It may seem, and to some extent this is so, that the work of F. M. Dostoevsky “The Double”, written in 1846, is a long, very dark and boring novel from the genre of the classical era of romanticism about the doppelganger, the double of man - the dark side personality and antipode of the guardian angel. In such works, for some authors, their hero may not cast shadows and not be reflected in the mirror. This often portended the death of the character. The double becomes the embodiment of shadow unconscious content (these are habits, desires, instincts, etc.) with its “decent and pleasant” ideas about itself. This double begins to feed on the expense of the protagonist, and as it weakens and fades, it becomes stronger, more self-confident, displaces it and takes its place.
Story analysis
Dostoevsky made his most unique work, The Double, very difficult to understand. A summary of it will be presented below.
However, there is something to think and reflect on in it, because Dostoevsky delves too deeply into the human soul, trying to pull out of it everything that many of us do not want to see and notice. And so it’s not so easy to come to the right conclusions right away.
Dostoevsky was 24 years old when he wrote this story, or a poem, as he himself called it. It was published in the journal "Domestic Notes" after "Poor People." In the image of the hero Golyadkin, the writer used the character traits of the writer Y. P. Butkov, whose fate was a bit similar to the life of the main character. And he wrote mainly on the topic of a small man - a petty official, a metropolitan poor who was constantly in material need, forever trembling with bosses. He knew this subject very well, since he himself was like that.
The Double (Dostoevsky): summary
The main character - Yakov Petrovich Golyadkin - holds the position of titular adviser. By himself, he is a harmless, innocent and gentle man. He repeatedly said to himself that he was a straightforward person, not a schemer, and only put on masks on a masquerade, as is customary in secular circles. In each case, he tries to pass off these qualities in a conversation as his own virtues.
Golyadkin feels himself to be small, weak, and unprotected. His unconscious fears, impaired ambitions and complexes showed in him a painful suspiciousness and a tendency to see resentment in words, gestures and actions. It constantly seems to him that intrigues are circling around him, that they are digging under him.
Reception at Rutenspitz
Once, on a gray fall day, the hero wakes up at home, walks up to the mirror, looks into him and sees his “sleepy, blind-eyed and rather bald-headed figure” there, but be that as it may, he is satisfied with it. And then he takes out his wallet and totals 750 rubles in it with the words that there is a notable amount.
Thus begins the development of Dostoevsky's novel "The Double." The summary further tells that the hero is going and going to see his doctor, Krestyan Ivanovich Rutenshpits.
When meeting, he begins to talk abruptly, confusedly and constantly confused. He calls himself a humble and unpretentious person who loves calm, and not secular noise, where you need to be able to make a sincere compliment, and he did not learn this from tricks. Further, he without stopping begins to say that he is a small man, not an intriguer, which he is proud of. Golyadkin is indignant at the matchmaking of his superior's nephew, Andrei Filippovich. Like, rumors are coming about a "close friend" that he gave a subscription to marry, and he is already on the other hand, and the bride is just a shameless German Karolina Ivanovna. Then Yakov Petrovich leaves, thinking that the doctor is stupid and does not understand anything, which leaves Krestyan Ivanovich in complete bewilderment.
And then Golyadkin goes to a dinner party and ball to the state adviser Berendeev Olsufy Ivanovich in honor of the birthday of Klara Olsufyevna - his daughter. But the servant on the doorstep declares to him that he was not ordered to let him in. Then Yakov Petrovich decides to sneak inside. The ball is crowded, and people's eyes immediately stop at Golyadkin. He fears hiding in a corner and feels like a bug. And then he was completely expelled into the street.
Someone
And then a brief summary of Dostoevsky's “Double” continues with a description of nature. The night was terrible, November, foggy, cold and wet. Golyadkin flees from “his enemies”. He also wanted to run away from himself or even “be destroyed”. For a minute he stopped and began to look into the muddy black water of the river.
This is where his very mysterious double appears. Dostoevsky (a brief summary also conveys this) saturates his work with one very strange and curious event.
Suddenly, upset Yakov Petrovich notices that a passerby is walking along the sidewalk with a light priff, who will then meet him several times on the way. And the worst thing was for him to meet a stranger at home. And this Someone turned out to be his double in all respects - another Golyadkin Yakov Petrovich.
And in the morning he met him at his office at work. This was a new employee with the same surname and appearance, but he did not cause any perplexity among his colleagues.
After work, the double expressed a desire to speak with Yakov Petrovich, who immediately invited him to his home.
Dinner
The owner is courting the guest, giving him a punch and feeding him dinner, and is so sympathetic to him that he offers to be siblings with him, begin to conduct intrigues in defiance of his enemies, and at the same time be cunning. Early in the morning, the guest quietly left. Now Goliadkin’s double begins to get the most out of his bosses, weaves insidious intrigues, humiliates him before other officials: either pinching his cheek or clicking on his abdomen.
The real Golyadkin could not bear such insults: after the service, seeing a double on the stairs, he tries to start a conversation with him, but he unceremoniously gets into the carriage and leaves.
Now this double often runs around with the authorities on important and special matters. Dostoevsky's summary of strange events is heating up to impossibility. Exhausted to the extreme, Yakov Petrovich writes a letter to his double-offender asking him to explain himself. Petrushke he punishes to find out his address. The servant soon reports that he lives on Shestilavochnaya Street, however Golyadkin understands that this is his address, and decides that the loafer Petrushka is drunk and does not realize what he is saying.
Letter from a woman
In the morning, Golyadkin overslept and was late for service. In his department, he sends a letter to Mr. Doppelgänger Yakov Petrovich. Co-workers look at the real Golyadkin with arrogant curiosity, and he seeks sympathy from everyone, but does not find it. With his double, he is trying to explain himself in the coffee shop, but in vain.
After Golyadkin discovers a letter from Klara Olsufevna, who tearfully asks to save her and makes an appointment with him. He reached into his pocket and found a vial of medicine, which Krestyan Ivanovich prescribed to him a few days ago. It falls out of hands and breaks.
Yakov Petrovich hires a carriage and first goes to his excellence to ask for protection, but he is expelled to the front. Then Golyadkin rushes to Berendeev and waits for a signal from Klara Olsufevna. But soon guests notice him, and his double asks to go to Olsufy Ivanovich. He comes in and sits beside him. Soon in the crowd flashed: "Rides, rides!" Krestyan Ivanovich appears in the room, who takes Yakov Petrovich with him. At this time, a double runs after the carriage, but soon it disappears. And the main character with horror understands that Krestyan Petrovich is somehow not the same, not at all like the former. Golyadkin understands that he had long anticipated this.
Here is a sad note that Fedor Dostoevsky makes in his work. “Double” (the summary, as we see, ended very sadly for the protagonist) is a work that could brilliantly end its literary career, as critic Belinsky would say. However, for Dostoevsky it was only the beginning ...