffering and that is a fact” (32). In this statement, readers can see that while underground man resents most things in life, he has the capacity to value suffering. Because of his values that contradict those of most individuals, underground man inflicts suffering on himself by living in poor conditions and allowing himself to feel an excessive amount of shame for minor offenses. Consequently, underground man perpetuates a circle of suffering underground where he becomes exponentially more sick, more spiteful, and more unpleasant.

Achebe's and Looper's Complete Pictures of the Ibo People and Generation Z

In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and “How Generation Z Works”, an article by Lance Looper about the temperament and abilities of the individuals born between 1991 and 2001, the authors strive to present the communities of the Ibo people and Generation Z in their entirety rather than focus on the groups’ associated stereotypes. In the beginning of both texts, Achebe and Looper explain the circumstances that mold the religious beliefs of the Ibo people and the skills of Generation Z. Next, the endeavors of the characters in Things Fall Apart and the facts in “How Generation Z Works” indicate the progress and accomplishments of the different communities that contradict the common perceptions of the Ibo people’s primitiveness and violent tendencies and of Generation Z’s short tempers, laziness, and lack of awareness. By the end of the texts, the authors justify particular stereotypes to fairly represent the Ibo and Generation Z communities in their glory and with their flaws, and they describe the interactions between the communities and the outside world to thoroughly depict the different groups. Through storytelling and the presentation of data, both Achebe and Looper fully and accurately depict the Ibo and Generation Z communities with their inclusion of relevant stories and facts that represent all of the communities’ characteristics as opposed to merely the characteristics according to bias.

Initially in Things Fall Apart and “How Generation Z Works,” the authors set out to present holistic views of the different communities by explaining the origins of the communities’ beliefs and skills. Before the advent of imperialism in Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo inherits nothing from his father due to his lack of success, and the village of Umuofia tells the story of how Unoka “[has] gone to consult the Oracle of the Hills and the Caves to find out why he always [has] a miserable harvest… [Unoka] has a bad chi or personal god, and evil fortune [follows] him to the grave” (Achebe 18).  By emphasizing the importance of abundant harvests and how the Ibo people associate agricultural success with their religious figures and beliefs, Achebe indicates the origin of the villagers’ piety, and he consequently gives insight into the villagers’ priorities and values. In “How Generation Z Works,” Looper justifies Generation Z’s characteristics when he states that the community “has lived their entire life with instant access to mountains of data on any topic that flutters through their imaginations… [and] they're also coming up in a world shaped by 9/11, Columbine and the War on Terror. They have a sense of social justice, philanthropy and maturity that comes with growing up during one of the most severe economic recessions in history” (Looper, “How Generation Z Works”). In the same way that Achebe attributes the Ibo people’s religious devotion to the importance of their unpredictable harvests, Looper attributes Generation Z’s good nature and maturity to their influential environment. Achebe and Looper similarly explain the reasoning for the Ibo people’s spirituality and Generation Z’s social qualities to thoroughly disclose the backgrounds of the communities.

After disclosing the influential circumstances and environments of the communities, Achebe and Looper challenge stereotypes by focusing on the cultural and intellectual achievements of the Ibo people and Generation Z. As the white men become a part of the Ibo villages in Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo becomes determined to achieve success after seven years of exile and thinks that “the first thing he would do would be to rebuild his compound on a more magnificent scale… Then he would show his wealth by initiating his sons into the ozo society” (Achebe 171). While stereotypes applying to the Ibo people suggest primitiveness and lack of structure, Achebe implies in Okonkwo’s plan to succeed that the Ibo people have motivation, ambition, and a complex economy and social order. Similarly, in “How Generation Z Works,” Looper challenges the stereotypes of Generation Z when he asserts that “they're growing up fast and developing sensitivities beyond their years. They see themselves as the solution… [and] are more likely to pursue careers they think will help society” (Looper, “How Generation Z Works”). Like Achebe contradicts the stereotypes of the Ibo people, Looper contradicts the common opinion that Generation Z has apathy and a lack of awareness with his assertion of Generation Z’s mature sense of responsibility. With their implications and assertions, Achebe and Looper effectively challenge the ideas that the Ibo people lack evolution and complexity and that Generation Z does not care about the future or global issues.

In order to depict not only the attractive attributes of the communities but also the imperfections, the authors embrace the validity of particular stereotypes. After the advent of imperialism in Things Fall Apart, the Ibo people seek revenge on a man who killed a member of the egwugwu, and a band of villagers “[move] like a furious whirlwind to Enoch’s compound and with machete and fire [reduce] it to a desolate heap. And from there they [make] for the church, intoxicated with destruction” (Achebe 188). While Achebe presents the respectable qualities of the Ibo people, he also justifies the stereotype of their occasionally violent behavior in order to provide a credible and balanced portrayal. As for Generation Z, Looper also presents evidence of flaws and admits, “One of the challenges the constant flow of information presents is that when tasked with solving a problem, [Generation Z looks] for the quick answer rather than work toward solving the problem on their own. Their instinct is to pursue speed instead of accuracy” (Looper, “How Generation Z Works”). His claim that Generation Z students pursue speed over accuracy promotes the stereotype that Generation Z struggles with laziness and therefore describes the community completely and in a trustworthy manner. By acknowledging the truth of specific common stereotypes, Achebe and Looper represent the Ibo and Generation Z communities holistically and righteously.

By the end of the texts, Achebe and Looper discuss the juxtaposition of the Ibo people and Generation Z with surrounding external communities to clarify the roles of the different groups in the greater world. In Things Fall Apart, as the Ibo and Christian communities try to coexist, members of the Christian community “[try] to overstep the bounds. Three converts [go] into the village and [boast] openly that all the gods [are] dead and impotent and that they [are] prepared to destroy them by burning all their shrines” (Achebe 154). The apparent resentment and violence between the two communities implies a mutual intolerance that clearly shows the position of the Ibo village relative to neighboring groups of people. In “How Generation Z Works,” Looper also strives to depict Generation Z relative to other communities when he states, “[Previous generations have] to learn technology as it [is] developed, experiencing these advancements as they happen while [Generation Z] are "digital natives," meaning they've been raised in an environment where every piece of technology is intuitive, logical and mature” (Looper, “How Generation Z Works). Looper suggests that Generation Z, when compared to older communities, demonstrates a natural ability to utilize technology that previous generations require more time to master; this comparison implies the digital authority that Generation Z commands over other external communities. Descriptions of the interactions between the Ibo people and Generation Z and the outside world provide a complete picture of not only internal characteristics but also external roles and positions of the communities.

In summation, Achebe and Looper do not provide mere alternate views that simply praise the Ibo people and Generation Z, but they depict the communities completely and holistically by discussing their origins, accomplishments, flaws, and roles in the greater community. When readers encounter texts regarding the characteristics of communities, they must judge the quality of the material and whether it describes a group entirely or only partially. Partial descriptions only damage communities and promote ignorance, so writers must also write with caution so as not to perpetuate a cycle of intolerance and naivety.