Part I: Introduction and Chapter 1 Introduction Dostoevsky introduces Part I of Notes from Underground. He tell us that in this first portion, the protagonist will introduce himself and explain the causes that led to his appearance before us in this text. He then explains that the subseque nt extract, "Apropos of the Wet Snow," will record the protagonist's own notes. Summary The Underground Man starts off by telling us that he has liver disease, but …showed first 75 words of 606 total…

…showed last 75 words of 606 total…the UM feels is central to many of Dostoevsky's most famous characters, and is not an indication of insanity so much as a failure to deal with the impossibility of life in St. Petersburg. It is telling that the UM, like many of Dostoe vsky's other characters, is a low-ranking Civil Servant. Dostoevsky says that in the nineteenth century, one must be a "characterless person," with a job--like the UM's--that erases one's individuality and identity.