Notes from Underground Lesson Plan

What differences in narrative style and content do you notice between Part 1 and Part 2?

Part 1 is more cerebral, more focused on the Underground Man’s psychology and life philosophies. Part 1 reads more like a philosophy manifesto than a novel. On the other hand, Part 2 is more about the Underground Man’s life. It reads more like a traditional story, though there is still little dialogue and it is very focused on the Underground Man’s thoughts and feelings.

It may benefit students to let them know that Part 1 was focused more on attacking the philosophies of liberals of the 1860s in Russia. Part 2 focuses more on attacking romantic liberals of the 1840s. Part 1 is rife...