ENG223 Delta College Dostoyevsky’s Novel Analysis

reading materials:

Textbook: the Nortons Anthology of world literature

“Realism Across the Globe” (697-702)

Notes from Underground (703-780)

here’s a lot going on in Dostoyevsky’s novel, so I’ll again offer you a variety of options for your initial post this week. Notice these are fairly open ended. Each touches on a major theme of the novel — it’ll be your job to develop a thesis — an opinion — on the subject, and present it to us, backing up your position with specifics from the novel.

When you respond to your classmates, try to choose at least two who have tackled a topic other than the one you took on.

Choice One: What does the novel say about the nature of humanity? Are we fundamentally good, fundamentally evil, or something in between? （500-600 words）

Choice Two: What’s the impact of progress — science, education, civilization — on human well being? Do they make life better or worse or, again, something in between? (150 words)

Choice Three: In what ways is the novel a critique of the ideals of the Enlightenment? (150 words)

Choice Four: Reflect on the novel’s take on human suffering. Is it necessarily evil? (150 words)